Stephen Nasser, a survivor of the violent Holocaust, will visit Faith Lutheran on March 17 to share his story and experiences in the treacherous concentration camp the Nazis imprisoned him in.

In his presentation, Nasser explains his separation from his family and friends in his hometown, Hungary and his transportation to the brutal concentration camp in Auschwitz. Nasser experienced many losses and blessings throughout the prolonged amount of time he stayed in Auschwitz. It’s these experiences, the losses and memories, at concentration camps that stay with Nasser for eternity; however, those never-forgotten memories impact the future generations who hear his story.

Nasser’s presentation revolves around a few main points,“ [It points out,] what [went] on at the time, how awful the Holocaust was and what people had to try to live through, explained Melanie Bowline, librarian and organizer of Nasser’s visit.

Bowline believes everyone who hears Nasser’s presentation becomes influenced by the cruelty of the Holocaust.

“Stephen’s message impacts everybody who has heard him speak, and people are just in awe of the fact the world had this exist in our lifetime,” Bowline said. “That things like this were so horrific and [yet, people joined] Hitler to do these horrific things on human beings.”

Other returning students express how much Nasser’s presentation impacted them.

“I thought [Stephen Nasser’s speech] was inspiring to me and to my fellow classmates, to see what it’s like to see him go through a tragic moment like that,” seventh grader, Riley Christiansen explained.

Nasser’s main reason of coming to Faith Lutheran is to visualize the book, “The Devil’s Arithmetic” written by Jane Yolen, which sixth graders study to gain more knowledge on the Holocaust and the different opinions about it. However, other middle schoolers might have the opportunity to see Stephen Nasser during M4, if their history teacher has a free schedule and plans to take them there.

Mrs. Kelli Ongman, head of the sixth grade department expresses Nasser’s difficulty to remain alive and how he never forgot the haunting experiences of the Holocaust.

“Anyone that’s survived the Holocaust is inspirational, but to hear his struggles, how he fought to stay alive and share his story is remarkable,” Ongman explained. “Not to mention, his motto is ‘never again,’ and I think that is important for our students to learn that we shouldn’t allow bad things in our world and make sure they never happen again.”

When Nasser becomes unable to perform or decides he is unfit to deliver his presentation, future generations will listen to his recorded presentation. This way, future students can understand the horrors of the Holocaust from a first-hand source and still pass on Nasser’s legacy.

Bowline encourages students to pay attention and concentrate on Nasser’s message.

“I hope everyone who comes in contact with him embraces the moment that they get to listen to him speak,” Bowline expressed. “ I know for me, every time I [listen] to him I pick up something different and think about how lucky we are.”

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