For most students, the Holocaust is just something they read about and is disconnected from their world. However, for 10th graders at Highlands Academy of Arts & Design, who are currently studying and reading about the Holocaust in their English and history class, the Holocaust came to life as they listened to the account of a local Holocaust survivor named Renee Tully.
Tully visited the school on Thursday, March 18. For some students, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to listen to a live Holocaust survivor recount the pain and agony of suffering in a concentration camp. As time goes on, fewer survivors are left. To witness and hear a survivor in person is remarkable and may be a life-changing experience for some of these students.
Born Jewish, she was originally from eastern Germany and sought refuge with her mother in France. Her mother changed their name, and they lived there peacefully until 1942 when a friend who wanted Tully’s house turned them in.
Tully and her mother were transported by cattle car to Auschwitz where she received her new name, A-16786, which was tattooed on her forearm. She spent the next couple years there with her mother trying all she could to survive and was freed in May 1945. Tully currently lives in Placerville where she runs a Shetland sheep ranch.
Highlands Academy of Arts & Design is located at 6401 Guthrie Way, North Highlands and is part of the Twin Rivers Unified School District.