Holocaust Memorial Lecture: Mr Leslie Kleinman, Holocaust Education Trust and Rabbi Nafiali Schiff, CEO of the Jewish Futures Trust
On Wednesday, 16 May, Charterhouse pupils were privileged to hear from Mr Leslie Kleinman, BEM, a survivor of Auschwitz, during a day of events to remember and learn lessons from the Holocaust.
𝘔𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘳𝘴 𝘒𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘭𝘺-𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴
Mr Kleinman was born in 1929 in Romania, one of eight children. His father was a Orthodox Jewish Rabbi in the small village where Leslie grew up, but his upbringing was shattered in 1940 with the Hungarian invasion of Romania. One Saturday in 1944, his father was taken by soldiers to Auschwitz, and later that year Leslie and the rest of his family were interned in a ghetto.
At the age of 14, Leslie too was taken to Auschwitz where – by telling guards he was 17 – he was selected for work duties. Most of his family was taken to the gas chambers.
Sent on a death march at the end of 1944, Leslie walked hundreds of miles before being liberated by the American troops. He later settled in Canada but has now returned to the UK, where he spends time – whilst approaching his 90th birthday next year! – as a dedicated and inspirational educator and campaigner.
𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘮 𝘒𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘙𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘪 𝘕𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘧
Leslie’s visit to Charterhouse, which was arranged through the generosity of current parents Steve and Sarah Ozin, included talks to First Year Specialists (Year 12) and Fourths (Year 9), as well as staff and parents. We were privileged also to host Mr Kleinman’s wife, Miriam, and Rabbi Naftali Schiff, a Holocaust educator and Jewish leader, who interviewed Mr Kleinman in front of an evening audience of 150.
Mr Kleinman’s moving stories of the Second World War had listeners in tears, whilst his passionate message of love trumping hate resounded across the School community. Charterhouse marked Mr Kleinman’s visit with two displays in the Library, whilst the newly appointed School Prefects had lunch with Mr and Mrs Kleinman, and enjoyed a challenging discussion on the role of leaders in speaking out and championing those in need.
𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺
Christina Elling, recently appointed as a School Monitor, said following the lunch, “It was beyond inspirational to hear from Leslie. Despite such appalling experiences as a teenager, younger than I am now, he has made his life into a positive story of love and education. The lessons of the Holocaust cannot be forgotten, even years later, and it was an honour to hear those first-hand from Leslie.”
Ben Cahill-Nicholls, who runs Charterhouse’s programme of Citizenship Education, added, “Leslie’s gifts of communication, and his incredibly moving stories, brought to life for our pupils the harsh realities of a historical event which we really only know from books and films. His message of unity and friendship struck a resounding note with our School community, and it was a privilege to welcome him, Miriam and Naftali.”
For more information about Charterhouse’s Citizenship programme, please e-mail BCN@charterhouse.org.uk.
