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An Unlikely Friendship

How did a teenager and a 99-year-old woman become friends? Learn their incredible story—and the important message they’re trying to spread.

April 2025

by Dhilan Stanley, as told to Anna Starecheski

My friend Janine and I hang out every Sunday. We talk about our weeks and what’s going on in our lives. She loves to hear stories about my cats. She tells great jokes. I share what I’m learning in school.

But Janine is different from my other friends. She doesn’t go to my high school.

In fact, my friend Janine is 99 years old.

I see my friend Janine every Sunday. We talk about what’s new in our lives. I tell her stories about my cats. She tells great jokes. I share what I’m learning in school.

But Janine is different from my other friends. She doesn’t go to my high school. In fact, she’s 99 years old.

My friend Janine and I get together every Sunday. We discuss our weeks and what’s going on in our lives. She loves hearing stories about my cats. She tells excellent jokes. I share what I’m learning in school.

But Janine is different from my other friends. She isn’t a student at my high school.

In fact, my friend Janine is 99 years old.

Hard History

Shutterstock.com

What is VR?
Virtual reality (VR) goggles let you see and hear a computer-made world that feels very real.

I met Janine at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center when I was 13. I first went to the museum to see an exhibit called “Stories of Survival.” In the exhibit, you put on virtual reality (VR) goggles. You get to experience the story of a Holocaust survivor by seeing what they saw.

At the time, I knew a little bit about the Holocaust. But I didn’t know the details. During World War II, the Nazi Party ruled Germany. The Nazis killed millions of people in Europe. This genocide is called the Holocaust. The Nazis killed many types of people. But they focused their hatred on Jewish people. Those are people who follow the religion of Judaism.

The Nazis blamed Jewish people for all of Germany’s problems. It was a horrible time in history. The Nazis killed six million Jews and millions of others. They forced many more to live in prisons called concentration camps.

Putting on those VR goggles was an intense but eye-opening experience. Seeing images from the camps was different from just reading about them.

I decided that I wanted to volunteer at the museum. I wanted to help other people learn this difficult but important history.

I met Janine at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center when I was 13. I first went there to see an exhibit called “Stories of Survival.” In the exhibit, you put on virtual reality (VR) goggles. You learn the story of a Holocaust survivor by seeing what they saw.

I had heard about the Holocaust. But I didn’t know the details. During World War II, the Nazi Party ruled Germany. The Nazis killed millions of people in Europe. This genocide is called the Holocaust. The Nazis killed many types of people. But they focused their hatred on Jewish people. Those are people who follow the religion of Judaism.

The Nazis blamed Jewish people for Germany’s problems. It was an awful time in history. The Nazis killed six million Jews and millions of others. They forced many more to live in prisons called concentration camps.

The exhibit taught me a lot. Seeing images from the camps was different from just reading stories.

I decided to volunteer at the museum. I wanted to help others learn this sad but important history.

I met Janine at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center when I was 13. I first visited the museum to see an exhibit called “Stories of Survival.” In the exhibit, you put on virtual reality (VR) goggles and experience the story of a Holocaust survivor by seeing what they saw.

I knew a little bit about the Holocaust before I saw the exhibit, but I didn’t know anything specific. During World War II, the Nazi Party ruled Germany. The Nazis killed millions of people in Europe. This genocide is known as the Holocaust. The Nazis killed many types of people, but they focused their hatred on Jewish people—people who follow the religion of Judaism—in particular.

The Nazis blamed Jewish people for all of Germany’s problems. It was a horrible time in history. The Nazis killed six million Jews, as well as millions of other people, and forced many more to live in prisons called concentration camps.

Putting on those VR goggles was an intense but eye-opening experience. Seeing images from the concentration camps was different from just reading about them.

After seeing the exhibit, I decided that I wanted to volunteer at the museum. I wanted to help other people learn about this difficult but important history.

Sharing Stories

A few months after I started volunteering, I met Janine. I learned that she was a Holocaust survivor. Even though I felt a bit shy, I asked her about her experience.

