Holocaust Education Committee of the Quad Cities

Shortened Zoom Link: https://bit.ly/31lBQ9a

Original Zoom Link: https://augustana-edu.zoom.us/j/98388958921?pwd=VlVPaXFsVUZwbWUwTC9EeTBRa1V4Zz09

The 40th Annual Quad Cities Holocaust Remembrance, known as Yom HaShoah, will be held Sunday, April 11, at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The speaker for this year’s community-wide commemoration, Ida Paluch, author of Unveiled Memories: Twins Reunited After the Holocaust.

Ida Paluch was born May 1939, in Sosnowiec, Poland. Soon after the German invasion, Ida, her mother, her twin brother, and her older sister were put into the Sosnowiec ghetto. When she was three years old, her mother committed suicide, while her father was fighting as a Polish solider against the Germans. As many Jewish children in Poland, Ida was sheltered by a Catholic family. After the war, Ida’s father found her, and she stayed with him until 1957 in Wroclaw, Poland, where she attended a Jewish school, Shalom Aleichem. In spring 1957, Ida immigrated with her father to Israel and went to a Kibbutz, where she worked and studied Hebrew. She was married in Israel, and her daughter Ester was born there. Ida and her family came to Chicago in 1963, and she has volunteered at Illinois Holocaust Museum for over 25 years.

The Zoom for this year’s program will open at 6:50 p.m. on April 11, in order to present winners from this year’s Holocaust Art Contest, celebrating works by students from across our region. These artworks will be paired with music performed by Sabrina Tabby and Ernesto Estigarribia from the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. The service itself will offer ASL interpretation.

In conjunction with this year’s Remembrance, the Yom HaShoah Committee is partnering with the Geifman Endowment in Holocaust Studies at Augustana College to present a public lecture by Ida Paluch on Monday, April 12, beginning at 7:00 p.m., also via Zoom from Augustana’s Wallenberg Hall. Whereas during the Yom HaShoah Memorial Paluch will offer a testimony focused on her first-hand experiences, in the Geifman Lecture she will present a more comprehensive account of the Holocaust and its historical context.

In the Quad Cities, Yom HaShoah has been observed annually since 1982. The committee which organizes the observance was initially formed by representatives of the Quad Cities’ Jewish and Christian communities, and has maintained diverse representation ever since. Sponsors of the 2021 Yom HaShoah service include the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities, Temple Emanuel, Tri-City Jewish Center, Churches United, Augustana College and St. Ambrose University. It is believed to be the oldest continuing interfaith Yom HaShoah commemoration in existence.

The Zoom address, which is available at the Yomhashoahqc Facebook page, is: https://augustana-edu.zoom.us/j/98388958921?pwd=VlVPaXFsVUZwbWUwTC9EeTBRa1V4Zz09

In commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance, WQPT-TV in the Quad Cities will be presenting in cooperation with the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities the following movies on Thursday evening on April 8, and Friday early morning on April 9.

****If to want to watch these movies but cannot get them on TV, you can also see them online at the same times at: at https://video.wqpt.org/livestream/

Dreams of Hope – Thursday, April 8 at 8:00 PM & Friday morning, April 9 at 1:00 AM

Summary: Dreams of Hope tells the story of a historic concert at the Sixteenth St. Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, more than 50 years after a hate crime there killed four African American girls. Conducted by Dr. Henry Panion III, the concert performance features musical instruments that serve as symbols of hope – violins restored from Holocaust concentration camps. The documentary incorporates behind-the-scenes interviews reflecting on the purpose of the event: to celebrate the resilience of those who have faced hate, discrimination and racism.   https://www.aptonline.org/catalog/DREAMS-OF-HOPE

Eva – Thursday, April 8 at 9:00 PM & Friday morning, April 9 at 2:00 AM

Summary: As a 10-year-old “Mengele Twin,” Eva Mozes Kor and her sister Miriam, fought daily for their survival in Auschwitz. In 1995 Eva created the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Indiana’s only Holocaust Museum, located in Terre Haute. The Museum’s mission is to prevent prejudice and hatred through education about the Holocaust. At 50, she launched the biggest manhunt in history. In her 80s, Eva circled the globe to promote the lesson her journey taught: Healing through forgiveness.  Eva is a triumph of hope, and this film is her legacy piece. “Eva is more than just a story,” says actor Elliot Gould. “She’s a revelation of what’s possible in the human condition.” https://www.thestoryofeva.com/

Call to Remember – Thursday, April 8 at 10:30 PM & Friday morning, April 9 at 3:30 AM

