I’m a teacher.
This blog is about the Power of Teaching.
If you decide to spend a few moments here, you will see what I mean…
Start by studying the photograph below.
I mean, click on it to enlarge, really look at it.
Study the faces.
Imagine being the man behind the lens…
Enter a caption
You may be here to find out more about the photograph that shows the moment of liberation. Watch the ABC News clip below about how I was first shown it by US Army veterans of World War II, the story they told me, and what I did afterwards, and the consequences of those actions.
[My new book on this will be out this July. You can put in a pre-order notice, above- GET THE BOOK HERE]
It is nothing short of a miracle.
Then again, in the words of one survivor, there are no coincidences.
Feel free to contact me or re-post this website.
Sign up for amazing updates on the upper right.
Do you know that nearly 250 survivors of this train transport have now had contact with their actual American liberators? It’s true. There are 10 other photos of the liberation that day on this site, and many folks have been identified.
Feel free to explore. Thanks for stopping by.
Matt
During our second Holocaust survivor/American soldier reunion, we reached out to a student audience of 1500 kids over three days. Just before the final farewell banquet the ABC piece below aired, and the soldiers, survivors, teachers and students watched it together in a restaurant lounge.
Not a dry eye!
Matthew Rozell
THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTOGRAPH
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Holocaust survivors reunite with US veterans By CHRIS CAROLA (AP) And this is one of the Associated Press article by my friend Chris Carola. It was Chris’ article 2 years ago that went all over the world and led these folks to us. Now it is happening again… Thanks, Chris.
- UPDATE: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum made a film on our project while they were here. My college alma mater honored us with a magazine cover story.
- Holocaust survivor Leslie Meisels meets his liberators for the first time.
- Survivor Fred Spiegel meets his liberator for the first time.
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Holocaust survivors reunite with their rescuers-Hudson Falls High School hosts annual event-Glens Falls Post-Star:Local daily article, with some rambling video narration by me, running between presentations….
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Emotional reunions 65 years after liberation from horror-Holocaust survivors meet World War II American rescuers-(from Albany Times Union)
Mr. Rozell,
This is fantastic! Congratulations to your and your class and thank you for keeping history alive for everyone.
Melissa Wilson MacGregor
HFHS ’94
Dear Mr. Rozell,
I was on vacation to MT when I happened to catch this report. My husband and I are both prior AF members – and both my Grandfathers served in the Armed Forces; one in the Pacific in WWII and the other in Korea.
My husband and I try to instill in our children the importance of the history of that has gone before us, and the signifigance of sacrifice of the men and women in uniform and those who have been persecuted. We both believe that schools and society today are falling short in this mission today.
It is a wonderful thing you are doing and words can not express how grateful we are that you took this on. Congratulations to you and your school. I promise to pass this on to the teachers that I know who will be interested.
Best,
Shelley Hachman
Billerica MA
Dear Matt,
Thanks for the latest. I remain impressed by what all you and your students have done to draw attention to the Holocaust in a very touching, personal way.
Wayne
dear Mr. rozell!
I was so excited to see the pictures and hear this voices from this fantastic meeting. as you know, my father was olso on this train. he was very exciting abut this. It is so important to tell the story over and ovet again. for the sake of the survivores and for the sake of liberators. And above all, to keep history as it is.
Athens29/09/2009
Dear mr Rozel,
I was really sorry I could not attend this extraordinery reunion.
As you know I was also on this train. I will never forget the moment I saw the first soldiers.
Congratulations to your class and thank you for keeping history alive.
I will always be grateful to these men who liberated me.
G-d Bless you. L’Shana Tova
Mr. Rozell,
What an excellent way to remember and honor the victims, survivors, and heroes involved in the Holocaust.
Just shows you the quality of education that our little school offers.
You are a superb teacher, and an inspiration to my son, my daughter, and all who have the pleasure to know you.
Mr. Rozell,
Congratulations on this honor! Rory (Brosius) and I still talk about the great experiences we had in your class. Many of the things we learned while participating in this project couldn’t have been found in a textbook (like how missing a fuel depot by a few miles can change the course of a war). I am glad to see that the good work continues on.
