2021 - Xaverian Summer Magazine

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The Magazine of Xaverian Brothers High School | Summer 2021

In these times…

Lucas Sarkar ’20

Sam Maloof ’21 and his

mother, Renee Maloof

Parents, if your son has finished college and you are receiving

at your home, please notify the

advancement office of his change of address so the magazine

can be sent directly to him. Call 781-326-6392, ext. 6662 or

email lcalabrese@xbhs.com.

chapters across the country so that you can find a Hawk wherever you go. We’ve started with

From the Head of School

Xaverian Magazine

800 Clapboardtree Street

Westwood, MA 02090

781-326-6392

www.xbhs.com

ADMINISTRATION

Head of School

Jacob A. Conca ’94, Ph.D.

Principal

Michael G. Nicholson, Ed.D.

Assistant Principals

Stephen W. Dacey ’95, M.Ed.

Teaching and Learning

Lauren R. Hill, M.Ed.

Academics, Grades 9-12

Joseph D. McGilvray, III, M.Ed.

Francis Xavier Division, Grades 7 & 8

Joshua M. Tranfaglia, M.Ed.

Student Life

OFFICE FOR SCHOOL

ADVANCEMENT

Chief Administrator for Advancement

Christopher J. Vasta ’00, Ed.D.

Advancement Services Manager

Linda M. Calabrese, P ’20

Director of Data Management

and Operations

Pamela J. Fothergill, P ’07

Director of Strategy

and Implementation

Dee M. Lane

Director of Alumni

and Parent Engagement

James J. Scholl ’03

OFFICE OF STRATEGIC

COMMUNICATIONS

Director of Strategic Communications

Ann E. Alsfeld

Assistant Director of

Strategic Communications

Kathryn E. Hickey

Digital Marketing Coordinator

Daggett R. Morse

Communications Intern

Nicholas J. Daoust ’21

Graphic Design

Margaret Galeano

galeano@optonline.net

© 2021 Xaverian Brothers High School.

All rights reserved.

averian

X THE MAGAZINE OF XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL

You were created by the God of love in God’s image and

according to God’s likeness, to be a unique expression of

that love. It is through you that God desires to manifest love

to the peoples of the world in these times...

Read more about your 2021 Catholic Conference Champions on page 14.

Dear Friends,

he excerpt above is from the Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers. Since the

first faculty and staff meeting of the year on September 8, 2020, we centered our work

on this goal: manifesting love to the peoples of the world in these times. “These times” may

be called unique, extraordinary, challenging, or unprecedented, but as this passage reminds us,

we are not called to manifest love only in “good times” or “peaceful times.” We are called to love

in these times, regardless of circumstances. That is precisely what the Xaverian Brothers High

School community did this year, as you will see throughout this magazine.

Pictured on the cover is Sam Maloof ’21 and his mother, Renee, as Sam learned he won

Xaverian Spirit Award at Commencement—and what a beautiful image of

love it is. Sam is one of 179 members of the Class of 2021 who shined as

servant leaders this year, both at Xaverian as role models for the younger

students and in the community at large through their service work. You’ll

see their accomplishments highlighted on the following page.

Our Xaverian faculty, staff, and administrators have manifested love

in countless ways, building enduring personal relationships whether

screen to screen or masked face to masked face. They have truly gone

above and beyond this year to ensure that all that makes Xaverian unique

and wonderful has endured, even as COVID-19 demanded so many

alterations to our daily lives. Three very special members of our faculty

and staff are highlighted here as they move into retirement (page 17).

They are Mr. Jim Lewis, P ’95, ’02, Mrs. Paula Duddy, P ’93, ’95, and Mrs.

Donna O’Connor, P ’01.

Grade 8 students learned about the power of love over hate through

a live presentation from a Holocaust survivor, building on their study

of Elie Wiesel’s Night. You can read more about that on page 8, as well

as many other projects utilizing our X-Ploration Center this year (page

9). And whether it was through service with the Special Olympics (see

Billy Lahart ’16 on page 33) or administering the COVID-19 vaccine at

Gillette Stadium (see Shawn DiTomasso ’13 on page 32), Xaverian alumni

continue to manifest love for others, too. You can read more about the

success of our alumni in the Class Notes section.

Lastly, we believe that when we are called to manifest love “to the

peoples of the world,” this means all people. That’s why we are so excited

about the appointment of our new Director of Community, Culture, and

Equity, Mr. Anif McDonald ’12. Rooted in our mission, Mr. McDonald’s

work will ensure that all students continue to be valued as unique

expressions of God’s love. You can learn more about this new office and

Mr. McDonald’s history with Xaverian on page 21.

