Reflection - Andrew Steiner
Reflection – Mr. Andrew Steiner
Mr. Andrew Steiner, at 81 years of age, is a Jewish man living in 21st century Australia. As the first holocaust survivor that I have ever met, I found that he was unpredictably strong. Despite his age and personal history, Mr. Steiner was open minded, reflectful and forgiving all at once. He did not show resent to his perpetrators. For me, this was the most important aspect of his outlook. Despite the fact that the Nazi’s mistreated him, he emphasized that there is no room for hatred and revenge and that we must remember the holocaust, but forget the animosity. Through the set up of the exhibition, ‘Remember the Holocaust’, Mr. Steiner is able to spread his experience and outlook to the wider community. With the holocaust survivors slowly ageing, an exhibition is vital in order to stay true to the accounts of survival, and the lessons that can be learnt from the terrible historical event. Mr. Steiner is an outstanding Jewish example as he shows that his religion may be his label, however it does not define his actions. He could have let the term ‘holocaust survivor’ define him for the rest of his life, however he has decided to educate others, making him a teacher. He’s attitude, not only shows optimism, but truth and justice. With a direct quote from Mr. Steiner saying, "There is no room for hatred or revenge,” he is not only teaching the middle school students of today about the holocaust, but also about outlooks on life and overcoming significant obstacles in ones life.
Mr. Andrew Steiner, at 81 years of age, is a Jewish man living in 21st century Australia. As the first holocaust survivor that I have ever met, I found that he was unpredictably strong. Despite his age and personal history, Mr. Steiner was open minded, reflectful and forgiving all at once. He did not show resent to his perpetrators. For me, this was the most important aspect of his outlook. Despite the fact that the Nazi’s mistreated him, he emphasized that there is no room for hatred and revenge and that we must remember the holocaust, but forget the animosity. Through the set up of the exhibition, ‘Remember the Holocaust’, Mr. Steiner is able to spread his experience and outlook to the wider community. With the holocaust survivors slowly ageing, an exhibition is vital in order to stay true to the accounts of survival, and the lessons that can be learnt from the terrible historical event. Mr. Steiner is an outstanding Jewish example as he shows that his religion may be his label, however it does not define his actions. He could have let the term ‘holocaust survivor’ define him for the rest of his life, however he has decided to educate others, making him a teacher. He’s attitude, not only shows optimism, but truth and justice. With a direct quote from Mr. Steiner saying, "There is no room for hatred or revenge,” he is not only teaching the middle school students of today about the holocaust, but also about outlooks on life and overcoming significant obstacles in ones life.