Best,
Matt Abrahamson ’02
Mr. Rozell, I am very proud of you and the staff and students at HF. My Daughter came home and could not wait to tell me all about this wonderful thing you all did. I think teaching outside the text book is important and really makes an impact in our children’s lives. Congrats, Justin
[…] same link as above). Sgt. Gross and other members of the 743rd Tank Batallian, US 9th Army, were reunited September 22-26 with some of the survivors from the train they […]
Congratulations ,Matthew, your Aunt Fran sent the story on to me via e-mail. You must be a great teacher–just like your aunt.
What a beautiful project you have done and to involve the younger generation bring tremendous hope. Truly a work that will help bring about a new humanity and a United World.
Uno,
Susan
PS I saw the program that it was on TV…Congratulations to all.
Matt, what a wonderful story and what great work you did and are doing with kids! Such an important and tragic event in our history and we can only hope by keeping this memory alive we may one day not repeat such horror. Matt, I remember you from ‘way back’; how proud your family and I know Fran for sure are of you. Keep up the great work. Teachers such as you are so very needed in today’s world. Shalom, Cathy Halpin
My father, now 88 years old , arrived at Pier 49 on a Royal Navy corvette in 1941/2 after escorting a convoy across the Atlantic .
Whilst in New York he received tremendous hospitality from everyone he met , but particularly from a family called Kirkman . He intends to retrace his journey in 2010 and would love to meet any surviving members or relatives of the family . He remembers they were involved in the soap business , the son having the nickname ‘ Soapy’, and the daughter was call Harriet .
They showed every kindness to him including trips to the theatre which had a profound effect on a young sailor from war-torn England . They lived in Little Neck .
Any help or advice you can give me to trace the family would be most appreciated .
Thank you
Dear Matthew,
Congratulations to you for your outstanding work in keeping alive the horrors of ww2. It is vitally important that civilized people are constantly reminded of the potential for evil that can be awakened in the world if we forget the past. Best Wishes, Uncle Ed
Mr. Rozell:
I feel that one of the factors which has inhibited Holocaust deniers is the existence of the many veterans of our armed forces who participated in the rescue of survivors. I hope that the stories of those veterans still alive are being fully documented.
My mother and six of us siblings, my Granfatehe and dr.mother, two aunts, Spitzer ara/were survivors of this train. We saw the US army on the hill who wer rolling misc, foods to us prior to actually meet us. I was 12yrs old. I can still feel the exhilliration, and utter joy at seeing our saviors.
Please feel free to contact me. Hopefully I may meet some of the saviors.
I would love to communicate with you about your experiences during the Holocaust. My 5th graders I teach or so interested in this event. It would be an honor to communicate with you…
subscribe to the blog for updates if you wish (home page). we can also direct you to age appropriate materials. Where are you located?
While searching for the Article published on 4/12/10 in Yediot Ahronot, an Israeli popular daily, I stubled on your magnificent project. I am gratefull to the rescuers and you Mr. Rozell for the
recreated memory. The title of the article in the above daily is “The Live Train”. I live in NY, would welcome contact with rescuers and survivors.
Thank you, Bruria
[…] importance of our school project in bringing survivors and liberators together was not covered. ABC News did cover us and did a spectacular job. They are very good to the WW2 […]
[…] Here is a link to his story. https://teachinghistorymatters.com/2009/09/26/holocaust-survivors-liberators-reunited-abc-news-person… […]
Thank you for your research and follow through. I am the daughter of survivors who were in concentration/transportation and labor camps. I have been doing speaking engagements the past 10 years with Mom. I am so impressed with the teachers who have a passion to teach the Holocaust due to the importance for the future of all mankind. I usually have 90 minutes and the students are so respectful and interested, hearing from a survivor and daughter. We impress on them how important it is to be physically, emotionally strong and educated so they will be able to make good decisions and will not promote prejudice and stand up when they see injustice.