Committed Young People

I drove home from Minneapolis last night (LATE) in the rain thinking about the meetings I had while in the Twin Cities. I met with leaders in both the Christian community and Jewish community. It was a wonderful time of meeting new friends and reconnecting with old friends.

I found a wonderful teacher who is willing to work with students over the summer to write three children's books. They will write about two local Jewish survivors and one French teacher who was the daughter of a Pastor who helped the Jews. This pastor was a Righteous Gentile for risking his life (and his family's life) to do the right thing.

I can't wait to see the work they complete with this project. I'm so excited to think about the students in Minnesota who will benefit from their labor of love to do this storytelling project.

While in the Twin Cities, I spent time with a lovely Jewish friend from Paris France. Her mother was raised in London fearfully surviving the constant bombing raids of WWII. Her mother always felt connected to the Jews in other parts of Europe who were less fortunate. My friend Esther is amazed at these students who want to be part of this project. It is my hope we can find a young author in Paris or London to tell her mother's story.

I feel like her mother is a survivor of another sort - one who went in her 80s to visit a camp and pay her respects. It was a blinding snowstorm and cell phones wouldn't work in the weather. Esther told me how frightening and uncomfortable she found it to be. We both found it ironic.

Then today, another student stepped forward at a meeting I was at in East Moline - she will tell the story of a young Gypsy boy who lost his entire family at Auschwitz. By a miralce, he was a survivor.

I thank God for these young authors. Their committment touches my heart.