With the world slowly moving forward from the strife wrought by

COVID-19, we give our thanks to you, Xaverian. Thank you for your

steadfast trust, collaboration, support, and love. May God bless you and

your family, and may God continue to bless Xaverian.

Respectfully yours,

Jacob A. Conca ’94, Ph.D.

Head of School

2 www.xbhs.com

n Saturday, May 15, Xaverian

Brothers High School celebrated

the commencement of the Class

of 2021. Diplomas were conferred

to the 179 graduates by Dr. Jacob Conca ’94,

Head of School, and Dr. Michael Nicholson,

Xaverian’s Principal. The Class of 2021 hails

from 47 cities and towns and represents the

55th graduating class since Xaverian opened

its doors in Westwood in 1963. Collectively,

these young men were accepted to 195 different

colleges and universities. They have committed

to continue their careers at institutions such

as Cornell University, Babson College, Tufts

University, NYU, UCLA, Trinity College

(Dublin, Ireland), Boston University, and

Boston College.

The Class of 2021 valedictorian is Nicholas

Gillespie. Nick is an avid ultimate disc player,

competing all four years at Xaverian. He’s also

an active participant and leader in Xaverian’s

campus ministry program, traveling to San

Diego and Tecate, Mexico on service trips

and volunteering as a peer minister. Nick is a

National Merit Scholar, a Harvard Book Award

recipient, and a member of the National Honor

Society. He will attend Northeastern University

next year.

Neeraj Ramesh is the 2021 salutatorian.

Neeraj, a two-sport Xaverian athlete (tennis

and cross country), also holds a black belt in

Pictured here l to r are our legacy graduates

with their fathers: Owen P. Tefft ’21 and Mr.

Kevin M. Tefft ’84; Sebastien R. Sanon ’21

and Mr. Gabriel Sanon MH ’89; Matthew

P. O’Halloran ’21 and Mr. Christopher M.

O’Halloran ’86; Thomas M. O’Connell ’21

and Dr. Daniel J. O’Connell ’68; Sean J.

O’Brien ’21 and Col. William J. O’Brien, Jr. ’83;

Samuel J. Maloof ’21 and Mr. Christopher

R. Maloof ’86; Matthew J. Kern ’21 and Mr.

Stephen Francis Kern ’82; Karl E. Johnsen

’21 and Mr. Karl E. Johnsen, Sr. ’87; Justin

O. Foster ’21 and Mr. Justin A. Foster ’94;

Hunter D. Follen ’21 and Mr. Edward B. Follen

’77; Anthony E. Ferrara ’21 and Mr. Americo

F. Ferrara ’90; John C. Connolly ’21 and Mr.

John C. Connolly ’80; Timothy J. Bowers ’21

and Mr. Garrett T. Bowers ’87; and Eric M.

Boulger ’21 and Sean T. Boulger, Esq. ’85.

Missing from the photo are Sam Noonan ’21

and his father, Sean Noonan ’90.

Tae Kwon Do. He is a member of the National

Honor Society, the French National Honor

Society, and was the recipient of the Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institute Book Award. He has

participated in a variety of extracurricular

opportunities at Xaverian, including four years

in the car club, as well as being a member of the

Legacy Grads & Dads

math team, chess club, and mock trial. This year, he

was instrumental in helping to found Xaverian’s new

robotics team, and he hopes to continue his focus on

robotics next year as a computer engineering major at

Carnegie Mellon University.

Every year at commencement, one senior is

selected for the highest honor bestowed to a graduate

Dr. Jacob Conca ’94, Nicholas Gillespie ’21 (Valedictorian), Neeraj Ramesh ’21 (Salutatorian), and

Dr. Michael Nicholson

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2021

Summer 2021 Xaverian Magazine 3

Joseph Wilson ’21

See college acceptances on the next page >

— the Xaverian Award. The members of the

graduating class, in concert with the faculty

and staff, nominate a senior for this special

honor and the recipient isn’t revealed until the

graduation ceremony. The Xaverian Award

recipient must have distinguished himself by

living the mission and core values associated

with Xaverian. This year’s recipient is described

by Dr. Conca as “a young man who freely gives

of himself to the Xaverian community and to the

greater community at large.” He has performed

exceptionally well in the classroom while being

especially active within Xaverian’s campus

ministry program, as well as mock trial and

model United Nations. Dr. Conca describes him

as “a true giver who believes deeply in service

to others.” The 2021 Xaverian Award winner

is Athanasios Kazis. Thano will attend Suffolk

University next year.

