The students of Presentation Castleisland recently remembered the six million Jewish people who died during the Holocaust.
The third year students planted yellow crocus bulbs to remember one and half million Jewish children and thousands of other children who died in the concentration camps during World War Two.
The yellow colour of the flowers reminds the students of the yellow star that Jews were forced to wear under Nazi rule. The flowers also remind them that, even after the most terrible events, new life begins again.
Holocaust Awareness
“Raising awareness about the Holocaust is now more important than ever as the number of living survivors are dwindling’, said student, Mairéad Walsh on behalf of her fellow students.
“In our study of the Holocaust, we learned that the twin forces of antisemitism and prejudice are all too apparent in the world today. We also learned about some Irish people who resisted the Nazi regime while working in Europe.
“They saved countless lives as aid workers, religious figures and ordinary citizens. Cork woman Marly Elmes volunteered as an aid worker during the Spanish Civil War in occupied France.
Jewish Children Saved
She saved hundreds of Jewish children from deportation to concentration camps,” said Mairéad.
“Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, also known as the ‘Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican’ rescued thousands of allied soldiers and Jewish people from capture and persecution while living as a priest in Italy,” she continued.
“We also studied the concentration camps like Dachau and Auschwitz and are reminded why these death camps still stand.
“They serve as memorials to the dead and as a reminder for those who survived. They also stand for the future of our children and for their children. This is why we must never forget,” said the third year students.
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