Sonia Kaplan's Story

By Jade Schleicher

William H. Hastie, an American lawyer and advocate for civil rights of African Americans, once said, “History informs us of past mistakes from which we can learn without repeating them.” Social studies students at the high school are being taught the importance of learning history, one key example being the Holocaust and the reign of Nazi Germany. The Holocaust was a genocide during World War II in which Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, killed around six million European Jews. On October 17, Lehighton Area High School students will be listening to Sonia Kaplan, a Holocaust survivor, speak. There are less than 100,000 survivors left who lived in camps, ghettos, or were in hiding during the Holocaust. The opportunity to listen to Sonia Kaplan’s story is something that all students should not take for granted. Her story is just a small glimpse into the horror that was the Holocaust.

Sonia Kaplan is a survivor of the Holocaust who lived in a ghetto in Nazi-controlled Poland. Sonia started her presentation by describing her childhood and how it closely resembled normalcy. As she grew older, World War II broke out, and everything started to change. Her close family consisted of her mother and siblings, as her father passed away before WWII. The family’s normally peaceful Poland became a place of terror once the Nazi invasion began. Sonia managed to survive in the ghetto for a few years, but none of her family members made it out with her. At 13 years old, Sonia was left with no family once the Jews were liberated.

Now 89 years old, Sonia talked about how she had tried to commit suicide twice because she felt that there was nothing to live for. Today, she remembers her past, but tries to not let it control her. She says that her motto for life is that she can do anything that anyone else can, and better. To us students, she told us to not take our education or families for granted, as she grew up without both. Some of the events that she described to us are unimaginable, but there are larger lessons to be learned from her presentation. Even though things may seem tough at times, everyone should feel lucky for what they have. Ms. Kaplan had everything that she ever had taken away from her, and had to rebuild her life at a young age. I also hope that we all understand the importance of history. Sonia’s story is just a small part of the bigger picture of the Holocaust. By learning about the terrors of the Holocaust, future generations can understand the mistakes and learn from them.

Overall, Sonia Kaplan’s presentation was both inspiring and heartbreaking. On stage stood an 89 year old woman talking about everything that she survived through during the Holocaust. Even though the Jews were liberated, she was still trapped in her own struggles with nothing left of her old life. Soon, Sonia managed to turn the presentation to life lessons with motivation. She discussed how she now has children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She encouraged us to be grateful for everything that we have. Although she will never forget the past, Sonia continues to live her life in her own way. That, to me, is true power.