Thano Kazis ’21 and his family as he learned he was the recipient of the Xaverian Award

Alvernia University

American University

Arizona State University (Main Campus)

Assumption University

Ave Maria University

Babson College

Bard College

Baylor University

Becker College

Belmont University

Bennington College

Bentley University

Berklee College of Music

Boston College

Boston University

Bowdoin College

Bridgewater State University

Bryant University

Bucknell University

Butler University

Carnegie Mellon University

Carroll College

Case Western Reserve University

Catholic University of America

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Clark University

Clarkson University

Clemson University

Coastal Carolina University

Colby College

Colgate University

College of the Holy Cross

Concordia University (Montreal)

Connecticut College

Cornell University

Curry College

Dean College

DePaul University

Drexel University

Elon University

Emerson College

Emmanuel College

Endicott College

Fairfield University

Fisher College

Fitchburg State University

Florida Atlantic University

Fordham University

Framingham State University

Franklin Pierce University

Furman University

George Washington University

Georgia Institute of Technology

(Main Campus)

Gonzaga University

Hamline University

High Point University

Hofstra University

Indiana University (Bloomington)

Ithaca College

James Madison University

Johnson & Wales University (Providence)

Keene State College

Lafayette College

Lasell University

Le Moyne College

Lehigh University

Louisiana State University

Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University Maryland

Lynn University

Maine College of Art

Maine Maritime Academy

Manhattan College

Marist College

Marquette University

Maryland Institute College of Art

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and

Health Sciences

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Merrimack College

Mesa Community College

Miami University (Oxford)

Michigan State University

Ringling College of Art and Design

Rivier University

Rochester Institute of Technology

Roger Williams University

Rollins College

Sacred Heart University

Saint Anselm College

Saint Joseph’s University

Saint Louis University

Saint Michael’s College

Salem State University

Salve Regina University

San Diego State University

Santa Clara University

Savannah College of Art and Design

Seton Hall University

Siena College

Skidmore College

Southern Maine Community College

Southern Methodist University

Springfield College

St John’s University (New York)

St Lawrence University

St. Olaf College

Stonehill College

Suffolk University

University of Arizona

University of California (Irvine)

University of California (Riverside)

University of California (Santa Barbara)

University of California (Santa Cruz)

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Connecticut

University of Dallas

University of Delaware

University of Hartford

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Maine

University of Maryland (College Park)

University of Massachusetts (Amherst)

University of Massachusetts (Boston)

University of Massachusetts (Dartmouth)

University of Massachusetts (Lowell)

University of Miami

University of Missouri (Columbia)

University of New England

University of New Hampshire

(Main Campus)

University of New Hampshire at Manchester

University of New Haven

University of North Carolina Wilmington

University of Pittsburgh (Main Campus)

University of Rhode Island

University of Rochester

University of Scranton

University of South Carolina

University of Southern California

University of St Andrews

University of Utah

University of Vermont

University of Wisconsin (Madison)

Vermont Technical College

Villanova University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and

State University

Wagner College

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Western New England University

Westfield State University

Wheaton College

William and Mary

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester State University

ATHLETIC

COMMITMENTS

• FOOTBALL

Noah Canty, Stonehill College

Connor Garland, The United

States Federal Merchant Marine

Academy (USMMA)

Michael Berluti, Tufts University

Vince Gilchrist, Bryant University

Thomas Garland, Massachusetts

Maritime Academy

Mike Gordon, Union College

• GOLF

Eric Boulger, University of

Connecticut

• BASKETBALL

Ty Murphy, Wheaton College

Thomas Arrigal, Western New

England University

• TRACK & FIELD

Sam Maloof, Lehigh University

Brendan Polles, Assumption

University

• BASEBALL

Henry Fleckner, Tufts University

Cole Doyon, Ithaca College

Ryan Douglas, Stonehill College

Dylan Reilly, Rollins College

Patrick Hart, Endicott College

Cam Harris, Worcester

Polytechnic Institute

Marc Cedrone, Bentley University

John Connolly, Endicott College

Dan Elliott, Endicott College

• LACROSSE

Cristian Reyes, Saint Michael’s

College

Nick Bloom, Fairfield University

Finn Maguire, Ohio Wesleyan

University

Jack Pastore, Ithaca College

COLLEGE

ACCEPTANCES

Middlebury College

Montserrat College of Art

Mount St Mary’s University

National Collegiate Athletic Association

New England Institute of Technology

New York University

Nichols College

Northeastern University

Norwich University

Ohio Wesleyan University

Pace University (New York City)

