Header Top

“13 Driver's Licenses” presentation brings Holocaust history to Ursuline

“13 Driver's Licenses” presentation brings Holocaust history to Ursuline

by Shannon Dufresne

A single, time-worn envelope discovered in a small Bavarian town became a profound lesson in responsibility and moral courage when Ms. Lisa Salko presented "13 Driver's Licenses" at The Ursuline School on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.

Organized by Director of Global Education Mrs. Maria Barton '83, the presentation brought Global Scholars candidates, eighth graders, Global History, English, and Religious Studies students, faculty, and staff together in the Auriana Theater. In her opening remarks, Barton set the tone by emphasizing the importance of Holocaust education and the responsibility to confront history honestly, particularly amid the ongoing and unacceptable rise in antisemitism worldwide.

Salko rose to applause, taking the podium with both hands to tell the extraordinary story that chronicles the lives of 13 Jewish citizens whose driver's licenses were confiscated by the Nazis during Kristallnacht ("Night of Broken Glass") in 1938. The licenses were discovered nearly 80 years later in Lichtenfels, Germany, a small Bavarian town once home to a vibrant Jewish community of shopkeepers and business owners whose lives were systematically erased. Rather than archive the documents, local educators transformed the discovery into a research project that focused on discovery, reflection, and reconciliation—reuniting families with pieces of their stolen pasts.

Held in a reverent stillness, the presentation unfolded before a packed audience in the Auriana Theater. Students, faculty, and guests sat transfixed as Salko recounted how German high school students—all of whom were not Jewish and had never met a Jewish person—painstakingly researched each name. Using archives, interviews, and even Facebook, the students thoughtfully reconstructed lives interrupted by hatred, restoring them with care, dignity, and grace.

The presentation was accompanied by a traveling, informative panel exhibit—courtesy of the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center and its Director of Education, Steve Goldberg. The thoughtfully crafted display was available to the entire Ursuline community throughout the day. The sun-filled Kulsar and McCarthy Lobby was an inviting open space that welcomed students to linger, read closely, and reflect on the individual stories behind each banner.

English teacher Alyssa Tenore said the exhibit surely deepens understanding as they prepare to study "The Diary of Anne Frank" later this year.

"It reminds all of us that these were lives, families, stories worth telling.”
- Mrs. Alyssa Tenore, english teacher

"So often, Anne Frank can feel intangible—almost like fiction—because it’s so far removed from students’ daily lives," Tenore said. "Seeing these 13 individual stories makes it real. It reminds all of us that these were lives, families, stories worth telling.”

That insistence on seeing history through individual lives also shaped Salko's own journey. Her grandfather and great-uncles were among the driver's license holders. In November 2018, she traveled with her sisters and cousins to Lichtenfels for a public ceremony in which the licenses—found in 2017 in a district office—were returned to descendants. For Salko, the moment was both deeply personal and powerfully symbolic.

Salko learned much of her family's Holocaust history not from relatives, but from the German students working on the project. "My grandfather escaped to England before eventually emigrating to the Boston area, but like many survivors, he rarely spoke about that chapter of his life." As a high school junior, she interviewed her grandfather for a family history assignment, but the interview was limited in scope. Decades later, the students' work restored what had been lost.

"In many ways, these students gave her family history back to her," Goldberg said.

Throughout her talk, Salko challenged students to become "upstanders," stressing that education and action matter more than silence. She spoke candidly about the persistence of antisemitism—long a simmering problem that has now surged—and challenged students to choose courage in moments of darkness.

"Each banner in this exhibit tells a unique story. When you look into a descendant’s eyes, you can’t help but remember—and once you remember, you’re responsible for what you do next."
- Ms. Lisa Salko, "13 Driver's Licenses" presenter

"Each banner in this exhibit tells a unique story. When you look into a descendant’s eyes, you can’t help but remember—and once you remember, you’re responsible for what you do next."

A question-and-answer session followed, with students asking how to respond to antisemitism today. Salko's message was clear: learn, listen, and speak up.

After the presentation, Salko reflected on the journey that brought her to Ursuline.

"I believe people have been put in my path to help me tell this story," she said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to young people."

Barton responded simply: "You have no idea how many lives your story will touch."

The presentation served as a powerful reminder that history is not distant or abstract, but something we are actively living—and responsible for carrying forward. By confronting the past honestly and choosing to act with courage and compassion, students were challenged to become upstanders in their own lives. Rooted in education, remembrance, and action, the message echoes St. Angela Merici's call to protect the future by learning from the past and standing as light in moments of darkness.

 

  • Student Life

More Connections

Play and Pause Buttons for Slideshow