Behind a commercial artist with a vibrant sense of humor and an easy smile is the unimaginable past of Jack Trompetter: a Holocaust survivor who explained his life of hardship and suffering to the junior class on March 3.
Born to Jewish parents in Nazi-occupied Netherlands in 1942, Trompetter’s earliest years were shaped by the terror of the Holocaust. His father was arrested by Nazi police, his grandparents were taken from their apartment and his uncle was sent to a concentration camp, a persecution fueled by Nazi ideology and the complicity of ordinary people. To protect him from this institutionalized lie, Trompetter’s parents made the difficult decision to give their son to a Christian family before going into hiding, hoping that he would have a fair chance at survival.
“Germans had convinced themselves, somehow, that the Jewish people were not human,” Trompetter said.
Although Trompetter and his immediate family survived the Holocaust, many of his family, friends and acquaintances were killed. As more people were arrested or put into camps, Jewish families’ fear of death was constant and no one knew who was at risk.
“It was 24 hours a day of fear, not knowing what would happen next,” Trompetter said.
This fear, however, was all part of the Nazi agenda. Intimidation was used intentionally to ensure Jews knew that their lives were at stake.
“The Germans understood that if they were loud and imposing and frightening, they would keep you off your game,” Trompetter said.
After the war, his family made it safely to the United States, but the trauma from the Holocaust had a lifelong impact on his family and on countless Jews. Trompetter suffered from nervous breakdowns as a child due to unresolved grief.
“The past is not over,” Trompetter said. “We live, all of us, in a world that was put together in 1945.”
Trompetter emphasized that history is not distant. It shapes the present and the systems in place today, which is why history education is so important. Despite his postwar American upbringing, there were gaps in his school’s curriculum about World War II and the genocides that accompanied it.
“I did not learn about the Holocaust at school, I learned at the dinner table from family,” Trompetter said.
Now, he emphasizes the importance of fighting hatred through education and a deep understanding of history. His visit to Algonquin was facilitated by the organization Facing History & Ourselves (FHO), which provides resources about how decisions by citizens and leaders can spark devastating events such as the Holocaust.
“People make choices, choices make history,” Jeff Smith said, who works for FHO and introduced Trompetter to the assembly.
Social Studies Department Head Brittney Burns has been the primary organizer of Trompetter’s visits for several years, starting this event in her Holocaust and Human Behavior class. Although the assembly required extensive preparation, Burns says hearing firsthand from a Holocaust survivor is an invaluable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“It’s so easy to talk about numbers,” Burns said. “The story of a family helps make it more real, and helps us realize the importance of staying alert, paying attention and protecting human rights. It’s really different when you read or hear about it versus meeting someone face-to-face.”
Burns also hopes that Trompetter will inspire critical thinking, and students will apply his lessons to their own lives.
“Even when it seems like there aren’t any choices, or we can’t do anything, there are always options, and sometimes those decisions that we make say a lot about who we are,” Burns said. “[Trompetter’s] message of always being kind and remembering the humanity of other people is the most important thing.”
Despite progress since 1945, Trompetter still worries for the present and the future.
“We are in a period where horrible and dangerous things are happening,” Trompetter said. “States making it illegal to learn about history—that’s what fascism is.”
He urged students to become more politically active, to preserve history and ensure that it does not repeat itself.
“Keep talking about [the Holocaust],” Trompetter said. “Go to town hall meetings, ask questions. Be creative, be creative, be creative. Learn, build community, take part in protests, stay in touch and have hope and courage.”
Many juniors who attended the assembly felt moved and inspired by his remarks.
“You can’t change history, but it’s always important to learn and grow from it,” junior Olivia Green Seol said.
Junior Deeksha Gouda added to that sentiment.
“I loved the way he told his story,” Gouda said. “I would definitely recommend him to come back and do another presentation [next year].”
Above all, Trompetter urged the junior class to remember one key lesson he learned from his experiences.
“It’s important to remember three things: always to be kind, kind and kind,” Trompetter said.
