Exhibit Information Page

The JFR’s traveling exhibit, Whoever Saves a Single Life…Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust has been making its way throughout the country! The JFR has fabricated two editions of this exhibit, to ensure that it reaches as many audiences as possible. One edition is now on its way back from the East Valley JCC in Chandler, Arizona after a 6 week stay. It will then travel to Congregation Beth-Tefillah in Atlanta, Georgia to be a part of Yom Hashoah commemorations. The other edition is currently on display at the JCC MetroWest inWest Orange,NJ, after a long tenure at Kean University in Union Township, New Jersey. We are absolutely thrilled at the exposure of this important exhibit to a variety of audiences.

Whoever Saves a Single Life…Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust showcases some of those rare – but exceedingly important – instances where people fought to safeguard their Jewish fellow citizens during the Holocaust.  In a time of overwhelming death and destruction, rescuers did not stand by silently.  They chose another way, and their bravery offers us a glimmer of hope.  This is an easy-to-install exhibit of freestanding structures.  It is non-linear, arranged thematically rather than chronologically, and is accessible to a variety of individuals, from middle school students to adults.  It is ideal for small venues. Pease contact the JFR office at 212-727-9955 for more information on how you can bring this exhibit to your community.

A few days ago, I had the pleasure of speaking at Beth El Synagogue in Margate, New Jersey.  The Richard Stockton College Holocaust Resource Center, one of our Centers of Excellence, was screening the film Irena Sendler: In the Name of Their Mothers at the synagogue, and I introduced the film.  Having met Irena Sendler, a beloved rescuer who the JFR supported for many years, I was able to speak about the incredible person that she was (she passed away in 2008 at the age of 98).   After the film I took questions from the audience.  The screening was very well attended, and I was thrilled to see a number of our Lerner Fellows there.

To read about the film, click here.

To learn more about Irena Sendler, click here.

I am out of the office this week, in Lithuania, filming the reunion documentary for our 2011 Annual Dinner.  This year the reunion will take place between Mary Erlich, a survivor, and Egle Bimbiriene and Kazimieras Aurimas Ruzgys, the pair of siblings who saved her.  Just as in years past, hearing these brave siblings’ story of rescue is incredibly moving, and being a part of this film shoot has been a very interesting experience.

Each year, one participant of the Summer Institute receives the Sonder Award.  This award was founded by Johanna Stark and Kate Tarnofsky, two sisters who, as children, were able to leave Germany before WWII began.  The award is named for their grandfather Eduard Sonder, who they adored.  Eduard was not able to leave Germany, and the girls never saw their grandfather again – he was killed during the Holocaust. 

The award is a full scholarship to attend the program.  The recipient also recieves Teuscher chocolates, a reminder of the chocolates Eduard would bring his two granddaughters upon his return from business trips to Switzerland.  This year’s recipient of the Sonder Award was Terry Beasley from the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. 

The JFR is able to make the Summer Institute happen in large part because of our donors.  Alfred Lerner was a wonderful donor, who contributed generously to the JFR’s education program, which is why we call each of our teacher participants Lerner Fellows.  In order to honor his memory, we take a picture each year in front of Alfred Lerner Hall, the building on Columbia University’s campus named for him. 

This morning Professor Harry Reicher spoke about law during the Holocaust.  Participants learned that in the twelve years of Nazi rule, some 4,000 laws were promulgated.  We also learned that Nazis had no respect for the law, however, they used it as a tool for their own advantage.

Professor Peter Hayes also lectured this morning – he spoke about how businesses played a critical role in Nazi power and the Final Solution.  Professor Hayes’s lecture was revelatory in explaining how the interests of the state crept into the inner-workings of many of Germany’s big companies.

After lunch we heard from Professor Henry Feingold, another mainstay at our Summer Institute for Teachers.  Professor Feingold discussed immigration policy during World War II, and talked about the seemingly endless “what ifs” from that time period that, in hindsight, we find ourselves asking.  Professor Feingold also reinforced the functionalist sentiment that was touched upon in many other lectures.  Functionalists believe that the Holocaust happened as a function of many factors, where intentionalists believe that the Holocaust was more or less inevitable.

Our day concluded with Gail Rosenthal, who is the director of the Richard Stockton College Holocaust Resource Center which is one of our Centers of Excellence.  She presented the film Daring to Resist, and talked about the importance of using survivor testimony in the classroom.

Today began the 2011 Summer Institute for teachers.  We are very lucky to have another great group of teachers, who bring a variety of backgrounds and teaching styles to our seminar.  This week will include intense learning and discussion of the many facets of Holocaust studies, and give our Lerner Fellows new ideas on how to teach this complicated topic in the classroom. 

Our first day began with a fantastic lecture from Professor John Roth, who talked about Jews, Christians, and anti-Semitism, a lecture that laid the groundwork for the topics discussed throughout the week. His discussion reinforced the idea that many factors were necessary for the Holocaust to happen, and reminded all of us of Raul Hilberg’s eternal idea that there is no finality to the study of the Holocaust.

As in years past we had the pleasure of hearing from Columbia Professor Dr. Volker Berghahn, who discussed the Interwar period in German history.  This historical time period is critical to understanding how the Nazis rose to power.  We are so lucky that Professor Berghahn continues to be a mainstay at our Summer Institute.

After each lecture, participants broke into discussion groups, where teachers were able to synthesise the lecture and share ideas as to how to teach the subject matter in the classroom.

Groups presented to each other, and each group was able to contribute new pedagogical tools and interesting food for thought.

This year we had a new first-day addition: Alexandra Zapruder presented on her book Salvaged Pages, which contains diaries and diary excerpts from Jewish children who were persecuted during the Holocaust.  Alexandra discussed how to use her book as a teaching tool in the classroom.  Using these diaries can be the key in opening up the discussion of Holocaust to young people, were the Holocaust is accessible to students when understood through the words of age peers.

