LA teacher brings Holocaust education to students
After trip to Auschwitz, LA teacher brings Holocaust education to her students
Catholic school teacher Michelle Herrera never had a Jewish friend, never stepped inside a Jewish synagogue, and never learned much about the Jewish faith.
But after noticing a rise in antisemitism in recent years, Herrera thought it was time to better inform herself and her students. So she joined the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, a unique program that gives American teachers academic-focused tours of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland. Herrera knew seeing the concentration and extermination camps was going to be difficult, but it was tougher than expected.
“That first night I prayed the most,” she said. “I wasn’t ready for the emotions that came up … nothing can prepare you for it.”