Check out what Peter Metzelaar is up to!

Check out the article below from KTVB in Boise, Idaho! Peter Metzelaar spoke to 300 middle schools students! Great article- read it!

http://www.ktvb.com/news/Holocaust-survivor-shares-his-story-with-Boise-students-249935181.html

Noemi Ban Speaks in Spokane!

Survivor Noemi Ban speaks to students at Trentwood Middle School in Spokane.  Trentwood School teacher Julie Scott and Otis School teacher Loriann Howe are committed to teaching their students about the Holocaust and have brought survivors to their school for over 15 years.

6th Grade Students & Parents from TDHS Visit the Holocaust Center

Thank you to the 6th grade students and their parents who visited the Holocaust Center this past Sunday.  The annual visit is part of Temple De Hirsch Sinai's 6th grade curriculum.

Students and their parents had the opportunity to explore artifacts and to hear from survivors Susie and Hester.

Josh Gortler visits Northwest School

Survivor Josh Gortler spoke to students at the Northwest School in Seattle.  Their teacher created an online response board which effectively encouraged students to think more deeply about Josh's presentation. The questions and responses can be found here.  Below are a few excerpts from the students' responses.

"From Mr. Gortler's talk, I took the message that we can't deny our own history. There are horrible things that have happened throughout history which illustrate the evil of which man is capable. In order to create a society which highlights the best aspects of humanity, we must not shy away from these atrocities. They are a part of our shared history, and because of that it is only through studying them, documenting them and learning from them that we can prevent their reoccurence, and create a better future. Additionally, part of this learning from the past involves recognizing and responding to the injustices that we see around us."

"This quote ["My life is not defined by the Holocaust.  If we keep living in the past we have no present and no future..."] to me means that in every life there is struggle, there are going to be things that happen to you which are angering and horrible. But even with those events: life moves on. Mr. Gortler experienced one of the most horrific genocides in human history: but instead of defining his life as a Holocaust Survivor, he is taking the messages and lessons he learned and turning them into something new. He has created a life influenced undoubtedly by his experiences, but not shaped around them. His life, and all lives, are what the person makes them."

"I appreciated him saying that ["I am a witness to history -- now so are you."], it made me feel very lucky but I was very effected by what he said about us as a group of student, and what we must do with the education we are receiving... With all the opportunities I have had and continue to have I want to do something that will justify how blessed I am, but am very intimidated.. It is a big responsibility to make the world a better place, as Josh expects of us."

"The part I found most memorable was his excitement and the way he embraced his role of a storyteller. He was animated, and wanted to spark a discussion among the students. He took the terrible things that happened in his life, and turned them into a positive, a reason to connect and inform young people of the history he witnessed."

"The overarching message I took away from the presentation was that the memory of the Holocaust should be kept alive at all costs, and that it is important to stand up in the face of prejudice, cruelty, and denial to prevent anything like the Holocaust from happening again."

You can learn more about Josh and his story on our website by visiting: http://www.wsherc.org/center/survivorstories/survivorstories.aspx

Klaus Stern passes away at 92

  

Dear Friends,

It is with great sadness that I inform you that Klaus Stern passed away yesterday evening. He was one of the founders of our Holocaust Center, a speaker in our Speakers Bureau, a long time Board member, a strong advocate for Holocaust education and for many of us, a dear friend. He will be missed.

We send peace to his family in their time of sorrow and to all who mourn.

Tributes can be made to the Klaus Stern Holocaust Education Fund by going to www.wsherc.org or by mail to 2031 Third Avenue, Seattle WA 98121. The fund will support speaker outreach throughout the Pacific Northwest. 

Please call the Center if you have any questions (206) 774-2201.

Dee Simon

__________________________________

Klaus and Paula Stern established their permanent home here in Seattle in 1946. At a time when people where discouraged from talking about the Holocaust, Klaus spoke out, telling his personal story to others. For over 40 years Klaus has informed and educated local, national and international students and communities.

