Expressions of the Holocaust: Storytellers by Ross Diamond

Mason Hillel Presents:

EXPRESSIONS OF THE HOLOCAUST: STORYTELLERS N OV E M B E R 11 T H , 2 014 18 C H E S H VA N 57 7 5

E X P R E S S I O N S O F T H E H O LO C AU S T : S TO RY T E L L E R S Members of the Community, and Distinguished Guests, It is my honor to welcome you to the Expressions of the Holocaust: Storytellers tonight at George Mason University. This is the second annual event dedicated to Holocaust education and remembrance. Last year, we hosted over 40 Holocaust survivors for an inspirational evening, Expressions of the Holocaust: a dinner honoring Survivors. Tonight will be quite different. Tonight is dedicated to remembering and storytelling in many forms. Before and afterwards, you will have the chance to see an exhibit Our Forgotten Neighbors featuring banners with the stories of Hungarian families from the town of Pápa before the Holocaust. Ambassador Simonyi whose family is from Pápa is here with us tonight. Tonight’s program will feature a short documentary on Holocaust awareness , where you will hear from survivors, as well as insights from George Mason faculty and students. The film was produced by Delta Kappa Alpha, the film fraternity on George Mason’s campus. We are so grateful for their dedication to keeping their stories alive. Our keynote speaker is Rabbi Laszlo Berkowits, a survivor from Derecske, Hungary. He is the founding Rabbi of Virginia’s largest Jewish congregation, Temple Rodef Shalom. Listening to his story is essential to our program. You may have seen videos or read memoirs about Holocaust survivors, but the power of hearing survivors tell their stories firsthand is uniquely powerful. If you have not heard a survivor speak before tonight, you are in for quite an experience. If you have a conversation with any of our survivors here tonight, cherish what you hear, and remember it. The event will conclude with a one-act play telling the fictional story of Hungarian Jews hiding during the German occupation of Hungary. George Mason alumnus Aaron Sulkin ’14, wrote this powerful play. While the play is fictional, the plight of Hungarian Jews was very real. After the performance we will celebrate life across the hall where will have the dessert reception. I would like to extend my personal welcome to the Holocaust survivors who have joined us tonight. Your presence represents tremendous courage. By sharing your stories, you are helping us begin to understand what this time period in history was truly like. In doing so, we can share your stories with the world in the hopes that no one of any race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status will ever have to face what you had survived. For your courage we applaud and thank you will all our hearts. With Best Wishes, Jordan Beauregard, Chair   Holocaust Remembrance Student Executive Committee Holocaust Remembrance Student Executive Committee Jordan Beauregard, Chair Taylor Kreinces, Operations and Logistics Chair Claire Johnson, Education Chair Stephen Guion, Financial Chair Arielle Flax, Historian Taylor Pigram, Head Student Volunteer

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Welcome Remarks Jordan Beauregard and Claire Johnson, Executive Planning Committee National Anthem and Hatikvah performed by Noteworthy Honoring the Survivors With Us Tonight More Than A Memory: Preserving the Stories of Holocaust Survivors A documentary produced Delta Kappa Alpha Film Fraternity The Boy Who Lost His Birthday Rabbi Laszlo Berkowits Our Forgotten Neighbors and Introduction of Uniform Ambassador Simonyi UniformÂ A play written by Aaron Sulkin Class of '14 Closing Remarks Dessert Reception

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Survivors In Attendance Rabbi Laszlo Berkowits Viviane Bloodworth Marcel and Ania Drimer Joan Dasilva Maria Dworzecka Morris Elbaum Etelka Fettman Janos Gertler Peter Gorog Anna Grosz Anne Herman

Dr. Albert Lichtman Michel Margosis Clara Miles Felix Nicinski Erika Robinson Marianne Ross Helen Schwartz Jacques (Jack) Wagschal Irene Weiss Miriam Zuares

Student Ambassadors Amy Driessen Alexa Caputo Barbara Brophy Sam McCurry Carissa Shearer Idean Marvastian Aquilla Ossian Nakia Ridgeway Courtney Metcalf Lynea Wilson Ana Tobar Laquasia Legrande Kathryn Moore Gemma Pearson Dana Blumenfeld Sonam Ahluwalia

Sage Janulis Daniella Titone Harley Dority Sarah McQuade Andy Vogl Drisana Sutch Isabella Strom Maria Cappelina Lauren Wagner Harley Roth Lauren Deveney Lindeu Abston Dustin Yates Anna Sullivan

