1) I thought his presentation was amazing; the first hand account really hit home because all that we have learned this person actually went through. it really makes you think after just seeing pictures for so long.  Mr. Diamond also gave some details on certain things that made it seem so much more clear, albeit painful. .

Sarah

2) Dear Dr. Lavin,

This is actually what I wrote in my journal about the speech.  Have a good break!  See you in class.

Mr. Joe Diamond came and talked to our class today.  There is no way to experience something, besides first-hand, better then through a real live speaker.  I thought that he spoke very well and really got across some of the events he had to deal with.  I though it was interesting how he said that his town were not sorry to see him and his family and friends leave and they were not welcoming when they returned.  I thought that it was very interesting when he discussed how he was on the way to the gas chambers when a German and a Russian felt pity for him and helped him escape death.  He said he never wanted to commit suicide like some of the others.  Possibly the most moving statement he made, however, is that the whole experience still affects him to this day and that there is not a day he does not think about what happened.  I do not blame him, but it just goes to show you how horrible the Holocaust really was.  
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3)

October 6th

Joe Diamond’s lecture today in class was very moving, and very beneficial. I think a lot of people don’t realize the full impact of the Holocaust. Many have been desensitized to the atrocities through textbook descriptions and stuffy news reports, not to mention the amount of time that has passed since then. Even to some extent video clips of what happened and the after effects are not as affecting as having a tangible survivor come in to tell his story.

Mr. Diamond’s account was a wonderful way to have the class see the effects the Holocaust had on one individual and his family. He didn’t come across as a man who’s been lecturing on the subject for so long that emotion is no longer expressed in his retelling, but as a very personal, down-to-earth individual looking to share his story in the hopes of preventing what happened to him from happening to others. His interjections helped to bring our focus back to unbelievably of what human beings are capable of doing to other human beings. This was a wonderful way to end the discussion on the Holocaust, and if a class like this is taught again, I hope that future students have the benefit of hearing Mr. Diamond.

Aimee

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4)

Thanks for setting that up for us.

It really makes a difference to have someone, a person, standing in front of you who has gone through all the things textbooks have been telling you about. It makes it more human. It was a very eye-opening experience and I'm glad I got the chance to have it.

Emily-Rose Maher

5)

I thought it was exceptional and the most heart wrenching thing I have ever witnessed.  It is one thing to see these awful things on TV or read about them, it is another to speak to someone who actually lived through it, and know the people of his family that did not.  Mr. Diamond has done part of his duty with me: I have not only been informed, but I will never let this happen to someone again.

Sara Lockhart

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6)

i personally thought it was a very well put together, moving speech. i thought the pictures afterwards were even better. you just can't beat the personal account of someone that's been there. i also agreed with his ending message of the speech.

-matt ogrinc

7)

The part that schocked me the most was when he added in that little side note by saying how he was a bad husband to his wife.  And how he was very impatient, then and there is when I felt the so bad for him.

Melissa Emerling

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8)

Today was the first time I have ever heard an account of the Holocaust from a victim in person.  It's much different than watching a tv interview.  It's hard to explain the feeling while watching a person who you know has been through worse than you could ever imagine and worse than you'll ever go through. Patrick Doyle

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9)

I thought the presentation was very informational.  He presented his real life testimony which I believe would be hard to do, even after many years.  He also showed a timely sense of humor which captured the attention of the class.  Great presentation and I feel so sad!

Ryan McArdle

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10) It was excellent. I appreciated him taking time to tell his gripping story.

Joe

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11) I could never imagine someone forcing me from my house, and telling me that I am going to move to a place to work on a farm.    I have no idea what I would have done if someone had killed my family, and tried to kill me.  You can see how the holocaust really hardened Mr. Diamond but you have to sympathize with him.  All in all I thought that Mr. Diamond's speech was very moving, and it will have a lasting effect on me.

Steve Harrington

12) I thought Mr. Diamond’ presentation was very informative and interesting but depressing. It was one thing to have read about these events but hearing someone personally describe them to you first hand puts it in a whole new light on Holocaust atrocities.

