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Tallahassee students are learning about the Holocaust during their summer break

The students and their grownup colleagues met Holocaust survivor Allan Hall via virtual hookup at the HERC offices on the campus of Tallahassee Community College.
Tom Flanigan
The students and their grownup colleagues met Holocaust survivor Allan Hall via virtual hookup at the HERC offices on the campus of Tallahassee Community College.

Tallahassee middle school students have been learning about the Holocaust during their summer break. It’s part of a community outreach by the Holocaust Education Resource Council. On Wednesday, July 13, the students and their instructors received a virtual visit from 87 year old Allan Hall. The native of Poland is arguably the only Jewish child seized by the Nazis who then lived to tell the tale.

“Not only were my parents committed to live, but so was I,” he remarked before telling the group how his father bribed a German guard to secure his son's release from what would surely have been a trip to a death camp.

Hall’s story contained valuable lessons for students like Will Yaeger, who’ll be a ninth-grader at Macclay this fall.

“Quite a few Americans don’t even believe the Holocaust even happened, So the ability to fight it in case it ever happens is valuable in my eyes.”

Yaeger's sentiment wasechoed by HERC supporter and advocate Ken Boutwell, who's one of the program instructors.

“It’s so important that this next generation learn this. We’ve got to do it. We’ve just GOT to do it!”

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Tom Flanigan has been with WFSU News since 2006, focusing on covering local personalities, issues, and organizations. He began his broadcast career more than 30 years before that and covered news for several radio stations in Florida, Texas, and his home state of Maryland.

Find complete bio, contact info, and more stories. here.