The Holocaust Literature class and sixth grade students joined in the Freedom High School auditorium to listen to a Holocaust survivor tell his story. Mrs. Ziegler, sixth grade teacher, contacted the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh.
Harry Schneider, a 77-year-old Holocaust survivor, was only two years old when he and his family fled to the Polish forests to hide from the Nazi Army. Here, food and medical supplies were scarce, but “somehow you survive…we did the best we could,” Schneider said.
At the age of four, Schneider and his family escaped to Russia. While they were there, Schneider’s father was drafted into the Russian Army, while the rest of them lived in Siberia. Food was still scarce, but they had a place to call home. Schneider and his family returned to Poland when he was ten years old.
“I do remember we were always on the run,” Schneider said. At one point during their travels, the train they were riding was bombed by the Germans.
Once they were back in their home country, they returned to their hometown, only to see two-thirds of the houses had been destroyed by bombs. After reuniting with Harry’s father, his cousin moved to Israel, but his father wanted to wait to get visas in order to make the long trip to America. Starting in Poland, they sailed to Austria and then to America. Here, the family went through Ellis Island. There was “lots of excitement” when everyone saw the Statue of Liberty.
The Schneider family was now one step closer to being free. Taking a train from New York to Pennsylvania, they called Washington home. Later on in life, he met his wife in Pittsburgh. At the age of 13, Harry began school. This was tough for Schneider, considering he didn’t speak any English. “Friends and teachers translated for me,” Schneider said.
Initially putting Harry in sixth grade, they later realized he was smarter than the school had previously believed and moved him into the eighth grade. Thankfully, his English teacher would stay after school with him and help with learning the language.
After telling his story, Harry Schneider went on to talk about life lessons. “The worst problem is hate,” Harry stated. “Hatred doesn’t do any good for anyone.”