A longtime member of the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center's Speakers Bureau and one of the Center's founders, Klaus served the Center's mission to inspire teaching and learning for humanity in the schools and communities of this region through study of the Holocaust. Klaus educated students and the community about his experiences during the Holocaust, encouraging generations of young people to speak out for what is right, to respect others, and about the tragic consequences of intolerance. He travelled throughout the Pacific Northwest to tell his story, and was hosted by the German government to share his experiences. He was a member of the Jewish Club of Washington, and of Emmanuel Congregation in Seattle.

Born in 1921 in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland), Klaus grew up in Berlin. He and Paula were married in 1942 in the midst of Nazi deportations. Fearing for their future, the couple agreed that if they were separated, they would meet in Paula's hometown, Ahrnstadt, after the war. They were both deported to Auschwitz nine months after their wedding and were separated for 25 months, never knowing if the other was alive.

Klaus survived Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenburg, Leonberg, Mühldorf, and the death marches. Liberated in May of 1945 by American troops, Klaus wrote a note to Paula and sent it with several soldiers heading in the direction of Paula's hometown. After three months in an Allied hospital Klaus regained his strength and traveled for three weeks through war-ravaged Europe to joyfully reunite with Paula in her home town of Ahrnstadt. They immigrated to the United States the next year and became the first Holocaust survivor family to settle in Seattle. Klaus worked for Langendorf Bakeries in Seattle for 36 years, while Paula raised their two children, Marion and Marvin. They were married for 71 years.

Always sources of strength to each other, both Klaus and Paula said that it was their love for each other and the hope of being together again that kept them going in horrible circumstances.

Survived by his beloved wife Paula, his two children, and four grandchildren, Klaus passed away due to complications from pneumonia.

View a brief biography and timeline of Klaus' life, and view three short video clips here.

New Books in the Library!

We are happy to announce the inclusion of four new books and a DVD to our library collection!  These items are part of The Azrieli Series of Holocaust Survivor Memoirs.

The new books include:

Gatehouse to Hell by Felix Opatowski, recipient of the 2012 Independent Publisher Book Award



Tenuous Threads/One of the Lucky Ones by Judy Abrams/Eva Felsenburg Marx
 

Little Girl Lost by Betty Rich


If Home is Not Here by Max Bornstein


The DVD is a collection of short films based on each of the books.

The Azrieli Series of Holocaust Survivor Memoirs was "established to preserve and share the written memoirs of those who survived the twentieth-century Nazi genocide of the Jews of Europe and later made their way to Canada."  For more information about The Azrieli Foundation and their series, please visit http://www.azrielifoundation.org/memoirs/

New Curriculum!

NEW! 
Curriculum now available for the film

With My Own Eyes: Holocaust. Genocide. Today.

A comprehensive curriculum for the film with maps, transcripts, background information and lessons contributed by three master teachers: 

• Photo Anaylsis - By Branda Anderson, Kamiak High School, Mukilteo
• Genocide Studies Handbook: A Resource Tool for Students - By Lindsey Mutschler, Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Seattle
• Lessons from the Holocaust on the Dangers of Scapegoating - Using "With My Own Eyes": A lesson for Jewish schools - By Nance Adler, The Jewish Day School, Bellevue

Special thanks to 4Culture for supporting this project! 

George Elbaum Blog

One of our Speakers Bureau members, George Elbaum, has a blog to share his travels and teachings with his book, Neither Yesterdays Nor Tomorrows.  The blog includes pictures from the sessions, as well as feedback he has received from the attendees.  Check out the blog here http://neitheryesterdays.com/

"Since my goal at these events is to educate and to “make a difference”, I usually speak to student audiences because they are still open to new information and ideas while the minds of most adults are already set, especially on politically, culturally, or religiously sensitive subjects. Regarding the Holocaust, my personal experience with adults is that this mindset is equally strong at both extremes, ranging from those who know it well because they experienced it first hand to its deniers who even try to convince the survivors that it didn’t happen."   -- George Elbaum


"Throughout your speech you stated that the only reason you survived was sheer luck, but I believe that it was destined to be that way. It was your destiny to survive and eventually one day to tell students just like me about your story, so we may know that no matter how bad things get, we should always have faith and be thankful for what we can be thankful for."  -- Student response

What is your connection to the Holocaust?

