Holocaust survivor visits Byram Intermediate School

BYRAM — Inge Auerbacher, a child survivor of the Holocaust, recently visited the Byram Intermediate School as a guest author. The seventh and eighth grade students have both studied the Holocaust and were addressed in a large assembly. Auerbacher also met with two smaller groups from each grade level to go into more depth on her experiences. Prior to Auerbacher’s visit, the students were introduced to two of her books including "I Am a Star" and "Children of Terror," her most recent book which was coauthored with Bozenna Urbanowicz Gilbride - a Polish Catholic who endured similar but separate trials at the hands of the Nazis. Auerbacher and her parents were among 140,000 people shipped to the concentration camp at Terezin. Of 15,000 children imprisoned there, less than 1 percent survived. After three years of captivity, at the age of 10, Inge and her parents were liberated. They left Germany soon after and immigrated to the United States where she had the misfortune of being stricken with tuberculosis. She was hospitalized for two years and spent many more regaining full strength. Despite these setbacks and a delayed start to school, she later completed college degrees in chemistry and bio-chemistry and worked for over 38 years with prominent scientists in research and clinical work. Since 1981 she has spoken out about the Holocaust, written books and lyrics, and had some of her work put to music. She has spoken to groups throughout this country and in many foreign countries, including Germany, bringing a message of awareness and hope for a better world.