The Holocaust Legacy Partners program was created and implemented to ensure Holocaust survivors’ place in history. Survivors are partnered with dedicated individuals to carry forward the most intimate details of their Holocaust experience so that their personal memories and histories can continue in perpetuity.

The presentations, which took place five times in the library, included discussions of the importance of defending human rights and combating racism, prejudice and intolerance within our society. The presentations were funded with a Peabody Education Foundation Best Bet grant written by Grade 8 English teacher Linda Heafey.

Grade 8 students explore issues of racism and prejudice in both their social studies and English curriculums. In their language arts classes, they read a dramatic presentation of “Anne Frank’s Diary” and various short stories which focus on racism in general and the Holocaust in particular.

Students also read two historical novels during the year with a setting of World War II: one set in the Pacific and one set in Europe. Excerpts from local Holocaust survivor Sonia Schreiber Weitz’s book “I Promised I Would Tell” are included in student exploration of the Holocaust, and students are given opportunities to explore similar themes relevant to their own lives.

Students were also informed of the Sonia Schreiber Weitz Upstander Award sponsored by Holocaust Center Boston North. Open to students in grades 7 to 12, the essay competition has a deadline of March 1. Essays should include a detailed description on how the student has been an "upstander" by taking action on behalf of another individual or group. Individuals, teachers and students may also nominate a deserving student for this award.

The award is named for Holocaust survivor Sonia Schreiber Weitz who passed away on June 23, 2010. Sonia was a poet, author, and spokesperson for her generation who put a face on Holocaust history. A remarkable woman who became a role model for the generations after, she was beloved by everyone who had the privilege of hearing her share her experiences during the Holocaust.

Her mission was to encourage others to apply the lessons of the past to the present: “I dream of a world without victims and victimizers, and even more, without bystanders.”

The award recipients must emulate Sonia’s commitment to making our world a better place by demonstrating that they are not bystanders but upstanders who have taken action on behalf of another against prejudice, hatred, or indifference. There are unlimited opportunities to be an upstander. Two examples of an upstander include but are not limited to an individual who has helped someone being bullied or has stopped untrue or harmful messages from spreading.

Two students in grades 7–12 will be recognized at the awards ceremony at Yom HaShoah, the Interfaith Commemoration of the Holocaust, 7 p.m. on April 23, 2012, at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School.

For more information, please call 978-531-8288 or contact the Holocaust Center at holocaustctrbn@yahoo.com.