Saint Elizabeth University Holocaust and Genocide Education Center Spring 2024 Programs

Joan Halperin

An experienced educator and Sousa Mendes Foundation Board member Joan Halperin will discuss her work, My Sister’s Eyes: A Family Chronicle of Rescue and Loss During World War II. Joan’s presentation is specifically helpful for teachers of the Holocaust, as Joan has enjoyed an impressive career introducing the story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes responsible for one of the earliest rescue actions of the war to students of all ages. All are welcome to enjoy what will be a heartfelt and powerful presentation.

Date: January 29 | 7:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom

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Meeting ID: 958 6776 3275
Passcode: barbie

Irene Frielich

Irene Stern Frielich is the daughter of a German Holocaust survivor. In 2017, Irene re-discovered the testimony video her father had made just before his death in 1994. She immersed herself in her father’s world of survival, loss, and hope. Irene’s memoir, Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts: Unraveling My Father’s Holocaust Survival Story, was released in October 2023 and has earned the #1 New Release in Jewish Biography and #1 New Release in Holocaust Biography spots on Amazon. Irene speaks internationally about her family’s story and has had articles about her family published in German and Dutch media. 

Irene is selling her book for 20$ and will sign copies as well. 

Date: February 5 | 6:30 p.m.
Location: Rainis Auditorium

William Freund and Nancy Heller 

Dr. William Freund grew up in Nazi Germany and his family of four left in 1937 when he was 11 and the Nazi persecution of Jews was continuing to become increasingly violent. His story continued in America where he started out shining shoes on the streets of Washington Heights in NYC. is the former chief economist of the New York Stock Exchange, where he held the position of “Senior VP and chief economist” for 20 years. He served as a professor of economics at Pace University’s Graduate School of Business where he also directed the Freund Center for the Study of Securities Markets. He has taught Finance at New York University. He received his doctorate degree in economics from Columbia University. Dr. Freund has been an advisor to business, governments, and financial institutions, as well as four governors of New Jersey.  He recently wrote two children’s books based on his family’s history with the Holocaust. Available on Amazon, they are The Cookie That Saved My Family, and The Towel That Saved Elizabeth.

Date: February 21 | 11:30 a.m.
Location: Annunciation Center Flex Classroom 

Rachel Kastner

Rachel Kastner is a creative producer, problem-solver and storyteller originally from Valley Stream, New York.  As a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Rachel is committed to peace and empathy. Rachel will screen her documentary The Barn, produced when she was only 18, and answers questions from the audience. The film shares a visit to Poland with her grandfather Karl Shapiro and tracks his return to the bunker and a reunion with the Polish teenager who risked her life to bring his family food and medicine. Rachel currently works in the startup-technology world and continues to produce creative content - both documentaries and digital media - and is a speaker who has presented to public and private schools as well as companies and non-profit organizations.

Date: March 14 | 4:30 p.m.
Location: Zoom 

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Meeting ID: 958 6776 3275
Passcode: barbie

Rafael Medoff: America's Response to the Holocaust

Dr. Rafael Medoff will discuss America's response to the Holocaust and its contemporary ramifications in Rainis Hall on the Saint Elizabeth University campus. Dr. Medoff is an American professor of Jewish history and the founding director of The David Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, which is based in Washington, D.C. and focuses on issues related to America's response to the Holocaust. He has authored more than 20 books about the Holocaust, Zionism, and American Jewish history, including The Historical Dictionary of Zionism, The Jews Should Keep Quiet: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, and the Holocaust, FDR and the Holocaust: A Breach of Faith, and Deafening Silence: American Jewish Leaders and the Holocaust. Dr. Medoff has also taught and lectured at U.S. universities and is a member of the Committee on Ethics in Jewish Leadership, which promotes the values of democracy, accountability, and transparency in American Jewish organizations. He will also sell copies of his book:

Whistleblowers: Four Who Fought to Expose the Holocaust to America.

A compelling nonfiction graphic novel, Whistleblowers is the true story of four courageous individuals who risked their careers—or their lives—to confront the unfolding Holocaust. The text is illustrated by Dean Motter. 

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Date: April 2 | 7:00 p.m.
Location: Rainis Auditorium 

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Meeting ID: 958 6776 3275
Passcode: barbie

Resistance or Resilience? Religious Belief and Practice in the Face of Oppression

A sense of crisis pervades contemporary politics and many worry about the future.

This includes communities of faith that have faced and continue to struggle against oppression. We turn for guiding wisdom to leaders from communities of faith that have faced and continue to battle against subjugation.

Panelists:
Dr. Ryan McLaughlin, Chair of Theology at St. Elizabeth University
Rev. Dr. A. Craig Dunn, Sr. Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Madison
Dr. Jacob Labendz, Gross Center Director
 
Moderator:
Dr. Richard Quinlan, St. Elizabeth University

Co-sponsored by the St. Elizabeth University Center for Holocaust and Genocide Education and the Gross Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Ramapo College of NJ.

Date: Thursday, April 4 | 6:30 pm
Location: Rainis Auditorium 

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Meeting ID: 958 6776 3275
Passcode: barbie

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Never Again: Now More Than Ever!

Claudia Kiesinger is the leader of March of Remembrance, an organization that organizes international events to honor those lost in the Holocaust. Claudia has been part of the March of Life movement since 2007 with her own personal family history as a descendant of perpetrators. She is also the representative of the UN Prayer Watch, a Christian prayer and advocacy initiative at the UN for Israel. Shirley Katz will offer a powerful presentation of personal remembrance about her family's survival and resilience through their program, "Never Again: Now More Than Ever". The event will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Date: Tuesday, April 16 | 7:00 p.m.

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Meeting ID: 958 6776 3275

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Program to Honor the Legacy of the Armenian Genocide 

Starting in 1915, over one million Armenians were murdered. Filmmaker Vic Gerami will discuss his documentary Motherland and address the current crisis facing the Armenian people. Vic Gerami is an Armenian-American journalist, LGBT activist, and columnist based in Los Angeles, California. He is the host and producer of the radio show “The Blunt Post with Vic” and the editor and publisher of The Blunt Post. The evening will also feature a menu of traditional Armenian foods and desserts, along with music and poetry.

Date: May 1 |  6:30-9pm.
Location: Dolan Auditorium, Annunciation Center 

Join Zoom Meeting | Meeting ID: 980 4715 6862

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