First of all, we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who either attend or helped with the luncheon yesterday!  It was a great success!

At our luncheon, we asked people to write down how they were connected to the Holocaust.  Below are just a few of the many diverse responses we received:

• My husband lost his entire family in the Holocaust.  I now help him tell the history of who and how this happened -- to educate the generations.
• I studied the Holocaust with my students.  I am drawn, with empathy and compassion, to that time.
• I have several friends whose families were living during the Holocaust.  My friend, George, left Czech. in 1939 and is here today.
• I get to work firsthand with the Speakers Bureau at the Holocaust
• I can think of 6 x 10^6 reasons...
• My Aunt Rivka Almeleh Avzavadel, sister of my father, "Pinky" Pirikas Almeleh, was taken by the Nazis from "Rhodos" -- the Island of Rhodes in the Greek Isles, in 1944.  I never knew my Aunt.
• Many were left behind.  I am grateful to be alive and to tell the story of my brave ancestors.  Both of my parents escaped, searately, and came to the US in 1938 from Germany.
• My grandmother's family, from Poland, were killed, as were my grandfather's parents. My husband also lost many family members.
• I am a survivor
• My mother, uncle, and grandmother were members of la Resistance in Paris and rescuers..
• I was a student of the Holocaust, and today I teach my students about this history.
• My father was in the Norwegian Resistance movement working to help Jews across to Sweden when the Nazis took over his country.
• I am a Jew and a human being
• I donated through my youth Mitzfah fund because I felt that they don't teach this in school.
• Those who survived and those who didn't are in my heart
• I teach my MS students about genocide and the Holocaust. Then my students teach the world!
• I lead tours to Rwanda
• Both my parents survived
• I am on the Board of the Center, and work for equality in my workplace for people of all races, gender, religion, and other areas of diversity.
• I was touched by a speaker!

Goodbye Lauren!

Today is the last day of our intern, Lauren, who has been with us for the summer. We're so happy to announce that she won the annual photo contest of Teens In Public Service, the incredible program that placed her with us. Here is her submission - she is posing with local Holocaust survivors Klaus and Paula Stern.

A poetic "thank you"

After Peter Metzelaar, one of WSHERC's speakers, visited Wendi Fein's class at Tacoma Community College, student Joanne wrote this thank you to him in the form of a poem. More about Peter can be seen here.

Peter Metzelaar a boy with a memory of his life
His family members paid the price.
There was a couple who open their home wide
And took you and your mother on their side
German soldiers looking high and low
To capture those who hid below.
You used to trade shrapnel. Instead of cards
Since bombs were in your front yard.
Your mother was an angel in disguise So, she could save you for a better life.
You became liberated in 1945. Canada on one side
Netherlands on the other side
You lost your father by the fire, but he lived in you
Through dreams, hopes, and desires.
To hear you speak of this tragedy sent tears in my
Eyes and chills down my spine.
To see you now as an adult

Willing to share your story without any doubt
I never said it but, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
To see you were willing, for sharing the challenges in your life.

-Joanne

Survivor testimonies

All of our survivor testimonies are now online! We added four sets of new videos to our website: Steve, Henry, Magda, and Eva. They can all be seen here on our website.

Local Holocaust Survivor Profiled in New Book

Paul Zilsel is the founder of Left Hand Books in Pike Place, Seattle. At the onset of the Nazi occupation in 1938, Paul fled to England along with other Jewish children. He and his parents ultimately obtained refugee status in the United States, although other family members perished in the Holocaust.

Rude Awakenings: An American Historian's Encounters with Nazism, Communism, and McCarthyism, a new book by Carol Sicherman, describes Paul's resistance to McCarthyism. Sicherman writes that, "Of all the people whom I came to know in the course of my research for the book, he was one of the ones I most wished I had had known. He was, for me, an emblem of moral purity; his testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee is a moving example of American idealism." This book has been praised as a must read for people interested in political history.