We concluded our first day with an opening dinner at Columbia’s Faculty House Restaurant, where we got a chance to get to know one another on a more personal level.

Stay tuned for posts on the Institute!

As the 2010-2011 school year draws to a close, the JFR would like to thank its two high school interns, Shaquira and Camille, both juniors at The High School of Fashion Industries, for all their hard work this past year!  We have so appreciated your help and efforts!  We wish them a wonderful summer.

The JFR would like to wish those who celebrate a Happy Passover! 

During Passover we remember rescuer Alexander Roslan (pictured, center) who risked his life to save Jacob and David Gutgelt (pictured here) on the eve of Passover – April 19, 1943.     Click here to read the full story.

The JFR would like to wish all who celebrate a very Happy Purim!  Enjoy, have fun, eat lots, and make noise!

If you’d like to send Purim wishes to friends and family consider sending the JFR’s Purim e-card.  Click here to access the card. 

Each year we invite schools from the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area to attend our annual dinner through our New York-New Jersey Schools Dinner Program.  Schools bring 8 juniors or seniors who are studying or who have studied the Holocaust.  We invite a variety of schools: public and private, Jewish and Catholic day, special needs and charter schools.  Students are required to write a brief essay after the dinner, sharing one aspect of their experience that they found moving or insightful.  We received outstanding essays from all of our schools.  Below are a few excerpts from exceptional essays – their words remind us why it is so important to educate the next generation about the Holocaust in general and rescue in particular. 

“…this dinner shed a new light on the Holocaust that I was blind to beforehand.” – Ethan, the Heschel School

 “Though I’ve read quite a few books and have watched movies that are related to this tragic event in history, I never really understood what it must’ve been like for the Jews living in Europe at the time.  However, that changed on the evening I attended the JFR’s ceremony…” – Sang-A, Stuyvesant High School

“I have never been moved to the point of tears when hearing, reading, or learning about the Holocaust.  That all changed on Tuesday, November 30….There is no way to fully explain the extent to which Mr. Misiuna has motivated and moved me.  At the very least, he made me more determined than ever to continue to do community service and care for others.” – Anna, the Heschel School

“That evening was truly wonderful, I learned that when people have the courage to do what’s right they make a wonderful impact in someone else’s life.” – Erica, The Churchill School

“Understanding all the risks these rescuers took is something we hear and appreciate, but it is difficult to actually understand what it entails.  Witnessing the reunion helped me understand the reality of righteous gentiles.” – Mia, the Heschel School

 “Wladyslaw Misiuna’s story is a testament to the fact that apathy and cruelty are not a given.  Acting as a bystander is a choice that the individual makes, just as being an upstander is a personal choice.”  – Emma, the Heschel School 

“It was a pure, untainted moment, when Mr. Misuna and Mrs. Marmurek walked onto the podium together.  Although it took more than a few seconds for them to reach the microphone, the clapping never wavered.  Every single person in the room had gotten to a point beyond their own ego, a point of reverence and respect. The dinner managed to move people to genuine admiration.”  – Massye, SAR Academy

“Marmurek and Misiuna embraced one another as though they were two halves of a magnet; it was beyond words.  Marmurek beheld the man that gave her life, the man that created more than ten lives as a result of the rescue.” – Ilana, the Heschel School

 “The school teacher honoree, Mr. Grimes, made me feel relieved that the legacy of the Holocaust will live on in schools throughout the U.S.A….Seeing Mr. Grimes get an award for…his class on the Holocaust made me feel good.  I now know that people everywhere don’t want to let the Holocaust be forgotten.” – Ben, SAR Academy

“Being a student of a modern-orthodox [Jewish] school, it was nice to see that people of many different beliefs can share some fundamental and universal values.” – Adin, SAR Academy

“Attending the dinner was an especially unique experience for me because I am a Muslim student.  In another part of the world, Muslims and Jews are constantly fighting each other in an endless cycle.  But as I found out at the dinner, religion does not have to play a role in helping people.  Christians decided to help Jews because they inherently knew that it was the right thing to do.  And if you see someone who needs help, you should help them no matter what race or religion they are.  It could be a Jew helping a Muslim, a Christian helping a Jew, black helping white, or anything.”  – Mahtab, Stuyvesant High School

“…I will never be able to justify the suffering of those who experienced the Holocaust, but I have learned the importance of recognizing beauty, even in the face of incomprehensible suffering.” – Jason, SAR Academy

The JFR’s charity knitting project is off to a great start! Here are thirteen beautiful, hand-made scarves we recently received.

For all you knitters and crocheters out there, participating in the JFR’s charity knitting project entails making scarves for rescuers in Poland, where the JFR has a distribution mechanism. Participants send their scarves to the JFR, and we then distribute them to the rescuers. If you are interested in participating in this project, please contact the JFR.

On Tuesday, January 18, 2011 the JFR hosted its annual One-day teacher seminar on the Holocaust at the Union for Reform Judaism in New York City.  We had a fantastic group of metro area teachers who spent the day learning from scholars and discussing, in break-out groups, how to teach what they had learned. 

We were fortunate enough to have two New York City scholars come to lecture.  Dr. Henry Feingold, Professor Emeritus of history and an expert on Refugee Policy during the Holocaust, lectured about Refugee Policy in the morning.  In the afternoon, Dr. Atina Grossman gave a lecture about Jewish life during the Weimar Republic, a topic that is part of her own personal family history.  Both lectures were enthralling, and our group of teachers came away with new knowledge about both topics, as well as inspiration for ways to teach the Holocaust in the classroom.