Learning from the Holocaust

“No one in their wildest imaginations could imagine how bad it would be,” said Francis Morton, a third-generation descendant of Czechoslovakian Jews, during a powerful talk delivered to students at the College to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27.

6.1 students from across the College were invited to hear Francis Morton speak, a representative from Generation2Generation – an organisation dedicated to ensuring the continuation of Holocaust testimony. In a deeply personal and moving account, Francis shared the history of his family, focusing on his parents, Renée and George, who were both born in Czechoslovakia. Although they managed to flee Nazi-occupied Europe, they never saw their immediate families again.

Francis uncovered his family’s story through more than 500 letters written to his mother by relatives and friends between 1938 and 1946. The letters provide a harrowing insight into the increasing persecution of European Jews and the devastating reality of the Holocaust.

By sharing his family’s experiences, Francis highlighted the stories of just a few of the millions of Jews who were murdered, stressing the importance of remembrance and encouraging empathy with refugees and displaced families in the world today.

Helen Sweeney, Head of History at Esher, explained the significance of the talk for our students:

“The Holocaust is not studied in any of the History A Levels here at Esher, which is partly the reason for the talk. We also wanted to encourage greater awareness and understanding by reflecting on the past to help make sense of the issues young people encounter in the media today.”

The College extends its sincere thanks to Francis Morton for giving his time and sharing such a meaningful testimony. His highly informative and deeply moving talk is sure to stay with students for a long time.