Found Poems

Check out these awesome pieces of art from Erin Landvatter's class at Kingston High School!

"As we read Night, I have students keep track of the images and emotions they find most vividly expressed.  We then discuss Wiesel's style, including his use of poetic devices such as repetition, and how his style helps convey meaning and develop certain themes.  After this discussion, I show students how to create a 'found' poem - a poem that uses words and phrases from various parts of the novel to examine an important idea. Finally, once a student has finished his/her poem, he/she creates artwork that complements the mood of the piece and rewrites the poem onto that artwork." -Erin Landvatter

Click the image to view larger. Each piece, along with other student projects, can also be seen here.

Congrats Natalie!

Natalie Pilgeram, of Mt. Spokane High School in Mead, WA received 2nd Place in the National History Day (national) competition for her paper, "The Trial of the Century: A Reaction to Nazi Atrocities Prompts Revolution and Reform in Principles of International Law." Natalie interviewed Seattle-area Holocaust survivor Bob H. for part of her research. Congratulations Natalie!

The research I carried out on this topic not only brought me into contact with some wonderful people whom I never would have met otherwise, but left me with an awareness of the varied issues surrounding the Holocaust that I will always carry with me.  I never expected that this project would take me this far.  Those hours and days after I learned I had placed at nationals were an incredible whirlwind experience that I still don’t think I have fully processed!

-Natalie Pilergeram

The following is the text from the first page of Natalie's essay.

The Trial of the Century: A Reaction to Nazi Atrocities Prompts Revolution and Reform in Principles of International Law

             In November of 1945, Lena Kaplan of Minneapolis received a letter from her husband: “Here we are on the eve of the opening of the second most important trial in the history of the world (No. 1: the trial of Jesus Christ),” he wrote.  “Tomorrow morning the trial opens…and from that point on we’re in the soup.”[1]  The letter came from the bombed out city of Nuremberg, Germany, and Lena Kaplan’s husband was a senior attorney on the United States prosecutorial staff for Case Number One of the International Military Tribunal (I.M.T) - the Nuremberg Trial. As a historically unique reaction to the crimes of the Nazi regime, this trial prompted reform in principles of international law and ultimately a revolution in the way sovereign nations interact in the legal realm.

The “soup” Kaplan referred to lasted from November 20, 1945 to October 1, 1946 and tried twenty-two defendants, including one in absentia.  Their crimes were those that could not be restricted to any particular geographic location.  They fell under four counts:  crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and participation in the “common plan” or conspiracy to commit those crimes.[2]  The Allies endeavored to handpick high-level defendants from every gear of the National Socialist machine, creating a roster that would serve to establish the criminality of the organizations represented (a key objective of the American delegation especially).  Of the defendants convicted in the end, twelve were sentenced to hang.  Three were fully acquitted.  (see Appendix I)  Control Council Law No. 10, formalized in December of 1945, guided subsequent trials of lower level defendants carried out by individual Allied nations (primarily the United States) in their respective occupied zones.[3]  These trials explored the culpabilities of an eclectic assortment of defendants: concentration camp leaders, medical experimenters, unjust Nazi judges, and even industrialists who supplied Zyklon B to gas chambers.[4]

The Palace of Justice in Nuremberg was selected as the seat of the I.M.T. largely for symbolic reasons.  The trial of the century would play out in the city where the annual rallies of the Nazi Party had spurred the German people into a militant nationalistic frenzy, the city that lent its name to the “Nuremberg Decrees” that began the creeping policy of Jewish persecution.[5]  The connection was clear.  Twenty-one countries prosecuted the Nazi officials (with France, the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union actually sending representative judges),[6] but chief American prosecutor Justice Robert H. Jackson would argue in his opening address to the tribunal, “The real complaining party at your bar is Civilization.”[7] 

---

[1] Barrett, John Q. "The Nuremberg Roles of Justice Robert H. Jackson." Washington University Global Studies Law Review. 6. (2007): 512-513.