Pennsylvania State University (Abington)

Pennsylvania State University

(Main Campus)

Plymouth State University

Providence College

Purdue University (Main Campus)

Quinnipiac University

Regis College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rhodes College

Syracuse University

Temple University

Texas A&M University

Texas Christian University

The New School

The Ohio State University (Main Campus)

The University of Alabama

The University of Edinburgh

The University of Tampa

The University of Tennessee (Knoxville)

The University of Texas at Austin

Trinity College

Trinity College Dublin

Trinity University

Tufts University

Union College

United States Merchant Marine

Academy

United States Military Academy

University College London

Nikolas Lorthe ’21

4 www.xbhs.com

Summer 2021 Xaverian Magazine 5

Nathan Sayers ’25

FINDING HARMONY DURING COVID

Xaverian Music Program Hits All the Right Notes

Written by Nicholas Daoust ’21, Communications Corps

f you know Xaverian Brothers High School, you’ve no

doubt heard the saying “In harmony small things grow.”

In a COVID-regulated school year, harmony was hard

to find, but Fine Arts Department Chairperson Dr. Robert

Thorp still invoked this phrase to describe the Xaverian

music program’s necessary shift in the face of the pandemic:

“It’s with this that we continue to nurture music in

our school and in the hearts of our community.”

Given what Dr. Thorp called “the nature

of the pandemic” as a respiratory risk, the

first necessary action was deciding which

instruments were no longer practical under

new restrictions. “In adhering to the state

regulations regarding wind instruments,

Xaverian was able to shift all wind players

to percussion for this academic year,” said

Mr. William Ricciardelli, who teaches

grades 7 and 8 music. “This gave students

the opportunity to study various

percussion instruments, such as snare

drum and bells, as well as continue

in building a strong rhythmic

foundation that will aid them

on any instrument.” And the

transition to percussion was

not an exclusively curricular

shift; as Mr. Ricciardelli

further explained, the new

extracurricular drumline

Hawk-Force-1 “provided

students in grades 7-12 with

the opportunity to participate in

a unique ensemble composed of

snare drums, bass drums, tenors,

and cymbals.” Meeting on a weekly

basis to practice formation drills for

future Xaverian events, the drumline

was an exciting “compliment to the Jazz

Band and Pep Band.”

Choral rehearsals faced similar

challenges, but Xaverian’s music program

was quick to adapt to a new COVID-

friendly environment. As Director of Choral

Activities Mr. Murray Kidd mentions,

state guidelines prohibited indoor singing,

requiring instead sufficiently-masked, sufficiently-distanced

outdoor rehearsals. “X-Men and Choir shifted and sang

outside as much as possible,” says Mr. Kidd, who began

bringing the singing ensembles onto the tennis courts

for practice. Another of his innovative techniques was

mixing individual student recordings to create a collective

track that mimicked group singing. “Students learned

music independently and we prepared recordings for

broadcasting,” he says. “It isn't easy recording music

on your own as a member of an ensemble, but the

guys did well and had a good attitude.”

Curricular music classes found as much success

as the music program’s extracurricular ensembles.

Finding the silver lining within challenging

circumstances, Dr. Thorp said, “We used this as an

opportunity to focus on rhythmic fundamentals as

well as music literacy and sight reading”—skills

that he said are the foundation to musical

performance for any aspiring musician.

Fortunately, a sense of normalcy still

persisted within individual curricula;

the Mac computers were still put to

good use, with obligatory cleaning

and vacancy procedures, and students

adjusted well to a fully-masked and

safely-distanced creative learning

environment. “The Xaverian music

program continues to grow,”

says Dr. Thorp, “because of the

love and enthusiasm of

our students.”

6 www.xbhs.com

What was your most memorable

pandemic moment?

Mr. Chris Roche, Computer Science

Teacher: I think for me, it was being outside

with the 8th grade on the fields during their

lunch break on the first day students didn’t have

to wear masks outside. Since I am a first year

teacher, this was the first time I saw them just

playing!

Krish Shah ’22: My first virtual class and

logging on to the Zoom meeting to see all

of my classmates in front of my eyes, but

simultaneously so far away. It symbolized the

start of a new experience, but also a realization

of how fortunate I was to belong to a school that

valued the education of its students, as Xaverian

almost immediately continued learning after the

pandemic first hit through this new format.