Summary: In A Call to Remember, David Schaecter takes viewers on an emotional journey through his life story – from a bucolic childhood amidst vineyards in Czechoslovakia to his and his brother Jakob’s struggle for survival in Auschwitz, and finally, to David’s dramatic escape from the Nazis. David, the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust, would eventually immigrate to the United States and help found the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach in the hopes of educating a younger generation about World War II and the Holocaust. Through David’s story, viewers witness the cruelty of intolerance, but also the power and will of the human spirit.  https://www.kcet.org/shows/call-to-remember/episodes/a-call-to-remember

Zoom Online Event: Holocaust Remembrance Day, Thursday, April 8, 2021 (6:30 PM CST). Join the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Sheerit Hapleitah of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federations of Chicago, Champaign-Urbana, Springfield, Rockford, Southern Illinois, Quad Cities and Peoria, the Office of the Governor and the Illinois Jewish Legislative Caucus for a virtual gathering in observance of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).

Pre-registration required. Register here at: https://jufregistrationplatform-prod.azurewebsites.net/Registration.aspx?EventID=23841&source=JCRCemail20210311

Links will be sent to registrants one day prior to the program. For more information contact jcrc1@juf.org

The Lloyd M. Burstein Memorial Holocaust Film Series 2021 begins Feb. 21, 2021. All films are on Vimeo (online video streaming) for 3-7 days. See dates, times, Vimeo links and passwords below for each movie. For more information, contact 309-793-1300.

February 21 – 24: The Invisibles
March 7 – 11: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
March 19 – 26: I Do Not Care if We Go Down in History as Barbarians
April 4 – 7: Warsaw: A City Divided

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The Invisibles
From Sunday, February 21, 6:00am, to Wednesday, February 24, 6:00am

While Joseph Goebbels infamously declared Berlin “free of Jews” in 1943, 1,700 managed to survive in the Nazi capital through the end of WWII. The Invisibles traces the stories of four young people who learned to hide in plain sight.

110 minutes- German with English subtitles – Drama/Biography/History (2017)

This film has adult content and has won many awards.
VIMEO –  https://vimeo.com/403439096
Password: Menemsha

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When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
From Sunday, March 7, 6:00am, to Thursday, March 11, 6:00am 

In 1933 in Berlin, Anna is only nine years old when her life changes from the ground up. To escape the Nazis, her father Arthur Kemper, a well-known Jewish journalist, has to flee to Zurich. His family, Anna, her twelve-year-old brother Max and her mother Dorothea, follow him shortly thereafter. Anna has to leave everything behind, including her beloved pink rabbit, and to face a new life full of challenges and privations abroad.

119 minutes — German/Swiss/French with English subtitles – Drama (2019)
Family friendly.
VIMEO: https://vimeo.com/457991393
Password: QUAD0307

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I Do Not Care if We Go Down in History as Barbarians
From Friday, March 19, 6:00 am to Friday, March 26, 6:00 am.

This film chronicles a young theatre director’s effort to stage an accurate re-enactment of the Odessa Massacre – in which Romanian soldiers slaughtered tens of thousands of Ukrainian Jews – despite the municipal government’s attempt to censor the director’s efforts. Her choice angers a city official who threatens to close the production because of its “anti-Romanian” take on history. However, the reaction to the staged play is one that neither anticipated.

100 minutes — Romanian with English Subtitles – Drama (2018)
This film has adult content and has won many awards.
VIMEO—https://vimeo.com/r/36kc/Z2hGMjBIY0
Password: BARBARS

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Warsaw: A City Divided
From Sunday, April 4, 6am to Wednesday, April 7, 6:00 am

In 1941, in German-occupied Warsaw, soon after the creation of the Warsaw Jewish Ghetto by the Nazis, a Polish amateur 8mm camera enthusiast shot a remarkable 10-minute film from both sides of the Ghetto walls. This never-before-seen footage is woven into “Warsaw: A City Divided”, acting as a silent witness to the tragedy of the wartime division of the city and the murder of its inhabitants. In this story of a city, Ghetto survivors and witnesses, who still call Warsaw their home, recount their extraordinary memories, while architects, urban historians, and the Chief Rabbi of Poland examine the chilling Nazi vision for Warsaw.

71 minutes — English/Polish with English Subtitles — Documentary (2019)
VIMEO-https://vimeo.com/469079287 
Password: LOGTV FILMS

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Presenting sponsor for this film series is: The Joyce and Tony Singh Family Foundation

Additional sponsors include: Rauch Family Foundation II, Inc.; Wheelan-Pressley Funeral Homes; Jewel Osco; Quad City Bank & Trust; Stanley and Bernice Harris Memorial Endowment Fund; Bernard and Irene Goldstein Memorial Endowment Fund; Louis & Ida-Fox Rich Fund; Gary and Randi Segal Family; Marlyne and David Weiner Family, and Glenn Peterson.

