It was more real than a documentary on television. It was a tale of hatred, discrimination and survival.

When Werner Gellert stood before the student body at Mesa View Middle School last week and shared his story of being a victim of the Holocaust, it put a face and a name to the fate of the millions of Jewish people and non-Jewish people who were killed because they were "different."

Beginning in the 1930s, the German Nazis believed that Germans were superior to the Jewish people, and that those of the Jewish faith were an alien threat to the so-called German racial community, information from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum states.

It wasn't just the Jews who were targeted by the Nazis, however. The disabled, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals and other groups that did not share the Nazis political beliefs were also targeted, with millions of them killed.

For Gellert, the Holocaust is more than just a chapter in a history book. It was a painful time in his life that, in sharing with students, he hopes they will gain insights into the reality of discrimination.

"Jews were considered to be not-human beings," Gellert told the students. "There are only one or two of you that would be considered human beings," referring to the blue-eyed blondes the Nazis believed were the chosen ones.

Gellert shared stories of not being allowed to ride the bus and being picked on at school. While visiting with students in smaller groups, Gellert said that hate and discrimination are not something that happened only to World War II-era Germany. It happens in this country every day to American Indians and African-Americans.

"Native Americans and Jews have a lot in common," he said. "When you talk to your grandparents, they will tell you that ... I'm sorry to say discrimination still exists."

Mesa View administration and staff invited Gellert to speak to the students as part of a program developed to teach students about tolerance and discrimination — in the hallways of their school, in the neighborhoods they live, and in the community around them. In a society where we hope discrimination of any kind doesn't occur, the reality is that it does, and it is important young people are made aware of it, so they can continue the charge to eliminate it.

The stories Gellert shared with students were made real, because the man who stood before them lived through that horror — and survived it. He shared the challenges he faced while in a work camp and he told of his escape from it. The scenes could have come from a movie, but instead, the drama unfolded before them, with a voice from one who suffered through it.

The students at Mesa View were fortunate to hear Gellert talk. While discussing what he went through, he made real the pain and the suffering caused by those who discriminate. Gellert said sharing his experiences with students helps them understand the terrible things hate can do.

We applaud Gellert for sharing his story. We appreciate the staff at Mesa View for inviting him and for promoting the importance of equality for all.

We hope the students took to heart the lessons Gellert taught — that hated can destroy neighborhoods, communities and a nation. We hope students make an effort to treat everyone — no matter the color of their skin, the culture they come from, their gender or the money they have in their wallet — with fairness and an appreciation for who they are.

By learning from Gellert and by doing their part to eliminate discrimination, the students at Mesa View Middle School and others like them can make a difference. It was a good lesson shared and, we hope, a lesson learned.