Daughter of Holocaust survivor shares personal story with students

Kim Yashek, a second-generation Holocaust survivor, visited Oley Valley High School in March to share the experiences of her late father Richard Yashek, with Mrs. Stephanie Kallis’s English II CP students. The students are currently studying Elie Wiesel’s narrative, “Night,” were able to gain a greater understanding of both Wiesel’s work and the Holocaust through Ms. Yashek’s visit.

Born in 1929 in Luebeck, Germany, Richard Yashek lived a normal life until the Nazi Party took control of Germany. Mr. Yashek survived four concentration camps and eventually prospered to become co-owner of J.C. Ehrlich Company. He died on April 15, 2005. Ms. Yashek, currently a Colorado resident, delivered her presentation using the Yashek Digital Archive Collection of Albright College. Through the collection, students viewed photographs of Richard and his family, as well as images of historical documents. Wiesel once remarked, “In the word question, there is a beautiful word – quest. I love that word. We are all partners in a quest. The essential questions have no answers. You are my question, and I am yours – and then there is dialogue.” The dialogue generated as a result of Ms. Yashek’s visit is invaluable and greatly appreciated.