Past Events 2017
Hate on Campus: The Challenges Facing Jewish Students in the Shifting Campus Climate
Ari Gauss (Executive Director, North Carolina Hillel) and Rebecca Simons (Director, Jewish Life, Duke University) discussed the challenges that Jewish students face today and ways in which the greater Jewish community can help combat hate on campus. Drawing on their years of experience, they discussed targeted attacks, anti-Semitic graffiti, speakers with hateful platforms, and anti-Israel resolutions, and how they work with students and administrators at UNC and Duke to foster a campus environment that promotes engagement, education, and pluralism.
This program was open to the public. To RSVP, email [email protected] or call 919-237-1504.
Last Yiddish Heroes: Lost and Found Songs of Soviet Jews during World War II
A Holocaust Remembrance Day event: Singer-songwriter Psoy Korolenko and historian Anna Shternshis (University of Toronto) bring "lost" Yiddish songs of World War II to life in this all-new concert and lecture program. Collected by Moshe Berezovsky and other scientists of the Kiev Cabinet for Jewish Culture, these previously unknown Yiddish songs were confiscated and hidden by the Soviet government in 1949, and have only recently come to light. The lecture/concert features the performance and incredible stories behind these treasures.
And Now I Have to Read in Jewish Something: Yiddish Performances by Holocaust Survivors
Jeffery Shandler of Rutgers University will explore the USC Shoah Foundation's Visual History Archive, the largest collection of videotaped interviews with Holocaust survivors — including hundreds of interviews conducted partly or entirely in Yiddish — in the world. In dozens of these, survivors sing a song or recite a poem in the language, in the course of recounting their life histories. These recitals of poetry and song reveal survivors' commitment to demonstrating the creative power of Yiddish in the midst of recalling widespread destruction.
Film Screening: Defiant Requiem
Hosted by the UNC Department of Music and co-sponsored by the Carolina Center for Jewish Studies, this feature-length documentary film highlights the most dramatic example of intellectual and artistic courage in the Theresienstadt (Terezín) Concentration Camp during World War II: the remarkable story of Rafael Schächter, a brilliant, young Czech conductor who was arrested and sent to Terezín in 1941.
2017 State of North Carolina Holocaust Commemoration
The Annual Commemoration will feature a Holocaust survivor or scholar as the guest speaker, student writing, artistic creations, vocal and dramatic performances, and other Holocaust projects, presentations by state officials, clergy, and others, and a candle-lighting ceremony. The event is open to all and free of charge. Ample parking is available.
Discussion with Danielle Bailly, Author of The Hidden Children of France 1940–1945
Danielle Bailly will discuss her book: "The Hidden Children of France, 1940–1945: Stories of Survival." The history of France's "hidden children" and of the French citizens who saved six out of seven Jewish children and three-fourths of the Jewish adult population from deportation during the Nazi occupation is little known to American readers. Bailly (a hidden child herself) reveals the stories behind the statistics of those who were saved by the extraordinary acts of ordinary people. Eighteen former "hidden children" describe their lives before, during, and after the war. Co-sponsored by Duke Center for Jewish Studies, the Holocaust Speakers Bureau, The Coalition for Preserving Memory, Jewish Life, Duke Germanic Languages and Literature, and the Department of French-Romance Studies. Catered reception to follow.
Contact Sharon Halperin at [email protected] with questions or to RSVP.
Peter Stein Speaks to 7th Grade Class at Carrington Middle School
HSB speaker Peter Stein spoke to a 7th grade class at Carrington Middle School about his Holocaust experiences and the importance of remembrance.
Esther Lederman Speaks at JDC Early College
HSB speaker Esther Lederman spoke to students at JDC Early College on the NCCU campus.
An Address in Amsterdam: Talk and Book Signing by Author Mary Dingee Fillmore
A novel about a young Jewish woman who joins the anti-Nazi underground, by Mary Dingee Fillmore. Join us for a talk by the author followed by a book signing.
Duke Coalition for Preserving Memory — 24-Hour Name Reading Ceremony and Closing Ceremony
The Coalition for Preserving Memory at Duke (CPM) hosted its annual 24-hour name reading ceremony, designed to memorialize the victims of the six U.N. recognized genocides. Students, faculty, and community members read out the names for a 24-hour period in the middle of Duke University's campus. The name reading ended with a closing ceremony at 12pm on April 10th, which included lunch.
To RSVP for the closing ceremony and/or to volunteer to read names, email [email protected]
Defiant Requiem — Verdi Requiem at Terezín
The UNC campus hosted the signature concert of The Defiant Requiem Foundation, which tells the story of the courageous Jewish prisoners in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp (Terezín) who performed Verdi's Requiem while experiencing the depths of human degradation. With only a single smuggled score, they performed the celebrated oratorio sixteen times, including one performance before senior SS officials from Berlin and an International Red Cross delegation. Conductor Rafael Schächter told the choir, "We will sing to the Nazis what we cannot say to them." $10 General Admission, $5 UNC Student, Faculty/Staff.
Central Carolina Community College's Fourth Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day
Central Carolina Community College hosted its fourth Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. HSB's own Deborah Long was the keynote speaker.
For questions and/or to RSVP, contact Bianka Stumpf at [email protected]
Yom HaShoah Holocaust Program — "Unto Every Person There is a Name"
In solidarity with congregations around the world, Temple Beth Or participated in the worldwide Holocaust Memorial Project "Unto Every Person There is a Name." Participants read aloud the names of Holocaust victims from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. A brief memorial service began at 7:00 PM. By reading aloud the names of those lost, we lift their memories and honor their lives.
