History

During Term 2,

Year 10 History students went on an excursion to the Shrine of Remembrance and the Jewish Holocaust Centre. At the Shrine of Remembrance, students participated in a specialised World War 2 program that allowed them to handle genuine artefacts from the period. During the visit to the Holocaust Centre, students had the unique opportunity to listen to the experiences and reflections of a Holocaust survivor which was a very moving experience for all who attended.

Laura McCormick

Learning Area Leader: Humanities (History/Geography) 

The Shrine and Holocaust Museum Reflection

The experience I had on this excursion was unforgettable. There’s only so much you can learn from a textbook but seeing and holding real artefacts from World War II and looking at the thousands of names of fallen soldiers engraved on the walls of the Shrine was sombre and provided me with a new perspective on the scale of the war and the effects it had on so many people. However, probably the most memorable experience I had on the day was listening to the Holocaust survivor at the Holocaust Museum. His name was John and his life experiences were unbelievable and he experienced some truly unimaginable hardships. In my whole time at St Bede’s I’ve never seen three classes of kids be so silent, every student hung on to every word he said because they knew this would be the last time they would hear the real-life experiences of a Holocaust survivor who lived through Auschwitz and Nazi-invaded Poland. I will forever cherish the time I spent listening to that man and shaking his hand. The excursion gave us a better understanding of our classroom studies and it was a positive experience overall.

Aidan Carroll

On May 19, Ms Ryan’s history class went on an excursion to the Shrine of Remembrance in the city and the Jewish Holocaust center in Elsternwick. We had been learning about Australia’s involvement in World War 1 and the treatment of the Jewish people of Europe during World War 2 throughout the semester and these trips gave our class the opportunity and privilege to get a hands on experience after months of worksheets and tests. At the Shrine, we were able to observe and ask questions about genuine artefacts from WW1 used by Australian soldier like helmets, holsters and clothes. It was great to get a chance to actually hold and interact with the various items and to further our understanding and appreciate the hardships and difficulties those brave men faced. At the Holocaust Center we were given the opportunity to hear stories from real holocaust survivors and we were able to listen to the story of Nazi Germany from a Jew’s perspective. This was a highlight for me as never before had I had the rare chance to hear what it was really like as a hunted Jew during WW2 and it gave me a greater appreciation for what they had to endure. Much like at the Shrine, we were given the opportunity to see real artefacts from the time period, like the pyjamas worn by the Jews at the concentration camps and the Star of David badge they were forced to wear. Much like at the shrine these gave me a greater appreciation for what these people went through. I definitely enjoyed my time on the excursion and appreciate the opportunity given to me by St Bede's.

Finn Tuke