Chicago – The sophomore class at Mount Carmel High School was graced with the presence of David Faber on September 15. Faber, who spoke to students for well over an hour, is a Holocaust survivor.

Faber, who is “80 years young”, as he described himself, lives in San Diego and has been officially speaking to audiences about his harrowing experiences for over 16 years. He told Mount Carmel’s sophomores about life before the Nazis invaded his native Poland, the murders of his parents and six of his siblings, and his survival of nine concentration camps.

Along with telling the chilling, tragic stories, Faber also made sure to connect his experiences with the Mount Carmel students.

“It’s time to learn to respect each other,” Faber told the audience. “Someday, when you have children, teach them to love and not to hate. Hate can kill us all. If we don’t love each other, we will destroy each other.”

Only 12 years old when the Nazis invaded his hometown of Katowice, Faber was a victim of Nazi persecution from 1939-45. He witnessed the murders of his mother and father, brother and five sisters in the Polish city of Tarnow, where the family had fled. Faber was liberated by British soldiers from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the age of 18. He weighed only 72 pounds.

After regaining his freedom, Faber lived in England with his lone surviving sibling, a sister who had fled Poland before the war. For 11 years, Faber battled the Asian flu and polio. He survived, and immigrated to the United States of America in 1957. He became an American citizen in 1965.

While living in Massachusetts, Faber attempted to record his recollections, emotions and memories of the Holocaust on tape. He suffered a nervous breakdown, which he battled for three years while he recorded the tapes. His recordings were eventually published, appearing in his book, which has become required reading for numerous school districts across America.

“I could have written 100 books for everything I saw, but one was enough,” Faber told the audience. “I promised my mother, after she was murdered, that I would tell the world  her story. That’s why I’m here opening up my heart to you, to stop the hatred in this world.”

Faber donates all the proceeds from his book sales to the United States Veterans Association. “American soldiers fought for my life, and now they’re fighting for yours, too,” he told the audience.

The gruesome nature of Faber’s stories, the inspirational triumphs of his survival during the Holocaust, and the heroic story that his life has become certainly provided an impacting experience for students in the audience.

“The whole experience was shocking,” said sophomore Colin Callaghan, a Christ The King graduate. “I had heard about the Holocaust, but I had no idea it was that serious. I never realized how bad things were. I know not too many people survived, so it was interesting to hear how this man did survive. Listening to a speech like that forces you to open up your eyes to see what’s really going on in the world.”

Sophomore Rory Connell, a Sutherland graduate, had a similar reaction. “The whole speech was surreal,” he said. “We were so lucky to have the chance to listen to him. You see movies about the Holocaust, and it’s hard to believe that those things actually happened. But a man who went through all of that was right in the room with us.

“It makes me realize that I can never exclude anyone because of race, or treat people badly. It’s not good to hate anyone.”

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Matt Kellam, Director of Communication
P: 773-324-1020  x245
F: 773-324-2468
mkellam@mchs.org