Kush Mehrotra ’25: My birthday in 2020. I

was very happy all day, but toward the end of

the day I was feeling a little bit lonely...I was

missing my friends this year. Just then, I heard

honking in front of the driveway, and I saw so

many of my friends in their cars holding happy

birthday signs, yelling, waving, and honking! I

was so surprised and so happy.

Did you pick up any new hobbies,

habits, or interests during the past

year-plus? What were they?

Rishu Nevatia ’23: To be honest, I didn’t

really pick up any new hobbies, I just rekindled

my relationship with old ones. I had almost

stopped reading entirely, but due to the need to

stay indoors, I began to read again. I used to

read every single waking second of my life, and

I missed the familiar feel of being transported to

a new universe. Now that I am reading again, I

can’t stop!

Mrs. Donna O’Connor, P ’01, Special

Projects Manager: Watching ‘Stars in the

House’ on YouTube has been a lot of fun;

but more notably, on the very first day of

quarantine, I began keeping a document of

what I was making for dinner each night -

planned it out for every week - and I have never

stopped. It began as a guide for a shopping

list, but then turned into something I looked

forward to doing. I’m still doing it and have no

intention of stopping. Give me a date, and I’ll

tell you what we had for dinner!

As restrictions are lifted and things

begin to open up, what are you most

excited about for post-pandemic

life?

Antwine Burdett, Jr. ’24: I am most excited

about making new friends and exploring new

adventures on campus. I am looking forward to

experiencing all that Xaverian has to offer.

Brendan Colin ’22: As the world returns to

normal, I’m looking forward to seeing the

people I’ve missed and doing the things

I couldn’t for over a year...I think that

across society, as people start seeing

loved ones again, the world will heal

and humanity will reunite. Over the

past year and a half or so, millions of

people across the globe have suffered.

While I haven’t been affected nearly as

much as some people, I pray that those

who have felt the explosion of COVID

In a year that has often been described as “unprecedented,” there is a lot upon which we can reflect. With a renewed

sense of hope from the onset of mass vaccinations and the lifting of restrictions, Xaverian students, faculty, and

administrators were asked to reflect on what has been (to say the least!) a memorable year. Here’s what they had to say.

the most will start to get better and have hope

for a brighter future.

What is something you found

positive or convenient about life

under quarantine that you will miss

in the future?

Mr. Conor Fitzgerald ’09, Social Studies

Teacher: The amount of time I was able to

spend with my family, and how life did seem

slower.

Max Nicholson ’22: I found remote learning

extremely convenient, as I am sure many other

people did as well. The ability to create my

own schedule allowed me to complete my tasks

much more effectively and be more productive

throughout the day.

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

Xaverian’s Thoughts on Life in a Pandemic

Summer 2021 Xaverian Magazine 7

Ms. Jenna Vona, Theology Teacher: Even

though holidays were not what we are used to,

I did find living through quarantine holidays

refocused my family on what matters most.

We will be so thankful to just be in each other’s

company without worry for the holidays. I hope

that realization stays with us in the future.

What was your favorite part about

coming back to school in-person this

past fall?

Mrs. Laura Guzzi, P ’24, World Language

Teacher: I love seeing the students and my

colleagues. I love observing the interactions

between the members of our community. I love

just being physically present with the people I

care about, both colleagues and students.

Thomas Skerry ’22: The best part about

coming back was getting active again. With

a modified cross country season and clubs in

person, instead of being tired from a long school

day I would feel excited to get to my after school

activity.

Liam Maguire ’22: Seeing a lot of my friends

again in person after not seeing them in around

six months...It felt like a somewhat normal

thing, despite all of the irregularities.

Mr. Jim Lewis, P ’95, ’02, World

Language Teacher: I was so happy to have

my first class with students physically present

in my room in September. Although hybrid

COVID BY

THE NUMBERS

The changes wrought by COVID-19

required significant investment from

Xaverian in PPE, specialized cleaning tools

and products, technology, and so much

more (from storage containers for the

630 desks removed from classrooms to

the purchase of 144 adirondack chairs for

outdoor mask breaks, to the addition of

six new employees). Here’s a look at a few

of these stunning stats.

teaching was a big step forward, the real joy

came when we were finally able to be fully

in-person during the past several weeks. It

was so exciting to have my entire class present

for the first time in over a year with no Zoom

necessary!

How has the Xaverian community

supported you during this time?

