Holocaust-survivor meets AMS
by Richard Sapien
March 29, 2009
In awe, Alderete Middle School students huddled around Holocaust-survivor Sarah Hauptman as she revealed her tattoo number from the Auschwitz concentration camp. For the students, it was a chilling, real-life example of the Holocaust stories they read about in class.
For weeks, students from Sandra Sapien’s sixth grade class read books, watched movies, wrote poems and prepared presentations about World War II and the Holocaust. To better connect her students with the lesson, Sapien decided to bring a speaker who lived through the rigors and horrors of the class history books.
“I felt that students would learn more about the lesson [Holocaust] if they were able to see and hear from a person who actually went through it all,” Sapien said.
Students asked questions about Hauptman’s most frightening experiences, daily meals, and the different forms of punishment she received. Hauptman was quick to answer every question and did not hesitate to reveal anything about her past.
“It is important that people know the truth about what happened [during the Holocaust],” Hauptman said.
Richard Sapien and Ale Montalvo, two UTEP students and members of the Regional Economic Development Association and Regional Identity magazine (regionalidentity.com), attended the sit down with Hauptman and the students to capture the interactions and reflections of the event.
Students valued Hauptman’s bravery and resilience and delivered personal messages to their newest hero.
“You are my hero,” Michelle Barron said to Hauptman, “I love you.”
You can purchase Sarah Hauptman’s autobiography at the El Paso Holocaust Musuem.
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