05/18/2026
Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School hosted Tova Friedman, a survivor of Auschwitz last week for a presentation of history, resilience and remembrance to the school’s eight graders.
The visit, which was coordinated by Science Teacher Meredith Cohen, was part of the 8th grade Human Rights and Genocide units. It provided a vital perspective on empathy, and the enduring fight for human rights. Many LCJSMS 8th-grade students will soon visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
Friedman, who is the author of “The Daughter of Auschwitz", was introduced by her grandson Aron Goodman. Goodman created , which allows his grandmother’s story to reach millions on TikTok and bridges the gap between history and the digital age.
Friedman’s story of harrowing survival as a 5 and then 6-year-old child included hiding – in plain sight by avoiding eye contact to actually spending days in her home’s crawl space – to luck. For example, on the day she and others were waiting to go into the gas chamber, for a reason she’ll never know, they were sent back to their barracks.
In addition to the students approximately 40 parents as well as community members attended the presentation.
After the presentation, students asked Friedman questions about her experience and if she had advice on how to overcome hardship. She told the students, “You’re stronger than you think you are.”
Friedman ended her presentation with a call to action to the students, “More than your applause, I need your memory.”
