On Thursday Year 11 students visited the synagogue in Belfast and got the opportunity to meet and hear the story of Joan Salter MBE. She is a child survivor of the Holocaust. She was born in 1940 to Polish Jewish parents and she was three months old when Belgium was invaded by the Nazis.
After the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940, Joan’s father was deported, along with all non-native men over the age of 15. Her mother took Joan and her sister to Paris, and eventually over the mountains into Spain in early 1943.
From there, Joan was transported to America and was fostered. We were also able to hear of the history of the Jewish population in Belfast and of the features of the synagogue.
This was a very emotional and humbling testimony that was appreciated by all the students and staff alike.
