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Stories of Those Raised by Holocaust Survivors Featured in ‘Remembrance of Things Present’ at The Braid

In “Remembrance of Things Present,” the latest Salon Theatre production from The Braid, the stories of descendants of Holocaust survivors are being brought to life. 
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January 17, 2023
From left to right: Yahm Steinberg (Photo by Daphna Shull), Jordan Bielsky (Photo by David Chiu), Lisa Ann Grant (Photo by David Chiu), and Rick Zieff (Photo by David Chiu)

The Holocaust has had a massive impact on future generations. And no one knows that better than the children and grandchildren of its survivors. In “Remembrance of Things Present,” the latest Salon Theatre production from The Braid, the stories of descendants of Holocaust survivors are being brought to life. 

This curated collection of stories of heroism, healing and hope is directed by Susan Morgenstern. The cast includes Lisa Cirincione, Michael Naishtut and Rick Zieff, plus writer Jordan Bielsky and two other descendants of Holocaust survivors, Lisa Ann Grant and Yahm Steinberg.

“These stories shed a different light on the Holocaust. It’s not only their stories, it’s ours as well,” Grant told the Journal. An Abby Freeman Artist-in-Residence with The Braid, Grant has done several productions with them over the years. Originally from New York City, she has appeared on and off Broadway and on television, among other work.

Grant said her parents were lucky in that their immediate family survived the war, but her grandparents lost siblings and parents.

“My parents raised my sister and I to have gratitude and appreciation for life and to not take anything for granted,” Grant said. “Each and every day truly is a gift. They were so lucky to have survived the war and I am so lucky to be here because of that … It’s a miracle. Their experiences shaped who I am and I am so grateful that in spite of all they have been through their attitude is positive and they managed to always go to the light.”

This is Jordan Bielsky’s third production with The Braid (he previously participated in “Star Spangled Sabra” and “I Want To Go Home.”) 

His grandfather, Tuvia Bielski, was the leader of the largest armed resistance of Jews by Jews during the Holocaust. “He and his siblings led an armed resistance and community in the forest of Eastern Poland,” Bielsky told the Journal. “I grew up with the stories of their heroism woven into my DNA. It’s been a huge part of my identity when thinking about my place in the world and my community.” 

Bielsky, a writer and actor who now lives in Los Feliz, has been in numerous television shows and films, including a small cameo in “Defiance,” the film about his grandparents and their heroism during The Holocaust.

When asked why it’s so important to share these stories, Bielsky said it’s because so many people did not have the chance to do so.

When asked why it’s so important to share these stories, Bielsky said it’s because so many people did not have the chance to do so.

“It’s our responsibility to bear witness to the atrocities committed against so many that led to the heroism of those who brought us here today,” he said. “With the rising tide of antisemitism in the U.S. and around the world, it’s important for people to know that Jews fight back. Every Jew on the planet today is the descendent of warriors who refused to succumb to the enormous weight of generations of brutality and discrimination.”

Deborah Moses’ mother survived by joining the French Resistance, leaving her family behind. Her grandparents, aunt and approximately 60 relatives were deported and died in the camps.

“I have found that even American Jews don’t often understand the Holocaust,” Moses, who is Executive Director of Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles, told the Journal. “They understand it as an event rather than a time period of systematic oppression leading to incarceration and deportation with the goal of total elimination of all Jews throughout the world. It is important to understand that to ensure it never happens again to us or to any group of people.” 

Moses hopes people see these stories as a lesson regarding all of humankind, rather than a reason to segregate more and only care about themselves.

“Antisemitism, racism, misogyny, anti-Muslim/Islam and anti GBLTQ+ hate is stronger than ever and more dangerous than ever,” Moses said. “While there are signs of hope, those that hate are well organized and funded and we cannot let history continue to repeat itself.”

Playwright Marc Littman’s contribution, “Chasing Holocaust Ghosts Down Route 66,” was inspired by a true personal American migration story. 

“In the summer of 1963, my father rolled the dice and uprooted my mother, two sisters, our dog and three puppies and crammed us in a dilapidated American Rambler car to trek down Route 66 from Detroit so he could be together with my Aunt Freda in Los Angeles, the sole other survivor of his family,” Littman said. “My story highlights the tug of love’s heartstrings and family.”

His late father, Jacob Littman, was a German Holocaust survivor from Berlin whose parents, brother and many relatives were murdered by the Nazis.

Littman said, “Like my father, I feel I have a leak in the heart because I never met my grandparents and uncle. I also harbor a deep sense of justice.”

The terrible wrongs committed by the Nazis and their collaborators has compelled him to write several plays — “God’s Train to Auschwitz” and “Not My Father’s Son” — sounding the alarm about the surge of antisemitism in the United States and the Holocaust.

“I see the dangerous parallels between what transpired under the Nazis and the rise of White Supremacy in America today. I know my father would be both outraged and terrified if he were alive,” he said. “Because history does repeat itself, Jews and others must be forever vigilant. I’m hoping The Braid’s remembrance show can goad audiences to be more proactive in protecting our right to be free and live in tolerance.”

“Through The Braid’s storytelling we are educating in a unique way about this incredibly dark period of our history and how children and grandchildren deal in their own way in the aftermath of the Holocaust,” Grant said. “As survivors pass away their stories are what’s left behind. And we, their children, have a responsibility to keep their flame alive.”

“Remembrance of Things Present” will be performed in Torrance Jan. 22, Santa Monica Jan. 24, at Temple Isaiah in West L.A. on Jan. 25 and Valley Beth Shalom in Encino Jan. 26. It can also b be seen live on Zoom January 22 – February 6 and onstage in New York City on April 20. For tickets, visit the-braid.org/remembrance. 

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