[2] "Indictment." Nuremberg Trial Proceedings 1. The Avalon Project. Web. 9 Feb 2012.

>.

[3] "Memorandum, Control Council Law No. 10: Punishment of Persons Guilty of War Crimes, Crimes against Peace and against Humanity." 07 Jan 1946. 1-4. Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. Web. 30 Mar 2012.

[4] And in April of 1946, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East opened the “Tokyo War Crimes Trial” of twenty-eight Japanese military and civilian leaders.  With its eleven nation judgment team, two and a half year span, and fifty-five counts, it was much more complex than the Nuremberg Trial.  Its successful impact from the Allied perspective was less obvious (four of the eleven judges dissented), although it is still referenced as another landmark in the development of international law.

[5] Maguire, Peter. Law and War: An American Story. New York: Columbia University, 2000. 108.

[6] "Charter of the International Military Tribunal." Nuremberg Trial Proceedings 1. The Avalon Project. Web. 9 Feb 2012. .

[7] Jackson, Robert H. "Opening Statement before the International Military Tribunal." Nuremberg Trial Proceedings 2. The Avalon Project. Web. 9 Feb 2012.

Not in Antwerp

"Stumbling Stones" are memorial markers throughout Europe.  To date, there are more than 35,000 of them in the streets throughout Europe, marking the homes and places of business where Jewish individuals lived or worked until they were forced out by the Nazis.

A Seattle-area survivor from Belgium petitioned to have a stumbling stone installed in Antwerp in memory of his aunt, Elsa Schnabel, a kindergarten teacher, who was deported with her class, and killed in Auschwitz.

The Antwerp Mayor refused these memorials installed in the city of Antwerp, citing that they might make some people uneasy.  (If you can read Flemish, you can read the article here.)

Elsa Schnabel's passport (below)

Deportation list - Elsa is number 503

Stumbling Stones



An email we received from a teacher

An email we received other day from a teacher. We have posted it with her permission.

Dear Holocaust Center,

I would like to order your DVD With My Own Eyes. I have taught the Holocaust through both my World and U.S. History classes for twenty years, and I will be retiring from teaching in June, 2013. I would like to leave not only all of my Holocaust teaching materials gathered from so many workshops over the years, but also your DVD that focuses on many of the speakers my students have listened to spellbound in person. As these wonderful people pass on, we need to have their voices still heard by this new generation of high school students.

Please tell Klaus Stern that his voice has resonated with my students from the 1990’s at Shorewood High School to the students of Northgate Middle College High School. I keep in touch with many former students, and one of the most lasting experiences of my classes has been Klaus’ talk. Just yesterday I was visiting a former student from MCHS who now has a new baby. As we were talking, she said she’d love to have me meet her husband who is also a huge history buff, especially zeroing in on WWII. She then mentioned listening to Klaus Stern and related almost every part of his talk to those kids. She mentioned how it touched her so deeply and she will never forget his story and what happened in the Holocaust. MCHS works with at risk kids, drop outs, etc., and all of them were forever changed by listening to the hardships and stories of Mr. Stern.

I am finishing my teaching career as the only high school Social Studies teacher at Seattle Public Schools’ parent partner program. I teach regular high school classes as we are bound by all of the state and national standards just as any regular or alternative high school program. Over half of my students are Muslim, mostly girls in long flowing dresses, and this message needs to be heard by them too. This spring I am hoping to put in a speaker’s request one more time for Klaus Stern if he is still able to withstand the rigors of classroom visits. If not, the new DVD will be there to tell the story of Klaus and all the other survivors.

Karen Hansen
Seattle

EVA TANNENBAUM CUMMINS: MY HERO

When asked by her teacher, Jo Cripps, to write an essay on her hero, Maya didn't choose a media figure, or a relative, or even a person out of history. She chose Eva Tannenbaum Cummins, a Holocaust survivor who spoke to her class earlier in the year. Eva is a member of the Holocaust Center's speakers bureau.