Ryan

13) I was very touched by Mr. Diamond's story about his Holocaust experience. I can't even begin to imagine how he must feel knowing what probably happened to his mother and little brother.  I think that he and his father were very lucky to find each other again after the war because many people lost all of their family at the camps.  I think what shocked me the most was when he told us about having to stay outside all night in 5-10 degree weather with thin clothes on.  I don't think I would have survived if I would have been there.

Jennifer Harmon

14( Dr. Lavin,

I thought the presentation was very educational.  It was good to actually hear an eye witness account from the actual source.  He was a great speaker, and probably one of the only speakers I didn't want to fall asleep to.  It was very interesting, and I wanted to hear more.  I wish we could have gone into depth, and heard more of his encounters.  Honestly, I want to thank you and Joe Diamond for putting this together.  I'm glad I had the chance to be part of this.

Thanks,

Corey

15) Mr. Diamonds talk with the class was very emotional and touching.  Actually hearing personal responses and reflections from a person who actually experienced such a traumatizing experience made me actually visualize his life as a whole.  I couldn't imagine going on knowing that my mother and brother were burned to death and then coming home to a father who was a completely different person.  The thought of seeing, hearing, and smelling the affect of abuse and torture makes me sick.  I give Mr. Diamond a lot of credit for doing what he does today and thank you.

Megan Ackley

16)

i simply thought it was amazing - he is a very powerful speaker and has a very powerful presence about him.  He did a thing for our class we could never read in a book or see in a moive he painted a picture that was before during and after the holocaust - i thank him very much for opening up to us - thanks –rp

17)I thought that his presentation was very interesting and while listening and I felt so very sorry for him.  All of the information he presented to us about his experience was very similar to the experiences of many people we have learned about so far in class.  However, the pictures that he showed to some of us at the end of class were very moving.  I thought that it was an excellent presentation for our class.

-Allison Caffrey

18) Dr. Lavin,

I thought the presentation given by Mr. Joe Diamond in class yesterday was a great experience.  You could tell that he was really speaking from the heart and everything he said was just touching. I know it must be very hard for him to talk about this, but we all learned that he really wants to spread the word that what happened should not ever happen again.  I am really glad that I go to listen to him speak, it is just hard to understand why the Germans felt it was necessary to be the "Master Race."

Karen Fuller 

19) I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Diamond's speech to our class.  I felt that it was very educational and also very emotional.  Mr. Diamond is a truly amazing person.  I hope that he continues to speak to teenagers like us so that he can touch other's lives as he did mine.  I would like to thank Mr. Diamond for coming to see us. We all learned from his story.

Ashley English

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I thoroughly enjoyed Wednesday's presentation. Actually seeing and hearing a person who survived the Holocaust is pretty amazing. I feel I have a much better understanding of what went on and what these people went through. I also find it quite amazing that he was able to maintain a sense of humor when discussing such a personal issue. Once again, I enjoyed the presentation and look forward to having more guest speakers.

Zach Ferrari

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21) I found Mr. Diamond's presentation was very worth while. Hearing his account in person was much more power full than seeing any video tape or reading any article. The best part I thought personally was the little details that he told of his old neighbors when they were leaving town to the Mongol men that gave him a ride back.

                                                                                 Rob Mattulke

22)I thought that his presentation was great. I knew what went on in the Holocaust from learning about it in class, but when a real survivor comes to talk face to face it is like a huge kick into reality. I got out of the class, called my mom and cried. What Mr. Diamond is doing is an amazing thing, and I am very grateful that he came to talk to our class. Sara Morales

23)Its always interesting to have a live speaker come to talk about personal experiences.  However, i think 50 minutes was a little short to talk about such a huge topic, especially as he wanted to talk about what life was like for survivors after the event, and not just during the Holocaust. Brendan

24)

Dr. Lavin

  I really enjoyed Mr. Diamond's talk that he gave to us in class on wednesday. The way he approached us on the perosnal level I felt was really the best way to get his point across. It was truly an eye opening experience for me and I am sure that I am not alone in this. I hope to hear Mr. Diamond speak again in the future. His message was clear and well spoken.

  David Patello

25)

 Mr. Diamond was a great speaker. His speach made me realize that he is living proof of what the Holocaust was really like. I cried over some of the horrible things he said...such as: when he know his mom and brother were burned to death...about a lady who gave birth to her child on the train and a trooper picked it up and kicked it...this was just a few things that made me hurt for him. I could tell that he thinks about this everyday and is still very sad. I hope his dreams and wishes are answered!

