Today I visited my father's old high school in Nowy Sacz, Poland. He attended from 1928-36. We (I was accompanied by two officials from the U.S. consulate in Krakow) were greeted at the front entrance by a whole delegation with flowers including the headmaster, the head of the student body and the official photographer of the city of Nowy Sacz. The school is well maintained and the students evidently well traveled. They send groups to the United States every year and also to Israel. The teachers also pass courses on teaching the Holocaust at Yad Vashem. The corridors are decorated with large photos of students in various parts of the world.
I was taken to an English class and asked to say a few words. I spoke about how my father attended this school and had good memories and about what had happened to our family and to the Jews of Nowy Sacz in general. They listened attentively and seemed interested.
My hosts showed me the original school banner, kept hidden during the Second World War and lately refurbished in all its original glory.
The last stop was the headmaster's office where they gave me photocopies of my father's graduation certificate and also a report card containing all his grades from the final examination in 1936. Apparently, he was very good in German and only fair in mathematics. I became a little emotional holding these documents in my hands. We have so little from my father's youth -- a couple of snapshots and that's about it -- so these documents are precious. In return, I gave them a copy of "Guarded by Angels."

French President Nicholas Sarkozy has stirred a hornet's nest by suggesting that all French schoolchildren should study the 11,000 French children who died in the Holocaust.

He wants every 10-year-old to know the name and life story of an individual Jewish child who died. Apparently, some of his critics are worried that kids will be traumatized by identifying with these victims.

"I don't think we can impose remembrance," former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said. Having pupils "adopt" a Holocaust victim was "something very heavy to carry around."

I think it's a great idea that other nations should copy. It preserves memory and helps educate a new generation. Ten-year-olds are more resilient than people realize. I'm generally impressed with Sarkozy. He's a breath of fresh air for France which has an unfortunate history with regard to the Jews and Israel and a fast-growing Muslim population, some of whom seem attracted to extremism and anti-Semitism.