On Friday 26th of November, we had the privilege to meet Tomi Reichental a survivor of the Holocaust. Mr. Reichental gave a talk to our 8 to 12 class students and teachers over Zoom and answered several questions. We were all very moved by Mr. Reichental’s experiences as a child during the Holocaust and his views on the past today.
Tomi Reichental was born in 1935 and is originally from Merasice a small village in Slovakia where he spent his first years of his life. He was only 9 years old when he, his older brother, his mother other members of his close family were deported to the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen. It was only then when he found out the full extent of horror that was happening to Jewish people at that time. Miraculously, he, his brother and their parents survived, and in the late 1950s Mr. Reichental emigrated to Ireland.
He wasn’t speaking about his experiences until few year ago. Today he feels that it is important to share his stories to promote tolerance, to educate young people about the importance of remembrance and reconciliation and to honour Jewish people who lost their lives.
Mr. Reichental has received many awards, has shared his stories in several talks, has written a memoir titled ‘I was a Boy in Belsen’ and a children book ‘Tomi’ and collaborated on three documentaries. As to Mr Reichental, it very important to not only speak about the horrors of the Holocaust but also about the survival and what it means to live with the experience. Even today, he finds it difficult to deal with the feeling of dehumanization every time he speaks about his past.
We had invited Mr. Reichental to visit St. Kilian’s German School before Covid times. Sadly we had to cancel his visit due to the pandemic, but we are delighted that we could meet him now on Zoom. This also allowed several classes and also other schools to participate. As a German School, it is important to us to remember the past. We want to sincerely thank Mr. Reichental for taking the time to speak to us and to Mr Sarah Niederprüm from the German Department for organising this great event.
