In the beginning of March, William J. Lowenberg Speakers Bureau member Helen Farkas addressed the students at Mt. Eden High School in Hayward, California. Following the program, we received a large stack of letters from the students at Mt. Eden. Helen really made an impression on this large group of young people; each letter was incredible and heartfelt. Read a the following excerpts from a few of the letters:

“I totally agree with what you said, which was that our skin color doesn’t matter, we are all humans. I’m Latina and sometimes I feel like I don’t fit in. The reason I feel that way is because when I go to Mexico I am told I am American and that I belong in the USA, and when I’m in the USA I am told I belong in Mexico, but I will not let that define who I am.”

“Being in the same room as you yesterday was a good experience because it opened my eyes more about how important it is to spread the message of love. We should not be intolerant of others just because they are different. We are all humans, no matter the race or religion, so we should not feel like one person is superior to another.”

“Thank you for telling us that our generation is responsible for changing the world positively and preventing hatred. Your story has enlightened and inspired me to spread love and positivity to everyone because spreading hate will not benefit anyone at all.”

“Your story also inspired me a lot because even though you were going through hell, you still had a reason to keep going. I sometimes give up in rough times but the fact that you didn’t in a very, very hard time is just so inspiring. You are a role model and I am happy that you spend your time sharing your story.”

Read these four letters in their entirety >

If you would like to bring a Holocaust survivor like Helen into your classroom, please contact Nikki Bambauer, Program Coordinator, at 415-449-3717 or [email protected].