Makenna

26)

Sorry it has taken me so long to reply but I just want to let you know that I loved his speech.  I was worried that it was going to be too emotional to handle however, he got his point across excellently.  So I can say that he was a pleasure to have and I would love to here him speech again.

Sarah Ansini

27)

Dr, Lavin,

As someone who has no relatives who experienced nor anyone in Europe during world war two it was hard to place myself in western Europe at that time. However, listening to mister diamonds talk as well as reading elie wiesels book made it a very real thing. Its very easy to say in my generation that the holocaust is beyond us, that no one left from it and we can move on, but Mr. Diamonds talk showed more than anything that people our age cannot simply move on from the holocaust, we have to address it. Our generation is probably the last generation that can make any message or mark on the ugly scar that is the holocaust and the most terrifying several years in the history of humanity. We need to step up and not simply as students and professors, but as politicians, anchors and leaders, the ones who have the ear of America, especially two generations removed from the time this man was telling us about.

Matt

28) I felt that Mr. Diamond spoke to the class in a way that was not very hateful towards the Germans and what they did to his people but more in a persuasive manner to educate us on what happened and why something such as genocide must be avoided in the future.  When he began to talk about some of the experiences he went through, he became somewhat hesitant which made me realize how painful it must be to think about what he went through.  I could feel his pain and anguish deep down inside.  Learning about the Holocaust from someone very educated about the history and events that occurred is one thing, but to hear about it from someone that actually lived through it was very powerful. Craig

29)

I thought Mr. Diamond’s presentation was very informative. It seems like no matter how many times you read the samething, it just doesn't hit you as much as if you hear it first hand from a person that went through it. He captivated me the entire time he spoke. It was so sad to hear about seeing his mother and sibling for the last time. I'm amazed at how well he could keep his composure telling us the stuff he did. I enjoyed him speaking to us very much! Andrea

30) At first, I was a little hesitant about Mr. Diamond's presentation, wondering if it would be bashing Germans, or just an angry, bitter, one. But, I saw that it wasn't that at all.

I was very moved by what he spoke about. To hear a live, first-person encounter about the Nazis and being in the camps is different than seeing it on TV or reading it in a book. Mr. Diamond showed that he still has some scars from his experience, but he's using them in a good way, to teach students and just about anyone about the horrors that occurred in Europe do to the Holocaust. It means a lot to have someone try to not let this occur again, and to just tell students what exactly happened to him, which to me, was horrible.

He suffered so much, and it just makes me wonder why someone would do something. He lost his mother and younger siblings. This must have hurt him so much, but to be able to speak about it shows how strong he really is, and I envy him for that and hope that he continues on his quest to tell people about the atrocities that occurred in Europe and to make sure it never happens again. Erica

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31) Sorry I did not get this in sooner.

I was very pleased with Mr. Diamond's presentation. It was very educational and inspiring. It was very cool to hear from someone who actually lived through these horrific events that we have been studying all this time. I can't even imagine what is was like for him to be separated from his family and endure all that he did. It is obvious that he was a courageous fifteen year old boy, and through everything he held on to hope. I thought it was amazing that when he was sent to the creamery, one of the "bad guys" felt sorry for him and helped him to escape. He was also very lucky to have known about his family in Buffalo, New York. I feel honored to have heard his story and I hope he continues to tell the terrible story of life during the Holocaust. His presentations are helping us to understand and prevent anything like this from happening again. Brittany

32) I found Mr. Diamond's presentation to be very helpful in further understanding the tragedy that happened and its true face. I think that presentations like that are better source of information because when you listen to someone who actually went thou this hell you can understand the dimension of what happened better then from any other source. Michal
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33) Professor Lavin,

Here are a few comments about Mr. Diamond's presentation: 

Mr. Diamond's presentation was very informative and interesting.  When the words come from a true survivor it hits home a lot harder.  It was difficult to sit and listen to him speak of losing his mother and sister.  You could hear the pain in his voice although you could also see that he was trying to hide it. 

I thought his description of the Nazi soldiers was interesting.  He said they looked as if they could wipe out the world, and that is exactly how Hitler wanted them to be.  Even after Germany started losing the war, they never gave up on their mission.  They were obedient to Hitler to a degree that is hard for us to understand in America.  It must be hard for Mr. Diamond to speak of the people who put him through so much torment.