Mr. Stephen Brennen, World Language

Teacher: They’ve been the best, and have

accommodated my needs every step of the way.

Ethan Duhamel ’23: My teachers have kept

the workload reasonable and they made sure

that students both online and in person got a

chance to participate in class, and my friends

who I hadn’t seen in almost a year were glad to

see me, just like I was glad to see them.

Ryan Mullen ’22: Xaverian has allowed me

to have the same opportunities as any normal

school year despite all of the challenges. I know

that many other kids did not have access to

certain sports or clubs that I have as a result of

Xaverian’s effort.

Dr. Jacob Conca ’94, Head of School:

Seeing everyone do their best, support one

another, and really work to live the Xaverian

mission, especially when it comes to supporting

one another. That was powerful and I drew

strength from witnessing this each day.

150 Zoom licenses

91 Laptops (compatible to

livestream from classroom)

65 Docking stations

50 Classroom cameras

10 Microphones for

classrooms with noisy

vents

7 Document cameras

for remote teaching

5 Webcams

4 Extra wifi access points

for outside coverage

(mask break areas)

2 Extra physical cable drops for

office moves due to Covid spacing

requirements

1 External antenna for Brother

Daniel Skala, C.F.X. Plaza

HEALTH AND

SAFETY

TECHNOLOGY

181,855 Hand wipes

34,900 Gloves

8,449 Oz. of hand sanitizer

3,327 Masks

205 Face shields

These are the words of Louise Lawrence-Israëls.

She is a Dutch-Jewish survivor of the Holocaust,

and she visited Xaverian’s eighth graders via Zoom

this May with her moving story of perseverance

through hate. Lawrence-Israëls was born in German-

occupied Holland, and at only six months old was

moved to a small attic in Amsterdam to escape rising

antisemitic profiling and Nazi persecution. For two

and a half years, she lived in hiding with her mother,

father, brother, and family friend, Selma, whose

own family had already been tragically deported

from the Netherlands by Nazi leaders. During this

time, Lawrence-Israëls was denied even her own

identity in exchange for the family’s safety—because

of necessary false identification, Louise explained, “I

thought my name was Maria.”

“Our life was very quiet,” Lawrence-Israëls

remarked to our Francis Xavier Division students,

who have been studying Holocaust accounts as part

of the eighth grade theology curriculum. “There

was nothing coming in from outside—it was just

us. My parents never told us about the outside

world, and they never told us about their worries.”

Despite the horrors of these two and a half years—

years marked by hidden anxieties, sickness, and

hunger—Lawrence-Israëls maintains that she

was “a happy little girl,” oblivious to her family’s

precarity, thanks to the strength of her parents: “I

STOPPING HATE

LESSONS FROM THE HOLOCAUST

was a normal child who happened to be in hiding for

two years.”

When their hiding ended in 1945 with the

Canadian liberation of Amsterdam, Louise and her

brother were initially wary of the new world they

found outside the attic. “The sun blinded us—we

didn’t know about that, and it was scary,” she

explained. “We thought if you walked off the end of

the street, you would fall right off.” But, as she said,

children are resilient. After years of scarcity, their

first taste of dessert post-liberation changed their

minds: “Being free meant eating cookies.”

Lawrence-Israëls is a speaker from the

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The

Museum’s Office of Survivor Affairs offers schools,

civic groups, military bases, and other institutions

nationwide the opportunity to hear a Holocaust

survivor share his or her experiences. A major

theme of her presentation doubles as the USHMM’s

founding principle: “Never again.” Lawrence-Israëls

and other USHMM speakers educate young people

about the Holocaust in order to prevent recurring

instances of genocide across the globe. Xaverian

students later examined this idea, comparing

Lawrence-Israëls’s story to their studies of Elie

Wiesel’s Night before continuing the day with

other activities meant to memorialize the tragedy

of the Holocaust and discuss its lasting effects. As

Krish Dhingra ’25 eloquently commented after the

presentation in his small group discussion, “Hate

comes out of hate. The best thing we can do is stop

hating in our own lives.”

Written by Nicholas Daoust ’21, Communications Corps

Pictured here is Krish Dhingra ’25. After studying Elie

Wiesel’s Night, students created identity boxes to reflect

on how experiences shape our identity. The boxes are

stored in a custom wooden box that was created in

the X-Ploration Center, in order to demonstrate that

the students are each part of one larger Class of 2025

community.

Louise Lawrence-Israëls in hiding as a young girl

during the Holocaust

8 www.xbhs.com

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