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BACKGROUND ON THE HUNGARIAN HOLOCAUST Hungary joined with the Axis powers (Germany, Austria, and Italy) and thus annexed parts of Slovakia, Transylvania, Yugoslavia and SubCarpathian Ruthenia; most of these areas belonged to Hungary, before World War I. By mid1941, the annexation increased "Great Hungary's" Jewish population to 800,000. The first massacre of Hungarian Jews took place in July 1941 when 20,000 Hungarian Jews were expelled from the Galicia region, in Kamentes-Podolski, where the SS and Hungarian troops killed them in the autumn of 1941. Also in 1942, Hungary's Prime Minister, Miklos Kallay, ordered that Jewish property be expropriated and he restricted the economic and cultural life of Jews. He proposed a "final solution of the Jewish question," calling for the resettlement of 800,000 Jews. The Arrow Cross party in Hungary was also responsible for anti-Jewish rhetoric, as well as for persecution. By 1943, Jews were no longer involved in Hungary's public and cultural life; however, the Kallay government began holding secret talks with the allies and toned down its anti-Jewish rhetoric. Germany occupied Hungary in March 1944 because Kallay did not deport the Jews, which was seen as cooperation with the allies. By the time of the German occupation, 63,000 Hungarian Jews had been killed. In April 1944, Adolph Eichmann ordered the removal of 400,000 Jews from the provincial towns, cities and villages around Hungary to ghettos. Deportation to Auschwitz began in May 1944. All communities besides those in Budapest were put in ghettos or concentration camps. Two well-known individuals involved in saving Hungary's Jews were Charles Lutz, a Swiss diplomat in Hungary, and Raoul Wallenberg, secretary of the Swedish Legation in Budapest.

The deportation process of Budapest's Jews began in October 1944. Death marches to Austria were ordered for the Budapest Jews and it is estimated that about 98,000 Jews from Budapest lost their lives in these marches by January 1945. At the end of the war, 69,000 Jews remained in Budapest's central ghetto and 25,000 remained in the "protected ghetto." Approximately 25,000 Jews came out of hiding in Budapest, a few thousand lived in Red Cross children's homes and others returned from labor camps, from the Soviet Union and from other regions. Of the original 825,000 Jews before the war, 260,000 Hungarian Jews survived and 565,000 perished. About 4,000 Jews from Debrecen survived the war. The other survivors were mainly from Budapest; most of the Jews from the small towns were murdered. Source: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/ Hungary.html

"Shoes Danube Promenade" by Nikodem Nijaki 5

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RABBI LASZLO BERKOWITS, D.D. humanitarian concerns. He served as a member of the Virginia Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights and serves on the DC Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. He is a former member of the Executive Board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) and past president of the MidAtlantic Region of that organization. From 1995-96, he served as president of the McLean Clergy. Rabbi Berkowits is a founding member of the Fairfax County Community Action Project and of the Board of the McLean Choral Arts Society. He has served on the Board of the Health and Welfare Council of Falls Church and of Hospice of Northern Virginia. Rabbi Berkowits is a former member of the Superintendent's Community Advisory Council, Fairfax County School System. From 1965-1972, Rabbi Berkowits was a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at American University and the Defense Intelligence College in Washington, DC. He also lectures about the Holocaust in public schools in the northern Virginia area. Rabbi Berkowits recently authored “The Boy Who Lost His Birthday”, a story of one man’s journey from boyhood in rural Hungary to his triumph over oppression during the Holocaust and finally to a role as a spiritual leader in America.

Rabbi Laszlo Berkowits is the Founding Rabbi of Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, Virginia. Rabbi Berkowits served Temple Rodef Shalom from his ordination in 1963 to his retirement as Senior Rabbi in July 1998. A native of Hungary, he is a survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Rabbi Berkowits earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Cincinnati; Bachelor of Hebrew Letters degree and a Master of Hebrew Letters degree, with a Doctor of Divinity degree at the Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, Ohio. Throughout his distinguished career in Falls Church, Rabbi Berkowits has focused his attention on religious, civic and 6

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George Mason University’s Noteworthy

Delta Kappa Alpha Cinematic Arts

is the university’s first and only all female a

Fraternity

cappella group. Founded in 2009, Noteworthy

The mission of Delta Kappa Alpha—a national,

strives to provide and use music as away to con-

co-ed, professional fraternity for the cinematic

nect not only with the campus community, but

arts—is to foster lifelong fraternal bonds and

the larger Fairfax community as well.

