The following is courtesy of Intermediate South teacher Bonnie Dusza from an event that took place March 27, 2025.
鈥淲hen we speak out against hatred, we become part of the solution.鈥� - Manfred Lindenbaum
As the third marking period comes to a close, the eighth graders are wrapping up the Holocaust Unit in Language Arts classes. Students have been reading articles, observing videos, and writing cross-curriculum research papers about the Holocaust, providing background knowledge to help them understand what a person has gone through. Nothing is more effective, though, than having a Holocaust survivor tell his story in person.
Intermediate South was honored to welcome Manfred Lindenbaum for a very special presentation last week. As eighth graders concluded their studies of the Holocaust, they had an opportunity to meet and interview this inspirational survivor, who has spent his life teaching about the importance of hope and tolerance. This living history lesson was one our Seminoles will never forget.
The presentation commenced with a two-minute video from 2015, when Mr. Lindenbaum was asked to join President Obama at the White House to assist in lighting the candles during Hanukkah. Soon after, Mr. Lindenbaum spoke about how his life completely changed at the age of six. Manfred 鈥淢anny鈥� Lindenbaum was born in Unna, Germany in 1932. His parents, brother and sister experienced Nazism take over when they had to wear 鈥淛鈥� on their clothing, their father鈥檚 store quickly plunged, and the Jewish were losing their rights.
In 1938, the Jewish were all pushed out of Germany and chased to Poland. The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) assisted refugees with food and supplies. As the Germans invaded Poland, Lindenbaum and his brother, Siegfried, were sent off on the Kindertransport headed toward England and eventually arriving in 1939. This was a pivotal moment in Lindenbaum鈥檚 life because it was the last time he was going to see his parents and sister. Soon after, he was separated from his brother and alone.
Lindenbaum emphasized how angry he was growing up and didn鈥檛 know how to deal with that emotion. While sharing his deep emotions, he reached out to many in the audience. Moving forward, after losing loved ones in Auschwitz, then going to a different country and learning a new language, it was easy to feel rage. However, Lindenbaum expressed to the young audience how a couple of people who showed they cared had changed his way of thinking. There were many moments during the speech where he was able to connect with students.
When the war ended in 1945, he was reunited with his brother and about to turn 14. His aunt and uncle reached out to them and together they ventured to America 鈥� New Jersey actually. This is where Lindenbaum's new life began. He met Annabel, his wife, who has been by his side for over 65 years. It wasn鈥檛 until his first grandchild that he was able to tell his incredible life story to his family for the first time. After that moment, Lindenbaum felt it was his mission in life to share his life experiences, volunteer, and help others. Currently, Lindenbaum and his wife spread their profound lessons all over the world.