'The Voices of the Holocaust'

Published by St Catherine's School on Friday 14th of February 2025

On Tuesday 28 January, St Catherine's commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and were honoured to welcome cast members of the The Voices of the Holocausť. This is a pioneering charity and theatre company dedicated to sharing real life stories of the Holocaust. The company performs a collection of verbatim plays, the most acclaimed being, 'Kindness: a legacy of the Holocaust,' which has been viewed by over 30,025 students since its launch in 2022.

Years 9-13 were privileged to watch this play and were fully engaged in the Q&A with the cast and the director, Cate Hollis, which followed the play. This particular play focuses on the life of Susan Pollack OBE, from her early life in a small village in Hungary, to the forced separation of her family and her experiences in Auschwitz-Birkenau and BergenBelsen concentration camps. Susan Pollack was sent to Auschwitz aged 13 in May 1944 and stayed there for 10 weeks. She endured horrendous treatment and living conditions. She was later sent to work in an armaments factory Guben, Germany, before being forced on a death march to the Bergen-Belsen camps as a result of the approaching allied forces. On the 15th April 1945, a severely malnourished Susan was liberated by the British and sent to Sweden for her recovery.

There are other narratives sewn into this play, for example, the inspiring and resilient acts and escape plot of Mala Zimetbaum and Edek Galinski. Their moving story highlights their unwavering strength and love for one another. The combination of these stories highlights the widespread impact these camps had, as well as reminding us of the sheer amount of suffering that was caused. These are remarkable people who suffered greatly as a result of prejudice, hatred and bigotry.

As the number of survivors dwindles, there is a widespread concern that our generation will forget these horrific events, therefore it is essential that these life experiences are recorded so that their voices are not lost, and their stories will live on way into the future.

This play further aims to teach us that we must challenge prejudice and speak up against Holocaust deniers, so that these atrocious events are never repeated or tolerated, anda better future is made.

Thank you to Mrs Gava and the rest of the History Department for organising this event for us - it was a thoughtprovoking, spectacular performance with a mix of uplifting and horrifying experiences to fully show the true reality, all brilliantly showcased with a strong narrative. Watching the play was an unforgettable experience. Florence, Year 13