creative, collaborative storytelling. Such is the

Performers:

mission of Iota Colony, a passionate, dedicated group of George Mason University students

Casey Marion

and alumni. Since its inception just last year,

Julianne Holmbald

Iota Colony has grown in more ways than its

Hailey Barchick

founders ever thought possible by welcoming

Allie Royce

new pledge members, forming bonds with GMU’s Film & Video Studies program, and col-

Tori Johnson

lectively working on exciting and meaningful

Areane Garza

film projects.

Elizabeth Whitehead

Iota Colony is proud to introduce this collabo-

Elena Wichers

rative effort: a haunting, poignant documen-

Savannah Loebig

tary that chronicles intimate interviews with

Keiona Jones

Holocaust survivors. Motivated by the desire to tell these important stories, the members of

Sarah Liu

Iota Colony have united their individual

Elizabeth Purnell

strengths and talents to create a documentary

Elizabeth Siebel

that they hope will move and inspire all who see it.

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UNIFORM

WRITTEN BY AARON SULKIN DIRECTED BY ALEC HENNEBERGER Cast Bios

Almost 18 months ago, I had the honor of meeting and listening to a Holocaust Survivor from Hungary share his experiences. He

Sam Taylor (Erik) is a Theatre Major at

relayed the events of his childhood in Hun-

George Mason University and a Teaching

gary, the blatant anti-Semitism and the loss

Artist for AFYP. He is very excited to be re-

of his father and family; meticulously trans-

visiting “Uniform.” See him next in the Ma-

lating childhood memories into the

son Players Production of “Dido, Queen of

present. The Hungarian Holocaust narra-

Carthage.”

tive is one that I had, at that point, not

Brandon Herlig (Jacob) majored in Theatre

heard very much about. It was faster, dirt-

at George MasonUniversity. He is honored

ier, and more efficient. In 4 months, over

to be participating in this event. See him

400,000 Hungarian Jews were put to

next at Nextstop Theatre in “A Man for All

death. In Uniform, three Jewish siblings are

Seasons.”

hiding in an evacuated town outside of Budapest, Hungary. The play begins when one

Eric Schlein (David) majored in Theatre

of them drags in an unconscious German

and Psychology at GeorgeMason University.

soldier, confirming that more German sol-

He is happy to once again be involved in

diers are searching for Jews in hiding. The

“Uniform.” He is a reading specialist in Fair-

German (Erik) wakes up and, after guessing

fax, and a member of Big in Certain Coun-

their predicament, offers to help them es-

tries.

cape. The entire story takes place in the

Cathryn Benson (Zsuzsanna) is a graduate

basement of an abandoned building and

of the National Conservatory of Dramatic

deals with issues of trust, honor, and hu-

Arts, George Mason University, and studied

manity. It highlights the tragedy of every-

Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dra-

one’s situation and prompts the questions,

matic Arts. Recent credits

“what would you have done?” and alterna-

include: understudy (Stuart Little, Adven-

tively, “what could you have done?”

ture Theatre), Elias (We are Samurai, Venus Theatre), Henry (Henry V, RADA), Carolynn (MALICE-the web series, Eagle Films), Gemma (Passaggio, GMU). 8

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS The Fela and David Shapell Foundation & Hillel International for their support to bring this event from dream to reality. Tributes toward Holocaust Education In memory of Livia and Ignac Varkonyi, survivors from the Hungarian Shoah. Irvin Varkonyi Congratulations Ross Diamond and GMU Hillel on 2nd annual Expressions of the Holocaust event. Joanne and Bruce Wyman In support of Holocaust Education at Mason Professor Marion F. Deshmukh Jeff Dannick, Executive Director, JCCNV Carol and Mark Weiss Brooke and Adam August Elizabeth Margosches and Don Melman Mark and Debbie Weber 9

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November 11, 2014

George Mason University Hillel Johnson Center 239H 4400 University Drive, MS 2C7 Fairfax, Virginia 22030

It is with a grateful heart that I write to express my thanks to George Mason University Hillel for sponsoring its second annual Expressions of the Holocaust â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Storytellers. Preserving these stories honors the sacrifices of those who survived the Holocaust and honors and keeps alive the memories of those who perished in this terrible crime against humanity. Philosopher George Santayana said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.â&#x20AC;? God bless those who keep history alive so that we may learn. The work of Hillel is incredibly important as our country debates how to confront modern day atrocities around the world. I want to personally thank the survivors tonight for sharing their stories and the students who are helping to educate others through theater, film, and advocacy. Knowledge can be transformational. This summer, we took my daughter to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. for the first time. This simple act changed her life perspective forever. Thank you, Hillel, for working to transform lives.

