Southern Oregon University German instructor Christiane Pyle and SOU student Nicole Neumann have organized an event in which Holocaust survivor Morris Price will share his incredible story via Skype on May 31 in the Britt Ballroom.
Pyle’s upper division German class is currently learning about concentration camps, which is why she felt it would be a great experience for them as well as for others to hear a testimony from someone who was personally imprisoned in Auschwitz and then in Dachau.
“It is important that we remember what these people went through and to listen to their stories and learn from them,” says Pyle. “We will not have very many opportunities to actually talk to somebody who survived Auschwitz or Dachau and as long as we have these opportunities, we need to make use of them.”
The event will begin with a discussion from some of the upper division German students about the different camps Price was imprisoned in so as to add context to his account. Then Price will join in via Skype from LA to give a one-hour presentation of his experiences. A question and answer session will follow.
Price, a Polish Jew who was only a teenager when he and his family members were forced to work in labor camps and then ultimately moved to a concentration camp, has spoken numerous times at Los Angeles’ Museum of Tolerance because he “finds it meaningful when he can share his testimony with younger people who might not have previously known about the Holocaust,” according to the museum’s website.
When asked what this opportunity to hear Price’s story means to her personally, Pyle responded that “as a German, I feel strongly that we shouldn’t forget. I believe that we as Germans have a responsibility to tell their stories so that we don’t forget.”
The event is open to everyone but there is limited seating. Doors open at 1 p.m. and Price will join in at 2 p.m.