Over 600 students and staff across the Horizon School Division took in a day of powerful presentations during the 2nd Annual Holocaust Symposium.

Five different speakers were on hand for the day, including David Katzman and Judge David Arnot from the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. Katzman touched on the understanding of Judaism as well as antisemitism, while Arnot talked about today's human rights.

Dan Vardi, Israeli Shlichim from Saskatoon spoke on life, justice and a new Israel. 

Social Studies teacher at William Derby in Strasbourg, Larry Mikulcik, who has been heavily involved in why the school division elected to hold the symposium, talked about the history of the Holocaust, as well as denial, genocide, justice, and lessons not yet learned.

Wrapping up the day was Nate Leipciger, a survivor of the Holocaust, who told his story, which started as a young boy at the age of 11, finishing with the end of the Second World War, when they were freed.

His hope for talking to today's youth is that they can carry on change in the world, so that nobody has to ever experience what he lived, in a dark period of time in our history.

"The message is that they're the future of our country, they're the future of our world," he said. "We're going through a very difficult period in our world. Many people are dying innocently. We are being harrassed by people who feel that their way of life is the right way."

"This is what I have to our youth. Don't be shy, don't cut yourself short, don't limit yourself. Have a wide horizon and go forth, and change the world."

In addition to speaking infront of crowds, Leipciger penned his haunting experiences from Auschwitz in the book 'Weight of Freedom', a 280-page walkthrough of his life, which he says was tough to do.

"It was very difficult because I had to recollect all the horrendous events that took place. When you're infront of an audience, the adrenaline flows, and the memory comes to you. When you sit infront of a computer and you start to type, you only see the images that you're writing about, and the images I was writing about were not pretty."

"When I was finished, I realized it was sort of a liberating situation, because now that it was on paper, I could forget what I was carrying all these years."

Each year, Leipciger travels back to Auschwitz, and the scene of where his life took a drastic turn over 70 years ago. Being able to show people that what he experienced isn't scripted in a movie, or virtually formatted in a video game, is important to him.

"How else can you teach the young people of what happened, other than to show them where it happened," he noted. "I take them to the camp and I tell them, touch the wire, touch the barracks, touch the bricks, touch the floor, this is real. This is not imaginary, this is not fiction."

Given his ability to tell a powerful first person account has led Leipciger to dedicate his life to showing others what hate can do, and what it can bring to the world.

Asked how someone goes about bringing change to the world, he said that you need to push your beliefs.

"You never stand up to be brave. You stand up because of the principles you believe in. If you believe the principle then you stand up for it. You don't think of consequences, you don't think of who is with you, who is against you, just do it."

Following his presentation, Leipciger was presented with a gift from Deputy Minister Julie MacRae, as well as Larry Mikulcik, HSD Director of Education, Kevin Garinger.

L-R: Larry Mikulcik, Kevin Garinger, Julie MacRae, Nate Leipciger (Photo: Horizon School Division)

Being able to bring in guest speakers to talk on subjects outside the classroom is something the school division values, according to Garinger.

"The lessons students will take away from our Holocaust Symposium provide a perfect example of why it is so critical to provide safe and caring, culturally responsive school environments for our students and staff. The importance of empathy and acceptance is why Safe & Caring is one of our three foundational goals as a system," he stated.

"We are extremely proud to offer this powerful learning opportunity for our Grade 11 students. It is an honour to have Mr. Leipciger visit our division to share his remarkable story, along with our other distinguished guests."