With warmest regards,

David L. Bulova Member, Virginia House of Delegates 37th District

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COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

HOUSE OF DELEGATES RICHMOND

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS: TRANSPORTATION MILITIA, POLICE, AND PUBLIC SAFETY FINANCE

Eileen Filler-Corn POST OFFICE BOX 523082 SPRINGFIELD, VA 22152 41ST DISTRICT

November 11, 2014 Dear George Mason Hillel and the Greater GMU Jewish Community, Thank you for the opportunity to join you for this truly special evening, to honor Holocaust survivors and victims who have given us the privilege to meet them tonight. I am honored to be in the presence of these courageous individuals and hear their unique stories of survival against overwhelming odds. We of the Jewish faith know all too well the importance of the lessons they teach us, and we must always ensure that they are able to continue bearing witness to the unspeakable horrors they experienced. It is essential not only to our own culture but to all of society that the lessons of the Holocaust reach future generations throughout the world. We must always remember, in our minds and hearts, the enduring message of "never again" that resonates from this unthinkably tragic event. I am so gratified to see George Mason Hillel organizing tonight's event again so we may hear personal experiences directly from brave survivors. The GMU Hillel is an important resource for the Jewish community through its dissemination of information on our long and storied history as a people. As the first and only Jewish woman ever elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, I have drawn extensively on my own personal faith and ideals, and I am honored to serve as a voice for the Jewish community in the Virginia General Assembly. I believe deeply that we owe it to the world and the memory of the six million Jews and many millions of others who perished to keep the message of the Holocaust forever alive for future generations to come. We must never permit the so-called "Holocaust deniers" to detract in any way from the undeniable facts of this truly inhuman event. I strongly encourage everyone here tonight to reflect on the meaning of this event for us all. Again, thank you for allowing me to join you on this very special occasion. I deeply appreciate the opportunity to hear the experiences of our distinguished panel, and I hope that their messages continue to resonate well beyond this hall tonight. Sincerely yours,

Eileen Filler-Corn Member, Virginia House of Delegates

DISTRICT: (571) 249-3453 • RICHMOND: (804) 698-1041 • EMAIL: DELEFILLER-CORN@house.virginia.gov

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THE BUTTERFLY

BY PAVEL FRIEDMAN The last, the very last, So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow. Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing against a white stone. . . . Such, such a yellow Is carried lightly 'way up high. It went away I'm sure because it wished to kiss the world good-bye. For seven weeks I've lived in here, Penned up inside this ghetto. But I have found what I love here. The dandelions call to me And the white chestnut branches in the court. Only I never saw another butterfly. That butterfly was the last one. Butterflies don't live in here, in the ghetto. Pavel Friedman was a young poet, who lived in the Theresienstadt Ghetto. Little is know of the author, but he is presumed to have been 17 years old when he wrote “The Butterfly”. It was found amongst a hidden cache of children’s work recovered at the end of the Second World War. He was eventually deported to Auschwitz where he died on September 29, 1944. http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/education/lesson_plans/ poems_paintings.asp We are sharing this beautiful poem to show that even in the worst of times, one can see beauty in small things. We commemorate this poem with Butterfly cookies you will receive at the end of the program. 14

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MASON HILLEL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Executive Director, Ross Diamond President, Adam August Vice President, Joanne Wilkenfeld Wyman Treasurer, Neil Schlussel Secretary, Joshua Cantor Rabbi Bruce Aft Lance Gebel Holly Gebel Jared Gold Deborah Kessler Asher Kotz Michael Medina Erez Cramer Rabbi Michael Ragozin Natalie Roisman Dvorah Richman John Rosenberg Bernhard Saxe David Schneider Past Presidents Natalie Roisman Scott Brown Rabbi Bruce Aft George Billinson Arthur Goldberg Richard Peet George Mason University Hillel 4400 University Dr, MSN 2C7 Fairfax, VA 22030 Office: 703-993-3321

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