EVA TANNENBAUM CUMMINS: MY HERO
By Maya P., student at Pinehurst School, Seattle

"Can any of this happen here? That’s something that’s up to each and every one of us."
--Eva

Eva Tannenbaum Cummins was born in Berlin, Germany, in1922. She had a life like all the other children at that time. She had everything a little girl could dream of. She had a loving family and a good education.

And then everything changed. Events forced her to flee from Berlin, days before Hitler started World War II. Eva left her friends, her home, and everything she knew.

In January of 1933, Hitler took power in Germany. Eva's remarkable, intelligent father came home early one day and told his family his shocking news. He’d gotten fired from his newspaper job because he was Jewish.

When Eva was in fifth grade, the school principal brought together all the Jewish students in school. The principal explained to Eva and her friends that even though they were wonderful students, Nazi laws now required all Jews to leave public schools.

Eva and her mother escaped from Germany August of 1939, two weeks before Hitler attacked Poland. They arrived in Seattle with $20. They stayed with Eva’s mother's cousin. Eva went to Broadway High School, and her mother cleaned houses. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland and started World War II.

Now, Eva is telling her story to children all around Seattle and beyond. She is dramatizing her life with a play she wrote. She is devoted to her work, and she is one of the few lucky people who actually love their job. Eva is fully committed to her work with us students, and she is very brave.

Eva has been brave all her life, even during deep hardship. Today, at age 89, Eva is going strong.

With so much negativity in the world, I think it’s time that some of the nice people here got some attention instead. Eva definitely grabbed our attention with her play. But most of all, she was kind. To me and all the others. She loves us, and we learn from her and love her back. That is why she is my hero.

Photo: Eva with students at Highline Community College in 2009.

With My Own Eyes - DVD

300 classrooms around the state of Washington will use the Holocaust Center's new short documentary this year.

Want a free copy? Email us! (Please include your mailing address.)

Using the film in the classroom - We have two teacher trainings coming up at which we will be offering a session on how to use the film with your students.

• Bellevue on January 20


• Bellingham on February 17

More information can be found on our website at www.wsherc.org/news.

Survivor speaks to homeless youth in Seattle

Speakers Bureau member Josh G. spoke to a group of individuals at Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets, an organization that provides support and services to homeless youth in the Seattle area. They aim to help youth transition from life on the streets to leading productive lives in the community.

Josh's story of survival during the Holocaust seemed to resonate with the audience, who could relate to some of his experiences. Among the important messages Josh story offered was the fact that he was able to remain resilient in the face of incredible adversity. After struggling to survive for years, Josh arrived in the United States after the war at age 16, with no possessions and no formal education to his name. Yet somehow he was able to graduate from high school, acquire a degree in psychology, and graduate from a Masters program in social work and administration.

Josh was born in Poland, where he experienced first-hand the fury of the Nazi regime. At the age of three, his grandfather, the village’s chief rabbi, was hung in the middle of town. Josh’s family decided to go into hiding to protect themselves from the Nazi regime. Josh’s father worked in his family's long-established lumber business and had many connections, which they used to go into hiding.

Posing as Christian Poles, they evaded capture and made their way to Siberia. Here, they came under the protection of the Soviet Army. Though they escaped immediate danger, life in Siberia was harsh. They faced the bitter cold and the threat of starvation. Eventually, they moved onward to Tashkent in Uzbekistan, where they spent the remainder of the war.

After the war, they returned to Poland, only to have the government officials reject them. Instead, they were sent to a displaced persons camp in Berlin. Throughout their time in Siberia, Uzbekistan, and Berlin, Josh’s family suffered under primitive conditions. Finally, the immigrated to the United States.

Gortler told the group that he was so used to having to scrounge for dirty water or melted snow, that he was overcome when he saw a full, clean basin of flowing water in the United States. He put his whole face in it and drank deeply, only afterward discovering it was a urinal.

Josh said he kept his story to himself for many years. It was only a decade ago, when he read about people who deny the Holocaust ever happened, that he knew he must tell his story and keep the memory and lessons of the Holocaust alive. He has been a dedicated member of the Center's Speakers Bureau for many years.