I give Mr. Diamond a lot of credit for speaking out about his experience.  He was very fortunate to survive the Holocaust, and I am grateful for his courage.  He mentioned that some people still don't believe that the Holocaust really happened.  He is doing something to change that.  I've learned about the Holocaust in high school and college and nothing that I have learned thus far has sunk in as much as Mr. Diamond's talk.  It made the Holocaust real to me.  I think it is an important step to preventing genocide.  If everyone could hear Mr. Diamond's words they would realize how real and awful the Holocaust really was.   

Heidi Ofinowicz

33)

I felt that the presentation was very gut wrenching.  It really hit home more coming from someone who is right in front of you talking.  When he talked of how his father and he were separated from his mother and sibling, and how that was the last time they saw each other I was really taken aback.  It was hard to think of not being able to say a goodbye or have some time to talk before being separated for life.  I truly felt the presentation meant more than anything else we have done this year.  It was a great thing to have for the class. Jeff

34) Dr. Lavin,

I just wanted to respond to Joe Diamond's presentation.  I thought that it was fantastic to finally hear a story from the source.  It very rare to come across such a wealth of information, and I am so glad that I could have this experience.  Thank you very much for having him come speak to us, it was very informative.

--Suzie Coppola

35) Hello Dr. Lavin,

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.  Mr. Diamond's speech touched me in a very emotional way.  This was the first time that I meet some one who survived the Holocaust.  I could not believe the way they treated him and his family.  It was the saddest thing to hear him say that he was never to see his mom and sister again. That is a lot for someone to go through.  I could never imagine never seeing my family again.  I think it was very brave of him to come to our class and speak to us. I do not think if something so awful happened to me I could speak about without crying.  I give him a lot of credit for coming to St. Bonaventure.  I will always remember what he said in class last Friday. Stories from the Holocaust never go away in your mind.

Caitlin Decker

35) Holocaust Survivor Story-- Andrew

Today’s class was by far my favorite as of yet. Hearing someone’s first hand account of what happened during the Holocaust is so much better than reading it in a book. I can’t believe how composed he was as he was giving his talk and saying how bad he and his family were treated. They were just living a normal life in Czechoslovakia, when the SS came and ruined their entire life.

The horror stories that he told about Auschwitz I am sure I will remember for the rest of my life. I will never forget when he said the only way to leave that place was through the chimney. When they first arrived they took his mother and brother, and that is the last memory he has of them is them being taken away to be killed. If I was him I don’t think that I would ever be able to recover from something like this. He says he may be a little angrier, but if I were to live through what he lived through I think I would have gone insane. He said that he never wanted to kill himself and I give him a lot of credit for being so strong.

Some of the things that he said really stuck out in my mind. When he talked about when he got back home and everyone thought he was his younger brother because of how much he had changed, and people in his town told him that he should have been dead. Then when he went home there were Germans living in his house and instead of kicking them right out he gave them 24 hours. If that was me I probably would have gone in there and killed whoever thought they could just take over my house. One of the saddest things was when his father got home they barely recognized each other. I can’t imagine being his father and loosing you wife and youngest son and then coming home and not even recognizing your oldest son.

Then at the end of class I stayed and looked over some of the pictures that he was showing from the Holocaust Museum. He was telling us stories about the pictures and showing us the fear in the peoples faces. He told us a story of when another load of Jews were brought in on the train they were taking too long to get off the train The reason for this was because a Jewish woman had just given birth. One of the SS officers then boarded the train looking for the baby and he took it away from her. He then went outside and kicked the newborn into a field like a football. That was when I had enough and I had to leave. I can’t imagine being so angry at a race of people that you want to kill everyone in that group. The hatred of the Germans is disgusting. I am ashamed that I am 50% German and that maybe some of my ancestors were a part of the Holocaust.

All in all I am glad that Dr. Lavin had him come speak to us. I think that it brought to life everything that we have been learning since August. It put into perspective how real these people are and how real their stories are. I will remember this speech for the rest of my life, and I don’t know whether that is a good or a bad thing. Not saying that it was a bad speech but I don’t want to remember how bad his life was and what he was put through for no reason.