When: Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Time: USA 11:00am Central Time / Poland 6:00pm CET / Israel 7:00pm IDT On ZOOM. Free and open to the public.

To register, go to: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEofuGuqz8tHNYkM09ML2lsXwNgvLlFUdCt

Download brochure: Yom Hashoah

Augustana Zoom Link: https://bit.ly/31lBQ9a

MP4:

In commemoration of Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), you are invited to join us on a live, online ZOOM walking tour in the space where the Warsaw Ghetto once existed and stops at three special locations as narrated by attorney and Holocaust educator, Michael H. Traison.

The Germans murdered over 400,000 Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto, including those who died of starvation, typhus and disease. Following this live pilgrimage, the students from the Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities in Davenport, Iowa, will perform a Holocaust-themed dance.

Following the dance and from Chicago, world famous Cantor, Alberto Mizrahi (left), will chant El Malei Rachamim, the Jewish prayer for the souls of the dead. The program will conclude from Israel with world renowned Cantor, Israel Rand (right), leading all of us around the globe in the singing of Hatikvah, the 19th century Jewish poem and National Anthem of Israel which tells of the 2,000 year hope of the Jewish people to return to their homeland, Israel.

For more information, contact: (309) 793-1300 or aross@jfqc.org
A Holocaust Memorial Day Walk on the Streets of the former Warsaw Ghetto: Remembrance, Reflection and Hope.

We wish to express our appreciation to the American Jewish Committee (AJC) Chicago for hosting this program as well as the following sponsors: Standard Club of Chicago; Union League Club of Chicago; Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities; Galicia Jewish Museum; and Foundation for Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland.

There will also be an all-Illinois Yom Hashoah Commemoration on Thursday, April 8 in the evening – no definite time yet.

April 21st is Holocaust Remembrance Day. For parents and educators who are home-schooling students in grades 7-12, here is a one class period lesson (with extended activities) from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum entitled: “History of Antisemitism and the Holocaust.”

R.O.I., produced by KALA and an affiliate of Public Radio International, has interviewed several local scholars on topics relating to the Holocaust. The show examines important events in history as well as current events through books, journal article, papers, and presentations. The guest and show co-hosts then discuss the topic with experts and history buffs who ask the question “How is it relevant or irrelevant in today’s world?”

Dr. Art Pitz was interviewed on the radio show R.O.I. in 2019, on the topic “History of Antisemitism and American Eugenics Movement.” His interview can be found at this link or click on the “play arrow” below.

KALA is operated by St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa. Shows air locally on Friday night on KALA 88.5 FM and 106.1 FM at 9:30 PM. After airing, the full program and web segment will be available as a podcast at: https://soundcloud.com/kalaradio

Other Holocaust-related shows on R.O.I.:

Mark Finkelstein – Holocaust Memorial in Des Moines

Rabbi Henry J Karp – One Human Family Program   

Dr. Stephen Gaies – Pre-WWII German Youth Diaries and Memoirs Exhibit

Author Noah Lederman – A World Erased

The community is invited to join the Israel Book Discussion Group hosted by Temple Emanuel, held on alternating Thursdays from noon-1:30 PM through Zoom.  Previous books discussed were Shavit’s My Promised Land; Glick’s The Israeli Solution; Ahmad’s Shatila Stories; LeVine & Mossberg’s One Land, Two States: Israel and Palestine as Parallel States.

To participate, contact Rabbi Linda at rabbilinda@qctemple.org

Curriculum cases for teaching about the Holocaust in grades 6-8 are available for free checkout by Quad City area teachers.  These cases were developed by the Curriculum Committee for the Jeff Leibovitz Special Collection of Holocaust Education Materials.
Flyer Curriculum Cases

Three curriculum case topics:
Case 1: “You Can Make A Difference: Teaching About the Holocaust”
Case 2: “They Made a Difference: Rescuers and Resisters”
Case 3: “Voices from the Holocaust: Diaries & Memoirs”

Cases 1, 2, and 3 are located at WIU-Quad Cities Library (3300 River Drive, Moline, IL). Call to schedule curriculum case checkout at 309/762-1598. No delivery service. Self pickup required. Website   Case 1 is also available at Mississippi Bend AEA9 (729-21^st St., Bettendorf, IA). Call to schedule curriculum case checkout  at 563/359-1371. Iowa schools within the AEA9 district can request AEA9 van delivery to school building.