Survivors’ Mementos Tell Stories
Holocaust survivors and their families got a chance to share their legacies with the public April 19 as Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries hosted a Holocaust memorabilia forum at its Simi Valley campus in honor of Yom HaShoah.
The event, “Keeping the Testimony Alive Through Artifacts, Stories and Music,” aimed to spotlight objects rescued from the Holocaust and provide an arena for their owners to tell their stories to younger generations. Items on display included photographs and paintings, historical documents and a belt and metal hair comb fashioned in secret at Auschwitz.
“I’m happy to be here and share this with people,” said Rachel Arazi, of Sherman Oaks, who told visitors about her mother’s escape from Nazi guards and channeled stories of her grandmother through an aged blouse salvaged from the war. “It’s important that there’s a continuation of the story.”
Philanthropist and Holocaust survivor Max Webb, 92, observed the artifacts on display and recalled a promise he made to his mother before the war: “If I survived, I would do everything humanly possible to bring back the Jewish faith and the Jewish people.” In the decades since then, Webb has funded schools, hospitals and dozens of Jewish organizations through the Max Webb Family Foundation.
“From the depths of nothing, these people made a life,” Mount Sinai general manager Leonard Lawrence said. “They made it their mission to pass on their stories. This gives people strength and hope.”
Community members were encouraged to bring in salvaged items and have them appraised by historians on hand to provide historical context.
The “Antiques Roadshow”-style event followed a Yom HaShoah memorial service that featured the music of famed Russian cantor and composer David Nowakowsky, whose family buried 3,000 of his manuscripts in 1941 to avoid destruction by the Nazis.
Westlake Village resident Hana Zafrani, a daughter of two Holocaust survivors, came to learn more about others’ experiences during the era. “We need to support our heritage and history and make sure the world knows,” she said.
— Rachel Heller, Contributing Writer
BIMA and Genesis Summer Programs
The BIMA and Genesis summer programs at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. are offering scholarships for the summer of 2009 to high school students from Russian-speaking homes. The scholarships provided by the Genesis Philanthropy Group are available for students entering 10th to 12th grade in the fall of 2009 and cover $3,500 of either program’s $4,500 tuition. If additional assistance is needed, the student can also apply for financial aid.
To determine whether a student qualifies for the scholarship, camp coordinators often call potential recipients for further details about their family life. They also refer to the applicant’s answer to “Languages Spoken at Home” on the online application form.
BIMA is a summer arts program that develops students’ specific artistic talents, including acting, filmmaking, musical pursuits, writing and visual arts in a Jewish setting. The Genesis summer program gives students the opportunity to take college-level courses in journalism, world religions, law and technology. Both BIMA and Genesis will take place from July 6 to Aug. 6, 2009.
To apply for both the summer programs and the scholarship, students can fill out the online application form for BIMA at brandeis.edu/bima/ or for Genesis at brandeis.edu/genesis/. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
— Jason Lipeles, Contributing Writer
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