BACKGROUND: Born in Amsterdam, Holland, February 11, 1921.

My family consisted of my parents, four sisters and my wife. I am the only survivor. They all perished during the Holocaust.

In the beginning of 1943, I was arrested by the Gestapo. From there I was put into different jails twice and five different concentration camps. I was liberated by American Troups in concentration camp "Dora" (Hitler's secret weapon).

I emigrated to Canada in April 1952 with my second wife and her two children who were hidden during the war by a Catholic family.

I was an electrician and an electronics technician by trade.

When the Holocaust Education Centre started, I volunteered to lecture on this subject to elementary and high schools, as well as universities, organizations, Synagogues and Churches.

My usual closing remarks are: "Do not generalize" and "Racism does not belong in a civilized society."

A few years ago I was asked to be a chaperone for the M.O.L. trip, but I had to decline this honour. This time I was mentally ready to go and told Joyce
Rifkind so. She put the wheels in motion.

First came the Shabbaton, January 16, 17, 18, 2004, together with the
students and chaperones. Right there we got to know each other. This
procedure was a must, from Orthodox to Reform Judaism, we became one group!

April 14, 2004. We are on our way to Poland. In Warsaw there were three huge busses waiting for us. For the next two weeks it was our daily routine, except for the Shabbat.

I thought I was mentally well prepared for this trip, but was I? When we entered a mass grave in the forest, I cried the first time in 64 years, because I could still hear the sound of the machine guns, mowing down the Jews as we evacuated the "Buna" Concentration Camp in 1944.

Our group was very supportive during emotional moments. It really showed the material they were made of.

The actual march from Auschwitz to Birkenau concentration camps was very
impressive. Then came the official ceremony on an outdoor stage, facing
thousands of people from all over the world including the dignitaries. On
this enormous stage I said the "KADDISH". It was there, facing all those
people, that I realized that after all, Hitler had lost his war against the
Jewish people. This time.

When we walked into the concentration camp Birkenau, I had a camera in my hand. It was a strange feeling, but this time I did not get a number tattooed on my arm!

The camaraderie that developed during this trip between the students of different Jewish backgrounds was great.

I cannot properly describe the work that was done by our staff before and during this trip. It was enormous!

The friendship between us chaperones must have rubbed off on our students.
This showed clearly in my case during some difficult moments which I encountered when entering the concentration camps. They gave me enormous support.

Thanks to all of you this trip turned out so well for me too!

Mike Englishman