Holocaust survivor and Museum volunteer, Ruth Cohen, reflects on her family and why we must learn from the past to take action against antisemitism today.
,1,In 1942, Ania Drimer was born in the Soviet forced labor camp (gulag) where her parents were deported following the invasion of Poland. Her mother, Ernestine, closely looked after Ania in the gulag and collected food necessary for the family's survival.
On special occasions like today—Thanksgiving—Ania honors her mother by baking her signature walnut torte, which Ernestine taught Ania to bake after they were allowed to leave the gulag and rebuild their lives.
,1,What do a bunny, a ring, and a violin have in common? They’re symbols of kindness from the Holocaust, proof that even in the hardest of times, people still found ways to lift each other up.
#WorldKindnessDay #History #Holocaust
,1,A brick smashing through the bedroom window jolted nine-year-old Susan Warsinger awake on Kristallnacht (or “Night of Broken Glass”) in Nazi Germany on November 9, 1938. Watch to learn how Susan and her brother Joseph managed to outrun danger as war erupted in Europe.
The next First Person conversation with a Holocaust survivor will be available to watch on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.
First Person is a monthly, hour-long interview between journalist Bill Benson and a Holocaust survivor on the Museum’s YouTube page, including questions from the audience. This program is made possible through generous support from the Louis Franklin Smith Foundation.
,1,Ruth Cohen, a volunteer at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, reads an essay she wrote about her immigration to America. It was recorded in September 2022.
The essay was written in a guided writing workshop for survivors of the Holocaust called Echoes of Memory.
,1,Eighty-five years ago, Freya Maier set sail on the MS St. Louis with more than 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany.
What they thought would be their passage to freedom took a dark turn when they were forced to return to Europe. By the end of the Holocaust, 254 refugees had been killed.
Learn the fate of Freya and her dress that symbolized the hope she had for a new life.
,1,Lilly Malnik’s young granddaughter, Miriam, couldn’t help but ask about the tattoo on her arm. The series of numbers was inked on Lilly’s body at Auschwitz when she was 15. Over the years, Lilly shared more and more of her painful Holocaust experiences with her granddaughter. Now, together they answer questions from a new generation, reaching millions on social media with Lilly’s story.
Join us as we commemorate Grandparents Day on September 13 at 2 p.m. ET live on Youtube with Lilly and Miriam Ezagui.
Guests
Lilly Appelbaum Malnik, Holocaust survivor and grandmother
Miriam Ezagui, Lilly Malnik's granddaughter and social media influencer
Host
Dr. Edna Friedberg, Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
,1,Holocaust survivor and Museum volunteer, Ruth Cohen, reflects on her family and why we must learn from the past to take action against antisemitism today.