Luckily for me, Janine was comfortable telling her story. She has been sharing it for many years. She was a teen when the Holocaust began. Both of her parents were killed. Janine was arrested. The Nazi police officers couldn’t prove she was Jewish. So instead of killing her, they forced her to work in a restaurant all day, every day. She did that for two years.

After the war was over, Janine was set free. But she had lost her entire family. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose everyone you loved.

But even though Janine’s story is tragic, that’s not why she shares it. She believes that the only way to stop something like the Holocaust from happening again is to talk about it.

While I was volunteering, I met Janine. I learned that she was a Holocaust survivor. I felt a bit shy, but I asked her about her experience.

Janine was comfortable telling her story. She has been sharing it for many years. She was a teen when the Holocaust began. Both of her parents were killed. Janine was arrested. The Nazi police officers couldn’t prove she was Jewish. They didn’t kill her. But they made her work in a restaurant all day, every day. She did that for two years.

After the war ended, Janine was set free. But her whole family was gone. I can’t imagine how it would feel to lose everyone I love.

Janine’s story is tragic. But that’s not why she shares it. She says the way to stop something like the Holocaust from happening again is to talk about it.

A few months after I started volunteering, I met Janine and learned that she was a Holocaust survivor. Even though I felt a bit shy, I asked her about her experience.

Luckily for me, Janine was comfortable telling her story. She has been sharing it for many years. She was in her teens when the Holocaust began. Both of her parents were killed. Janine was arrested, but the Nazi police officers couldn’t prove she was Jewish—so instead of killing her, they forced her to work in a restaurant all day, every day. She did that for two years.

Janine was set free after the war ended, but she had lost her entire family. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose everyone you loved.

But even though Janine’s story is tragic, that’s not why she shares it. She believes that the only way to prevent something like the Holocaust from happening again is to talk about it.

Good Friends

Pretty soon, Janine and I were working the museum’s welcome desk together every Sunday. It’s amazing to watch her share her story. I can see people’s understanding of the Holocaust growing as they listen to her. When we’re not helping guests, we chat. We’ve become really good friends over the past two years working together.

Talking to Janine inspired me to start a project called Gen Z for Humanity. My goal is to spread awareness of the Holocaust and other genocides to kids my age.

One way I do this is through social media. We are going to grow up and be leaders, so it’s important that we know our history.

Janine and I started working the museum’s welcome desk together every Sunday. I like to watch her share her story. I can see people’s understanding of the Holocaust growing as they listen. When we’re not helping guests, we chat. We’ve become good friends over the past two years.

Our talks inspired me to start a project called Gen Z for Humanity. I teach kids my age about the Holocaust and other genocides. I use social media.

We’re going to grow up and be leaders. We should know our history.

Before long, Janine and I were working the museum’s welcome desk together every Sunday. It’s amazing to watch her share her story. I can actually see people’s understanding of the Holocaust growing as they listen to her. When we’re not helping guests, we chat. We’ve become really good friends over the past two years working together.

Talking to Janine inspired me to start a project called Gen Z for Humanity. My goal is to spread awareness of the Holocaust and other genocides to kids my age.

One way I do this is through social media. We’re going to grow up and be leaders, so it’s important that we know our history.

Making It Through

What I’ve learned from Janine goes beyond the Holocaust. She has taught me the value of talking to people different from myself. She has taught me to spend less time stressing about the future and more time living life to the fullest. She has taught me that kindness is important.

More than anything, though, she has taught me about resilience.

Over the past 80 years, Janine has lived a full and happy life. She got married and had three kids. She moved to the United States.

If Janine can make it through the horrors of the Holocaust, I feel like I can make it through anything.

I’ve learned a lot from Janine. She has taught me the value of talking to people different from myself. She has taught me to spend less time stressing about the future and more time living life to the fullest. She has taught me that kindness is important.

And she has taught me about resilience.

Janine has lived a full, happy life. She got married and had three kids. She moved to the United States.

If Janine can make it through the horrors of the Holocaust, I feel like I can make it through anything.