For more information or to request a ride, contact Gary Berman at 919.683.2458 or [email protected]
Yom HaShoah — Holocaust Memorial Day Name Reading at Levin JCC
The Sandra E. Lerner Jewish Community Day School and the Levin Jewish Community Center partnered to observe Yom HaShoah. Attendees were invited to listen to the story of survivor Peter Stein, or to volunteer to read names of those lost during the Holocaust. The atrium also featured the temporary exhibit "Triumph of Life," commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
Zikaron BaSalon: Memories in the Living Room
Zikaron BaSalon (Hebrew for "memories in the living room") is an annual event which takes place on Israeli Holocaust Memorial Day. The idea was born from the understanding that the connection between today's society and the memories of the Holocaust has significantly deteriorated. Alongside formal events, Zikaron BaSalon offers a new, meaningful, and intimate way to commemorate this day through discussions at home among family, friends, and guests. It is a unique and authentic tradition of people gathering together to open their hearts to the stories of the survivors, sing, think, read, talk, and most importantly — listen.
"Evade and Endure: Survivor Stories" — Federal Inter-Agency Holocaust Remembrance Program
Two survivors share their stories, moderated by Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post. Roman R. Kent (Poland) Renée Fink (Netherlands)
For questions and/or to RSVP, contact [email protected]
Yom HaShoah Holocaust Memorial Service — "Seven Years in Shanghai: Life as a Refugee"
The story of Meyer Zucker as told by his daughter, Sheva Zucker. Meyer Zucker was born in Izhbitse, Poland in 1910. He fled the country in September 1939 after the Nazi invasion, and found temporary refuge in Lithuania. When Lithuania itself became unsafe, Zucker had to flee again. Help came in the unlikely form of a transit visa issued by Japanese diplomat Chiune (Sempo) Sugihara in defiance of orders from Tokyo. Thanks to Sugihara's heroic stance, Meyer Zucker, along with many other Jews, was able to leave Europe. He spent eight months in Japan, followed by seven years in Shanghai, before emigrating to Canada. His story was told by his daughter Sheva Zucker, who not only learned its details first-hand, but also recorded her father, and has collected and preserved many of his letters and documents.
For more information or to request a ride, contact Gary Berman at 919.683.2458 or [email protected]
Rabbi Joseph Polak Discusses Award-Winning Memoir: After the Holocaust the Bells Still Ring
The Holocaust Speakers Bureau and Beth El Synagogue co-sponsored a talk by Rabbi Joseph Polak, a Holocaust survivor and winner of the 2015 National Jewish Book Award for his book, After the Holocaust the Bells Still Ring. His talk was entitled: "The Children, the Children." Polak's book is a fascinating portrait of a mother and child who miraculously survive two concentration camps and then battle after-war demons of the past, societal rejection, invalidation, and disbelief as they struggle to re-enter the world of the living. Brunch was served.
Staged Reading of "Bad Jews"
The Jewish Federation of Durham-Chapel Hill and A Big Wig Production presented a staged reading of Joshua Harmon's play "Bad Jews." Harmon's hilarious script is a contemporary look at young Jewish adults and their various perspectives on Jewish life and legacy. The play revolves around three Jewish cousins (in their 20s) who convene in a Manhattan condo for the funeral of their "Poppy," a Holocaust survivor, and the plot centers on which cousin will inherit an important family heirloom. This staged reading was free to the public, but seating was limited to the first 60 people. Appropriate for high school-aged and above.
OLLI Course: "It Did Not Start with Gas Chambers"
A 10-week course on the Holocaust taught by HSB Speaker Sheldon Bleiweiss at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Duke. The course took an in-depth look at how and why the Holocaust came about, the roles people played, and the events that led up to the "final solution." Students heard stories from survivors and stories about the challenges faced by the instructor's parents who survived in the open using identities as non-Jews. The course also examined students' own attitudes and behaviors and explored: "How was the Holocaust possible?" and "Could it happen again?" Cost: $90. Registration opened August 7th.
Edelweiss Pirates — Visual and Musical Lecture by Author Kristina Gaddy
The Pirates were groups of teenagers who resisted the cruelties of Nazi Youth and Hitler's police during the 1930s. Refusing to be bullied and rejecting the norms of Nazi society, they stayed true to their own set of beliefs and fought back in their neighborhoods. All were welcome to attend the exciting visual and musical lecture by author Kristina Gaddy.
RSVP to Jen Adler, Director of Community Midrasha, at [email protected]
Film Screening & Discussion: Once In a Lifetime
Join us for pizza and a conversation about the film's message and Holocaust education in our community. Deborah Long, Ed.D., daughter of two Holocaust survivors and co-founder of the Holocaust Speakers Bureau, facilitated the discussion. Free for JCC members, $3 for guests. Based on a true story, this 2014 French film with English subtitles chronicles how a dedicated history teacher at a French high school is determined to give the best education she can to her underprivileged inner-city pupils. Frustrated but undaunted, she tests her multicultural classroom with a unique assignment: a national competition on the theme of child victims of the Nazi concentration camps. The project is initially met with extreme resistance, until a face-to-face encounter with a Holocaust survivor changes the students' attitudes dramatically.
Peter Stein Speaks at NC State University — Kristallnacht Observance
In observance of the 79th anniversary of Kristallnacht ("Night of Glass"), Peter Stein answered questions in Stewart Theater at NC State University for a large audience of students about Kristallnacht and lessons of the Holocaust, including the importance of remembering.
Dr. Peter Stein Speaks to Students at Carrington Middle School
Dr. Peter Stein spoke to students at Carrington Middle School about his Holocaust experiences and the importance of remembrance.
