Survivor’s story lives on in workshop for children

Eli and Jill Rabinowitz, former South Africans now based in Perth, Australia, are visiting the country to promote their educational initiative, “In My Pocket”, for local students. 

The project centres on the autobiographical children’s picture book, In My Pocket, by Dorrith M Sim (née Oppenheim), which recounts her journey as a seven-year-old Jewish girl from Kassel, Germany, to safety in Edinburgh, Scotland, via the Kindertransport in July 1939, just months before the outbreak of World War II. 

Beautifully illustrated by Gerald Fitzgerald, the book is told from a child’s perspective, capturing Dorrith’s experience of separation from her family; arrival in an unfamiliar country where she spoke no English; gradually learning the language – starting with simple phrases like, “I have a handkerchief in my pocket”; and eventual new life filled with hope. As a Holocaust survivor who built a meaningful life in Scotland, Dorrith wrote the book in 1996 to leave a legacy for younger generations. 

Eli and Jill have transformed this moving story into a highly engaging two-hour workshop tailored for upper primary school children (roughly ages eight to 12). The sessions include readings from the book; guided discussions; and hands-on creative activities that bring the narrative to life. A highlight is encouraging students to create their own artwork on cotton bags in which they illustrate their personal interpretation of Dorrith’s experiences, the book’s vivid illustrations, or themes of rescue and survival. 

The “In My Pocket” programme aligns closely with school curricula in humanities and social sciences, addressing topics such as civics, migration, refugees, and human rights. It fosters essential values like empathy, kindness, inclusivity, and understanding in multicultural classrooms. By sharing Dorrith’s uplifting true story of rescue, survival, and hope, the workshops serve as a gentle yet powerful introduction to the broader history of the Holocaust, often studied in greater depth later in high school, while connecting directly to contemporary issues of refugees and displaced children worldwide. 

In addition to the core educational workshops, the Rabinowitzs have incorporated related cultural elements, such as promoting the powerful partisan song Zog Nit Keynmol, commonly known as the Partisan Song or Never Say. Written by Hirsh Glik and set to music by Dmitry Pokrass, this anthem originated from the Vilna Ghetto partisans in Lithuania, and was inspired by the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, symbolising defiance and enduring spirit. 

To advance their work, they have established the We Are Here! Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting human rights, social justice, and the principle of being an “upstander” through Dorrith’s story and related initiatives. The project has received generous support from various partners, including the German Embassy in Canberra (Australia); the German Embassy in Wellington (New Zealand); the Honorary Consul of Germany in Western Australia; multiple city councils in Perth’s region (such as Belmont, Swan, Vincent, Stirling, Bassendean, Cockburn, and South Perth); as well as endorsements from the ambassadors of Israel and Lithuania, the Goethe-Institut, and Indigenous Friends of Israel International. 

Eli, like many South African Jews, traces his roots to Lithuanian ancestry. A passionate genealogist, he recently attended the opening of the Lost Shtetl Museum in Šeduva (Seduva), Lithuania, a remarkable institution that vividly recreates pre-Holocaust shtetl life, funded by the efforts of Ivan Glasenberg’s family. This connection underscores the deep historical ties that continue to inspire Eli’s commitment to education, memory, and Jewish heritage. 

In this way, one survivor’s story, thoughtfully adapted and shared by dedicated educators like Eli and Jill, can touch young minds and promote timeless lessons of compassion and hope.