January 27 is Holocaust Remembrance Day around the world. Growing up in a family of history buffs, I knew a lot about the facts of the Holocaust, and World War II in general because of several family members who served in the military during that time. I read historical fiction novels and biographies about victims of the Holocaust. I even taught Holocaust literature with elementary students.

As awful as the stories were about the horrific deaths and struggles to survive for so many, these stories seemed far removed from me and my little world. They were a part of our collective history, not something that personally impacted me on a daily basis.

Then, I went to Israel. During the trip, our group had the opportunity to visit Yad Vashem World Holocaust Center in Jerusalem. The facts and stories from books and movies stared me in the face that day.

Throughout the museum, there were video reels playing the stories of survivors. Beyond their spoken words, though, were visual reminders that victims of the Holocaust were real people, not just stories in a history book. There were children’s toys left behind when families were deported from their homes; there were photos and documents left behind when entire communities were rounded up and placed on trains; there were Nazi flags that hung in the ghettos.

But it was a pile of shoes that made the Holocaust come to life for me. Underneath the walkway, covered by a glass floor, was a large pile of shoes of every shape and size. The shoes were recovered from some of the Nazi camps. The shoes were taken from victims as they arrived on overcrowded trains, and tossed aside as their owners were led either to the barracks of a work camp or directly to a death chamber. The pile of shoes at Yad Vashem represents real men, women, and children.

I choose to remember the Holocaust not simply because it’s important to teach history (which I do believe), but because I’ve seen the real impact of what was left behind – toys without children to use them, photos of entire families that were murdered, survivors changed forever.

 

And piles of shoes without owners.

 

Learn More —

Yad Vashem has a wonderful website full of resources for those interested in learning more, and especially for educators. I highly recommend spending some time exploring their site to learn more than just facts about the Holocaust.