A 92-year-old Holocaust survivor got the chance to celebrate his very first prom on Thursday.
Singing and dancing filled Baycrest retirement residence throughout the afternoon for their senior’s prom. The celebration allowed many Holocaust survivors to attend prom celebrations who could not do so during their youth.
“I am a survivor,” Baycrest resident Mendel Good told CTV News Toronto. “When I was 14 years old to 21 I was in a concentration camp.”
Good was born in Poland in 1925 and endured concentration camps while growing up from 1939 to 1946.
Dancing along to the loud music and staring at the 1950s inspired decorations, Good said he thoroughly enjoyed his first prom.
“Any entertainment is more than I ever had,” he said.
A spokesperson for Baycrest Health Sciences Jonathan MacIndoe said nearly 300 seniors planned to attend the festivities.
“As Baycrest is home to one of the largest groups of Holocaust surviviors in North America, this event holds a special meaning for many patients and residents who were not able to attend prom celebrations during their youth,” MacIndoe said.
“At Baycrest, music therapy plays an important role for many older adults with a wide range of cognitive abilities, as music can often help people reconnect with moods, emotions, and memories of years gone by.”
Good said although his wife wasn’t there to be his date to the prom he is still lucky to have a big family see him celebrate.
“Unfortunately my wife passed away last year but I have three beautiful children and 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren,” he said. “I’m a very lucky man.”
