ATLANTApix: Unforgettable Stories from the Holocaust

Breman Holocaust Museum

"Bearing Witness" features a monthly speaker (a Holocaust survivor or survivor family member) who recounts their experiences and shares "unforgettable stories from the Holocaust." The moving and often sobering stories are followed by a guided tour of the Holocaust gallery (photo), part of The William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum.

Scheduled for Sunday, August 7, 2011, at 2:00 p.m., this month's speaker is Gilbert Sherr, a second generation family member of a survivor from Germany.

Typically, the presenting survivors now live in Atlanta. The talks are held the first Tuesday of every month.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: Bearing Witness

Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum

It's been said that the best way to not repeat history is to know history.The survivor series, "Bearing Witness," at The William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum is in alignment with exactly that. Every month, a survivor or a family member of a survivor recounts what happened to the Jewish community, specifically them, their family and friends, during the Holocaust of World War II.

July's speaker (Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.) is Morton Waitzman, a liberator from the United States. Immediately following the monthly speaker program there is a docent led tour of the Holocaust Museum.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Bearing Witness Series: Remember and Hope

Holocaust Museum

My most recent visit to The Breman was my third, but the first time I purposely attended a Bearing Witness Survivor Speaking Series program. I went wishfully to hear a story of hope…and that's what I got.

The Program

During Murray Lynn's presentation at The Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum this past Sunday (January 9, 2011), the two words that resonated most with me that he gave as reasons for sharing his story of being a Holocaust survivor were "remember" and "hope."

As a tourist of many, many cities, I often seek out the local Holocaust museum. I've read about the Holocaust all of my life. From the time I was a pre-teen I would read autobiography after autobiography ("Night," "The Diary of Anne Frank," "Playing for Time") about the atrocities that human beings are capable of and the resurgence that the oppressed can achieve.

The Breman Museum

I knew even when I was so very young that hatred and violence isn’t the right answer. I was taught right from wrong, of course, but prejudice was still all around me. From what I read in those autobiographies, I learned of the dangers created by hatred and the ensuing actions based on an unbridled absence of love and zero compassion.

Refusing to fall prey to that frame of mind, I've continued reading so that I will always remember what can happen (the recent teen suicides resulting from bullying and the Arizona shootings as evidence) when compassion isn't part of the human experience equation.

The Breman Museum

As an adult, of all the places I had heard of to visit before I moved to Washington, D.C. in 2002, always at the top of my list was the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was among the first places I toured shortly after moving there.

Later, I had the privilege and honor to meet Elie Wiesel, author of Night and a 1986 Nobel Peace Prize laureate…and a survivor of Auschwitz, the same as Murray Lynn.

Murray Lynn

When I arrived at The Breman, I was surprised to see such a large crowd. I had mistakenly assumed that there would not be so much interest (one of the downsides of hidden gems is that there's not much chatter about upcoming events), so I was pleasantly surprised.

Our speaker, Murray Lynn, was in the lobby greeting guests and the auditorium was practically full when I walked in. And I was very impressed with the camaraderie between the obvious members and the obvious guests…there were people there of many faiths, and all were made to feel welcome.

After welcoming remarks and a brief introduction, Mr. Lynn introduced a film in which he shares his story of survival of Death Camps during the Holocaust. The first film produced by The Breman, this event was the site of the global premiere. The film is narrated by Ambassador Andrew Young.

Holocaust Prisoner
Uniform

The video is not yet available to the public, but we were told that it soon will be. In the meantime, you can listen to a 2007 interview with Mr. Lynn presented by PBA and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.

Following the film viewing, Mr. Lynn elaborated on his experience, went into greater detail than what he had time for in the video, and took questions from the audience…and the questions were direct. Lynn answered every question, including the one, "How did your Holocaust experiences affect your faith in God?"

Liberated in 1945 at the age of 15, Mr. Murray Lynn is today 80 years old. He and his family were taken from Hungary to Auschwitz when he was 14 (none of his family survived). Every day, he was forced to carry 50-60 pound bags of cement mix for 12-14 hours on less than 200 calories of "food" per day.

Lynn was so emaciated when he was liberated (he dropped from 140 pounds to a skeletal 65 pounds), he had to be fed intravenously for two weeks.

During Lynn's discussion, he became very emotional when bringing up the loss of his mother and his father and three brothers. I've seen this emotional outpouring during similar testimonials and hope that we one day live in a world where no one will ever know what it is they must be feeling.

