An elderly woman with white hair and a joyful expression hugging a person wearing a colorful tie-dye shirt in front of a brick wall.
A group of children and an elderly woman inside a church or chapel, standing in front of an altar with religious paintings and Christmas trees decorated with ornaments and lights.
Laupheim, Germany, 2014.

Laupheim, Germany, 2014.

Laupheim, Germany, 2014.

Laupheim, Germany, 2014.

Students line up to hug Irene after a presentation. 

Students line up to hug Irene after a presentation. 

Clague Middle School bestowed this honor.

Clague Middle School bestowed this honor.

Troop45003-Irene.jpeg
A woman with white hair and a navy blazer is smiling and talking to a young girl in a yellow pattern dress and white jacket, with another young girl holding a water bottle nearby. A cameraman with a video camera is filming the scene at an event with a sign in the background that says 'Lantos Foundation'.
A group of children, including a boy in a gray hoodie, standing in line inside a church or community hall. An older woman with white hair is talking to the children. The background has wooden walls and many people seated on benches.
A group of young people and an elderly woman, Irene Butter, posing together on stage, some holding roses, in a celebratory setting.
Reader's Guide
Study Guide

Teaching Irene's Story: Amplify Education

Irene Butter believed that sharing her experiences as a Holocaust survivor was both a responsibility and an opportunity to help young people build a more compassionate world.

Her story is featured in Amplify Education's eighth-grade English Language Arts curriculum, Holocaust: Memory & Meaning.

Through excerpts from Irene's memoir, Shores Beyond Shores, and recordings of her testimony, students explore the dangers of prejudice, the consequences of indifference, and the responsibility each person has to stand against injustice.

A lesson titled Never Forget focuses on Irene's personal mission to share her experiences with future generations.

Irene can no longer visit classrooms in person, but her voice and her message continue to educate and inspire students. Educators can also explore Irene's recorded interviews, historical photographs, and additional reading guides on this website.

Irene Enjoyed Speaking to Students More Than Anything

For more than 30 years, Irene told her Holocaust story to countless students in middle and high schools in the States, Israel, and Germany. Her goal was to transmit lessons she learned from the Holocaust to help youth to understand the gravity of genocide, to develop their appreciation of freedom and human rights, and to motivate them to stand up against hatred, prejudice, and racism. Excerpts from her talks to students are included in the documentary Never a Bystander.

The students were amazing, constantly expressing their affection for Irene and appreciation of her story and message. They sent Irene thousands of cards and artwork, some of which you can see here.

Amplify Curriculum
Student Artwork for Irene

A Later Lesson in Forgiveness

One of Irene’s most memorable school talks was to 400 students in Laupheim, Germany, in 2014. Until that day, she had not spoken German for decades. She said that she couldn't, because of the painful memories associated with it from the Holocaust. She still understood the language, but responded to questions in English or Dutch. A student asked her if she still spoke German. She hesitated and then realized that it was time to let go of her hatred of the language. The German easily and gracefully fell from her lips, and she felt a weight lifted. She was 83 and still had lessons to learn.

School Talks (partial list)

Lakeview High School | Battle Creek, MI

Garfield High School | Ann Arbor, MI

Jane Addams Middle School | Seattle, WA

Boston Latin | Boston, MA

University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI

Sidwell Friends Middle School | Washington, DC

Washtenaw Community College | Ypsilanti, MI

Milan Middle School | Milan, MI

Perrysburg Junior High School  | Perrysberg, OH

Milan Middle School | Milan, MI

Laurus Academy | Southfield, MI

Suffield Academy | Suffield, CT

Homestead High School | Milwaukee, WI

Emerson School |  Ann Arbor, MI 

Hampshire Regional High School | Westhampton, MA