In October, Albany High School was graced with the presence of Marion Blumenthal Lazan, a concentration camp survivor that lived through the Holocaust. Lazan recounted the story of her plight in a Holland concentration camp in the 1940s, and explained the treacherous beginning of her life. She told of her journey to a world that provided her education, love, and opportunity: America. She had one thing to thank, and that was hope.

Lazan looked for four pebbles every day in her concentration camp, which she used to represent the lives of her family. For each pebble she found, that meant her family would stay together. She also taught an important lesson, stressing the importance of remembering history to be passed down to future generations, in order to keep from repetition of events such as the Holocaust. She expressed that a world of peace could be achieved if we put in practice compassion, tolerance, and kindness toward everyone.

After her speech, throughout which students were silent and reverent, Lazan received a roar of applause. Many students stayed after the story to hear more from Lazan, some asking her to sign copies of her book, Four Perfect Pebbles, while most approached her for a hug. She was welcoming to all, and her nature will undoubtedly be passed on to the students whose lives she touched that day. Marion Blumenthal Lazan’s warm-heartedness will not be forgotten, and neither will her story.