Holocaust Guest Speaker Renee Rieder Siegel speaks to 20th Century World History

The 20th Century World History class is currently studying the Holocaust. Renee Rieder Siegel, who presented last year to Jackie Scully’s 11th grade classes in person, joined the 20th Century classes again this year for a powerful virtual presentation on February 24. 

Renee spoke about her mother’s journey as a Holocaust survivor. Her mother, Helen, grew up in Czechoslovakia as a young girl and, as a teen, was put into a ghetto followed by multiple concentration camps including Auschwitz. She grew up in a large family, and only one other sibling survived. Helen emigrated to America after she met her husband in Israel years after the camp was liberated. She had two children, including Renee who continues to share her mother’s story. She named her daughter Renee, French for reborn. 

Renee ended her presentation with a focus on the themes of her mother’s life of resilience and rebirth. She noted that through everything her mother experienced while surviving the Holocaust, she always remembers those who were kind to her. She left the class with the parting message, “remember the kindness of others even in times of great horror.”