The Breman Museum is proud to offer free admission to the 2017 series, Bearing Witness through a generous grant from the Sara Giles Moore Foundation. In the 2017 season, The Breman Museum will be increasing the season from six to eight programs.
The speakers, all Atlanta residents, recall their experiences during the Holocaust. Their words rise above hatred and retribution to speak about the strength and will that enabled them to survive and go on to build new lives.
"This really is what the series is about -- the 4Rs: resilience, resourcefulness, resistance and rescue that people who lived through the Holocaust needed to survive."It's one thing to read about the Holocaust in a book or see a movie. It's a completely different experience to hear someone tell you 'this is what happened to me.' It connects you with history. It's mesmerizing, and becoming rarer by the day."
"We would like audiences to take away two things from our Bearing Witness programs. First, to take warning that the Holocaust was perpetrated by a country of culture and refinement in the heart of civilized Europe; and second, to marvel at the indomitable spirit of Holocaust survivors who have overcome unprecedented evil with strength, courage and enduring hope. "
Liliane K. Baxter, Ph.D.
Director of The Weinberg Center for Holocaust Education
The Breman's Bearing Witness program is in its sixth year and has been building a loyal audience, according to Aaron Berger, executive director of The Breman.
"A barrier for many to hear this live testimony from the Holocaust has been the price of admission," he said. A grant from the Sara Giles Moore Foundation allows everyone to hear these stories first-hand, and it's free. We hope students and young professionals will take advantage of this offering, because it is vitally important their generation continues to share the stories once our witness generation is gone."
Bearing Witness Schedule
Jan. 8 HELEN WEINGARTEN (ROMANIA)
Helen was one of seven children. She entered Auschwitz as one of five sisters, but only four survived. Helen narrowly escaped death when the 500 women she was with were redirected from the entrance to the gas chambers and sent to Germany for slave labor.
Feb 19 BENJAMIN HIRSCH (GERMANY)
Ben was six years old when he witnessed the ravages of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, in his home town of Frankfurt am Main. Soon thereafter, he and four of his siblings were sent on a Kindertransport to France and then the United States and Atlanta.
March 5 MURRAY LYNN (HUNGARY)
Murray Lynn was only 14 years old when he, his mother and three brothers were sent by cattle train to Auschwitz-Birkenau. His mother and brothers were murdered upon their arrival, but Murray survived despite unbearable conditions, and a death march that lasted many weeks. As an orphaned teenager, he was sent to England, Ireland and ultimately America, where he began a new life.
April 23 YOM HASHOAH
May 7 EUGEN SCHOENFELD, PH.D. (CZECHOSLOVAKIA)
Brutalized by Nazis, beaten and humiliated, Eugen survived the Holocaust in the notorious camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Dachau. Yet after the war, when given the chance to kill one of the most brutal guards, he refused. What powers led Eugen to give up hostility to his enemies? The former Chair of the Department of Sociology at Georgia State University, Eugen will reflect on this question and other aspects of rebuilding life from the brink of destruction.
Sept 10 MIRIAM FISHKIN (POLAND)
When she was ten, Miriam and her family were forced from their home by the Russian secret police who controlled the region, and sent to Siberia. There, despite the relentless hard work and bitterly cold weather, she survived the war.
Oct 15 HENRY (HANK) LEWIN (SECOND GENERATION – LITHUANIA)
Hank tells the story of his parents, Nora and Joel Lewin who were married in Kovno, Lithuania, and endured separation and several concentration camps to survive the Holocaust. He remembers Gideon, a brother he never knew who was killed in Auschwitz at the age of two.
Nov 12 BEBE FOREHAND (BELGIUM)
Like Anne Frank, Bebe Forehand was hidden away from the Nazis in an attic. A family friend brought food, books and materials to while away the hours while they were in hiding. As a result, her mother, father, grandfather and brother were all able to survive the Holocaust.
Dec 10 ANDRE KESSLER (ROMANIA)
Andre and his mother were saved by the kind-hearted superintendent of the building within which they were hiding who risked his life bringing them food and concealing their presence from the authorities. After the Holocaust, they moved to the United States Andre was drafted by the NBA to play for the Philadelphia Warriors where he had the privilege of rooming with Wilt Chamberlain.
Information for the Day of Events:
Guided tours of our Holocaust Gallery will be given at 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM Speakers will tell their remarkable Holocaust stories beginning at 2:00 PM.
Free Parking is available at the museum (with free overflow parking available at The John Marshal Law School on 18th between W. Peachtree and Spring) and seating is first-come, first-served, so be sure to arrive early in order to secure your spot!
Free admission to the 2017 Bearing Witness Series is provided through a generous gift from The Sara Giles Moore Foundation.
This event is presented by the Weinberg Center for Holocaust Education at The Breman Museum and our community partner Eternal-Life Hemshech.