The program focused on the extraordinary life of Moshe Furshpan, the only survivor in his family of eight who escaped Nazi persecution during World War II. At just 10 years old, Furshpan fled his home in Poland and survived by hiding in the forest, enduring unimaginable hardship while the rest of his family perished in the Holocaust.
His son, Dr. Bernie Furshpan, delivered the presentation as a second-generation testimony, sharing his father’s story and addressing the dangers of hatred and intolerance in today’s world. The assembly was titled “The Little Boy in the Woods: An Incredible Story of Survival in the Face of Evil.
”Dr. Furshpan challenged students to reflect on humanity’s repeated failures to prevent genocide and violence. He posed the question, “Why haven’t we learned to be better [as a society]?” and noted that an estimated 50 million people have been killed in genocide since the Holocaust.
He stressed that hatred often begins with words and can grow into unimaginable cruelty. Dr. Furshpan explained that the Holocaust serves as a stark example of how societies can turn against their own citizens, and he warned that even good people are capable of doing terrible things.
Throughout the presentation, he combined historical facts with personal testimony about his father’s struggle to survive. He described how Moshe Furshpan ate tree bark and berries for food and covered himself with twigs and leaves at night to remain hidden from Nazi forces.
The message to students was clear: intolerance and hate must be confronted before they take root.
“You don’t have to inherit hate,” Dr. Furshpan told the audience. “Hate is not congruent to what we are as a society.”
School officials said the assembly provided students with an important reminder of the lessons of history and the responsibility to stand against discrimination in all its forms.