A 78-year-old concentration camp survivor is visiting a school next week to speak about her experiences.
Lady Zahava Kohn, is a survivor of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp in Lower Saxony, Germany, where her and her parents were incarcerated between 1944 and 1945.
She will be attending King Solomon High School, in Forest Road, Barkingside, on January 23 to present her story to nine different schools in the borough and answer questions from pupils.
With the help of her daughter Hephzibah Rudofsky, who convinced her to break her silence surrounding her time in the camp, she now tours schools all over the country.
Lady Zahava Kohn was born in Palestine in 1935 but her parents moved to Holland when she was two years old.
In 1943 Lady Kohn and her parents were deported from Amsterdam to Westerbork camp and from there they were sent to Bergen Belsen concentration camp.
She said: “I am one of the very fortunate survivors and have a positive story to tell.
“During our school visits, I have been very impressed by the young adults we have met.
“They come from all walks of life, all backgrounds, religions and cultures, yet their questions are invariably sensitive, searching and intelligent.
“This fills me with great hope for the future.”
Mrs Rudofsky added: “I find it humbling to appreciate that, despite the misery and deprivation, my mother and her family witnessed, they acted with courage, dignity and strength.
“Instead of acting like victims, my mother and her family moved forward to create new beginnings and embraced life with hope.
“The ability of people like my mother to endure, to survive and to remember is an inspiration and it is a privilege and an honour for me to facilitate these sessions at schools with her.”
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