“What had the most impact on me in seeing SURVIVORS was hearing the personal stories of people who lived through the Holocaust. Their voices, emotions, and strength made the history feel real and unforgettable. It helped me understand not just the facts, but the human side of what they went through.”

“Seeing that most of the people in the play were acting and role playing as kids my age , this showed me that we have so much power just as kids that we really don’t know about until we take action with it.”

“Thank you for making this play and helping us understand what happened during the Holocaust. You made it easier for kids like me to connect with history in a way that books can’t always do. I won’t forget what I saw.”

“This impacted me by showing how much hate could lead to such a terrible thing.”

“It made me want to stand up for what’s wrong.  It showed me change comes.”

“It made the Holocaust seem more real because the characters were real survivors and easy to relate to.”

“When I saw the play I had already known a lot about the holocaust and the tragedies faced.  This play really put it into perspective and made me really connect more to the event in history.”

“This play impacted me in a big way. I am a Jewish kid who has learned about the holocaust many times and this play encouraged me more than any thing to do the right things."

“I think the actors did an incredible job and made me feel very sad for the people in the holocaust. I learned a lot, and this influenced me to change who I am and to speak out.”

“The play really made me more aware of racism, discrimination, and issues with equality. It allowed me to be less naive and ignorant towards the injustices of the past and to learn from those moments.”

“It has opened my perspective so that I can be a much more empathetic person.”

“The experience informed me to keep standing up for others in need. It also taught me to beware of propaganda that might seem like news.”

“It made me feel like I should stand up and help people whenever I can.”

"Before the play Iknew the Holocaust was bad but, when the amazing actors played each individualsurvivor and explained their backstory and how such bad things happened, Ireally saw a way worse event than what I imagined.  It was so sad seeing how families were tornapart and enslaved and killed.  It mademe mad knowing that people like Hitler exist today.  Maybe not as horrible as Hitler but peoplewith the same hate he had for Jews exist. They hate for any other race, religion, or skin color. I'm starting torealize that hate is everywhere.  I havethose feelings sometimes, and I didn't even realize it. This play was trulyinspiring and makes me want to make this world a peaceful place for everyone tolive laugh and love together."

"I felt like I wasthere, like I was one of the people escaping. The acting transported me back tothose times. It helped me realize that I should and could do more to stand upfor others."

"It made me want torespect people with different races, religions, or if they're LGBTQ+ even morethan I respected them before."

"Experiencing thistype of play gave me the chills. It mostly made me sad thinking that ithappened in real life. I truly believe no one deserves/d to go throughsomething like that, especially kids at a young age. It's sad knowing there’ssomething similar to the Holocaust happening around the world right now."

"It gave me a deeperlook into the world of the people who had to live through the Holocaust. It wasvery inspirational knowing that some of these people even survived throughthis."

"The experience oftoday's play impacted me greatly as a person who believes in change andfighting for justice when people are silent or ignoring the events happening inthe world now."

"The play demonstratedhow much someone can lie about something and people will believe them. It mademe more cautious about the news and what is happening in the world. It alsomade me see that history can repeat itself because today racism and discriminationare impacting our country and countries around the world.discrimination canimpact a whole nation. Even with what is happening in current politics aroundthe world or even in the United States where they are also discriminatingpeople and hurting people."

"‘Survivors’ isn't just a play; it’s a powerful reminder that history is shaped by human choices. For teens and young adults, it’s a chance to see people their own age navigating an unimaginable time and to reflect on their own values and shared social responsibility. These are lessons that resonate more deeply through art and theater than simply in a textbook. At a time when antisemitism and hate are greatly rising, these lessons matter more than ever.”

“The feedback is really thoughtful and touching. What an impact you are making! We need to have SURVIVORS back every year so we can reach the incoming 9th graders. Our students need it - our society needs it."

“This was an outstanding play.  I have never witnessed my students so focused.”

“I went with the expectation that my students would gain context on the Holocaust.  The play exceeded my expectations completely!”  

“I wanted to widen the lens and scope of our learning.  We read “Night” and only had a narrow perspective of Elie Weisel’s experience.  So, I was grateful my students could hear various perspectives.”

“My students gained an understanding of individual experiences.  Real life narratives have a bigger impact.”

“Our students are experimental and visual learners.  Having the Holocaust presented in another form furthers their understanding.”

“It was really beautifully written and acted.  The story was complex and thought provoking while also being totally accessible for the students to follow.”

“I always think of this current generation of kids as presumptuous and entitled.  But at the end of the play some of the kids had comments like ‘they came to realize how lucky they were’ and ‘how lucky their childhood has been.’  I’m sure there was a takeaway these kids learned from the play.”

“Thank you for doing this.  It was wonderful and a more personal perspective to the Holocaust.”

"We were deeply moved watching Survivors—a powerful play written by a Grant High School alum—and even more so by sharing the experience alongside actual Holocaust survivors. Their presence made the stories on stage feel profoundly real, urgent, and necessary. May we continue to remember, to learn, and to stand up for humanity—always."

“It was such a perfect play for the kids! The creativity with blocking and exploring how to communicate such a hard and sad time in history was done so well! Thank you! It resonated with my students.”