survivor speaks with students at Christian academy
Michael Jacobs tells a story of loss, pain, suffering, faith and, ultimately, hope in sharing his experiences during the Holocaust. Jacobs expressed his deepest feelings as he spoke to the sixth grade class at Legacy Christian Academy April 9.
Born Mendel Jakubowicz, Jacobs was a teenager in Konin, Poland, when it was invaded by the Nazis in 1939. He spent more than five years confined in ghettos and concentration camps and lost most of his family in the gas chambers of Treblinka.
Through his faith and positive thinking, Jacobs remained hopeful and survived. He immigrated to Dallas in 1951. Mr. Jacobs tells his story without bitterness or hatred in “Holocaust Survivor: Mike Jacobs' Triumph over Tragedy.” He also founded the Dallas Holocaust Memorial Center for Holocaust Studies, now called The Dallas Holocaust Memorial Center, and has volunteered at length as a lecturer.
“The visit concluded the study of Corrie ten Boom's ‘The Hiding Place’,” said Amy Housley, sixth grade teacher at LCA. “Like Corrie, Mr. Jacobs has learned first-hand the importance of forgiveness.”
Since moving to Dallas, Jacobs has been instrumental in developing youth soccer in Texas, becoming the first president of the North Texas Soccer Association and the first registered referee with the U.S.S.F.A. in the area. Mr. Jacobs and his wife, Ginger, have four children and four granddaughters.
Following his lecture, Jacobs and his wife stayed to eat an early picnic lunch with the students. The sixth grade class then traveled to The Dallas Holocaust Memorial Center for an afternoon field trip.
About Legacy Christian Academy: Legacy Christian Academy is a private, Christian school located in Frisco, Texas. LCA offers a college preparatory education balanced in academics, athletics and fine arts within a Christian community to equip strong leaders with biblical convictions for tomorrow.