|
|
Survivor gets honorary (and surprise) school diploma
RANDI BAROCAS
Staff Writer
Valley resident and Holocaust survivor Carl Ofisher now has an honorary high school diploma, even though he never finished high school.
Paul Wieser, social studies coordinator for the Pendergast School District, who also serves on the board of the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors' and Friends Association, presented Ofisher with an honorary high school diploma on May 29 at Westview High School, during Villa de Paz School's eighth-grade graduation ceremony.
The diploma came as a complete surprise to Ofisher, who was asked to attend the graduation simply to receive an award. Ofisher said that since he often receives plaques from schools for the speeches he gives on his experiences during the Holocaust, the invitation to attend the graduation didn't seem too unusual.
Wieser said it was his idea to give Ofisher the diploma because of the many years he has devoted to teaching school children about the Holocaust.
"I've known (Carl) for a long time, and we have worked together on the board of the Holocaust Survivors' and Friends Association. Throughout all the years (he has been speaking at schools), kids have given him plaques, T-shirts and hats. But I got to thinking about the one thing he couldn't achieve as a kid because of the circumstances," Wieser said. "Because of the Germans coming into Lodz, (Poland, where Ofisher is from), thousands of peoples' education simply stopped. The Germans really didn't care if Jewish kids had a quality education or not.
"By the time the survivors got their lives back together, they had to go to work to support themselves," Wieser continued. "So we thought this would be a nice touch. For years and years, he has gone to schools day after day doing this. It just seemed like the natural thing to do. Believe me, he's earned it."
A survivor of five concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and several death marches, Ofisher's decision to speak to school children about his experiences was not easy, he said, explaining that he had to overcome his own fear of remembering, before he could bring himself to speak to others about the atrocities he witnessed.
Once he was able to share his story, Ofisher dedicated himself to educating today's youth about the mass genocide. This eventually led to a full-time, unpaid job, as he addresses large school groups almost daily.
"This semester, between February and May 21, I spoke in 39 schools. I was glad on the 21st, when I said, 'Thank God, it's vacation time,' " Ofisher half joked.
Although he is happy to have a break, Ofisher said he "felt very good" to receive the honorary diploma.
"I feel very humbled and very honored," he said. "I never dreamed about it. I called my children in Illinois, and they were very happy about it too. My son said, 'You still have an accent, but you have the diploma now.' "
Larry Lebovitz, president of the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors' and Friends Association, also was in attendance for Ofisher's honor, which was presented before a crowd of about 125 graduating eighth-graders and their friends and family.
"I was very happy for Carl. It really was a beautiful ceremony," said Lebovitz. "He is much deserving of this."
|
