Holocaust survivor delivers message of acceptance to students

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Many students were visibly moved by the story. At the end of his speech, and a question and answer session fueled by tweets, students could approach Leipciger.

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Student after student lined up, thanking him, hugging him and taking pictures with the real-life hero. Some, when talking of their respect for what he’s been through, were brought to tears.

“I feel the same connection with them as they feel with me,” said Leipciger. “My heart cries with their cry. My joy in being here is to see that they are being affected by my words and that we are communicating, that we understand each other.

“The emotional outburst is an indication that we are communicating with each other and we’re reaching each other.”

Leipciger said his message is simple, to make sure that youth are watchful of the rights and freedoms they could easily take for granted, the same rights and freedoms that were taken away from him at such a young age.

“Every individual has the power within themselves to change the world, to make the world a better place. Whether they’re born here or somewhere else,” he said. “They can determine what they’re going to do, and build their own destiny.”

When asked why getting youth attention on the issue is so important, he didn’t hesitate.

“That’s our future. Without hope, without young people, we have no future,” said Leipciger. “Our future depends on young people who are in this room, or other rooms all over the world, to lead us.

“The outcome and the direction of the world is going to be governed by those who we educate today.”

With the current Syrian refugee crisis, Leipciger is sympathetic.

“Accept them. Accept them the way they are. Don’t tell them ‘We’ll tolerate you until you change and you become like us.’ That’s not acceptance,” he said. “There are certain parameters that we require: that they respect us just as well as we respect them.

“Mutual respect is an entry line for becoming a citizen, and for us to be good citizens and accept them as our new Canadians.

The way some of the public views the refugees is something that is explainable, but not acceptable, he explained.

“It’s a knee jerk reaction to what happened in Paris,” he said. “The words that we use for the Syrian refugees does not mean that they’re all Syrians, that they’re all ISIS, that they all want to come and destroy our way of life.

“There are many thousands of them who are just looking for freedom and a peaceful life, and those (people) I think we all welcome.”

asoloducha@panow.com

On Twitter: @alex_soloducha