Ward Melville High School students heard from the son of a Holocaust survivor during a special assembly.

Tenth graders heard from Bernie Furshpan, who is with the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County.

His father survived the Holocaust by hiding from Nazis in the woods in Poland for three years when he was 10 years old.

"By telling the story of my father and what he went through during the Holocaust is really just a vehicle to inspire them," said Furshpan.

The Three Village School District teamed up with the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center to speak with students.

Administrators say there has been several antisemitic incidents in the district.

Educators hope the presentation spreads a message of peace and tolerance and shows how harmful hate can be.

"I thought the presentation was very moving. There's only so much you can learn in history, books or online," said Aiden Leek, a 10th grader at Ward Melville High School.

Teachers and administrators at Ward Melville say the assembly is part of their ongoing commitment to teach students about cultural differences.

Students News 12 spoke with said they did learn a few lessons.

"I think people who choose to help and stand up can really make a great difference," said 10th grader Amartya Das.

After the 90-minute assembly, some 10th graders said they're walking away feeling inspired.

Three Village teachers say the assembly was already planned before the reported incidents of antisemitism in the district.

They say they plan on continuing to update the school curriculum.