"Not every kid gets a chance to query an author or peek at personal mementoes of someone they've read about, but some Grade 6 and 7 students in Toronto had the opportunity on Tuesday at an event marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Dozens gathered at the Toronto District School Board's headquarters while others in the area watched a livestream for a conversation with Kathy Kacer about her book To Hope and Back, which recounts for younger audiences the 1939 voyage of the St. Louis, a ship of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany ahead of the Second World War."
"Kacer's book explores the tale from the eyes of two children who were on the voyage Lisa and Sol based on historical research and her interviews with the two survivors decades later. "I read a lot when I was your age, and older," Kacer told the crowd of youngsters. "But when I read about the St. Louis many, many years ago, it just stayed in my mind as one of those important, pivotal stories This is one story I knew I was going to write at some point.""
"Lisa Lisa Avedon has since passed away. But her daughter Madeline Avedon and granddaughter Talia Mirkin were also on hand to share their personal stories about black-and-white photos, a well-worn children's book, a beloved chair and a sturdy trunk that made the voyage with Lisa and have been lovingly preserved in their family. Students queried the trio on a wide array of topics: from what food the passengers ate to how long the trip lasted since the St. Louis was turned away from port after port."
Grade 6 and 7 students in Toronto attended an event marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day focused on the 1939 voyage of the St. Louis. The voyage involved Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany who were refused entry by multiple nations, forcing their return to Europe. The tale was presented through the perspectives of two children on the voyage, Lisa and Sol, based on historical research and survivor interviews. Lisa's daughter and granddaughter displayed personal mementos—a worn children's book, black-and-white photos, a beloved chair and a sturdy trunk—that survived the journey and remain in the family. Students asked about food, trip length, and what belongings could be brought.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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