Mr. Lynn is a member of the Bearing Witness speakers bureau, so I'm hopeful that others will have the opportunity to hear him speak in the not too distant future.

Bearing Witness

The Bearing Witness Series program features a Holocaust survivor or a child of a Holocaust survivor in a speaker program on the first Sunday of each month.

Upcoming speakers include:

• Henry Birnbrey, of Germany, on Sunday, February 6
• George Rishfeld, of Poland, on Sunday, March 13
• Penina Bowman, of Romania, on Sunday, April 3
• Eva Baron, of Hungary, on Sunday, May 1

Upcoming Exhibitions

I'm really excited about the "Zap! Pow! Bam!" exhibit that starts on Sunday, January 23, 2011. A gala to celebrate the return of Zap! Pow! Bam! (which originated at The Breman in 2004), a retrospective on the golden age of comic books (1938-1950), is scheduled for Sunday, January 30 at 2:00 p.m.

Check their website for details of what promises to be a fun event for kids, adults, seniors and everyone between.

A special program will feature Emory University's professor of film studies, illustrator, and animation expert, Eddy Von Mueller.

The Return

As emotional as it is to hear stories of the Holocaust, do I think I'll return to The Breman for more of the Bearing Witness Series? Personally, I resolve to remember (and the accounts from Holocaust survivors will help ensure that) and I will always have hope (again, the first-hand survivor accounts are more than tales of terror, they're tales of hope)...so, yes, I will definitely be back for more of the Bearing Witness Series program events.

Attending the Bearing Witness Series

Date toured: Sunday, January 9, 2011
Hours: Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.; Closed on Saturdays and most Jewish and Federal holidays.
Location: 1440 Spring Street (at 18th Street) (directions and map)
Cost: Free with Museum admission: Adults $12; Seniors $8; Students $6; Children (3-6) $4; Children (under 3) free; free for members
Parking: Free onsite parking
Website: http://www.thebreman.org/

Artifacts from the Holocaust

The Breman: Defiance and Remembrance

Against All Odds exhibit

Recently, I returned to The Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum to continue the exploration I started earlier this month.

I wanted to see the "Against All Odds" exhibit and I also recently learned of a speaker program focusing on writing one’s autobiography, so I wanted to hear that as well.

The afternoon was spent learning of the courage of three brothers who saved more than a thousand lives during the Holocaust and being inspired to (possibly) one day tell my own story.

Against All Odds

Shirt made for and
worn by Tuvia

The current special exhibit at the Breman, Against All Odds, tells the true story of three brothers (Tuvia, Asael, and Zus Bielski) who defied the Nazis' murderous plot to annihilate all Jews in Europe.

The exhibit includes graphic panels with photographs and the telling of the Bielski's story; video testimonies of survivors; and personal artifacts from the Bielski resistance group.

Their defiance and resistance movement, from a forest in Belarus that became their home for the duration of the War, resulted in the saving of 1,200 Jews—the largest armed rescue of Jews by Jews during the entire Holocaust.

Tuvia became the Commander of the Bielski group and often spoke publicly, once quoted after saving more than 100 people from a ghetto scheduled to be liquidated as having said:

"Comrades, this is the most beautiful day of my life because I lived to see such a big group come out of the ghetto…I don't promise you anything, we may be killed while we try to live. But we will do all we can to save more lives."

The originating exhibit, "Courage & Compassion: The Legacy of the Bielski Brothers," was presented by the Florida Holocaust Museum to coincide with the opening of the film "Defiance" in 2008, also about the heroism of the Bielski brothers.

Ghetto (rescue tunnel marked in red)

When I visited The Breman a couple of weeks ago, Judy, the Membership Director, told me about the current exhibits, both permanent and temporary. That day I wanted to visit the Holocaust exhibit, but recalled Judy telling me about the Bielski brothers and the movie Defiance.

I decided then to make certain to see Defiance (available on NetFlix on their watch instantly feature) before returning to view that exhibit. Having seen the film really brought to life the exhibit…the faces of the brothers were different from those in the film, but everything I read and saw in the exhibit about what they did I could now easily play in my mind.­

"Defiance" Movie Trailer

The exhibit is there for only a couple more weeks; it concludes on Monday, January 3, 2011.

Pictures of Resistance

The Against All Odds exhibit is two parts. The second part is the photography of Faye Shulman, a member of the Russian partisan group, and the only known Jewish photographer to chronicle Jewish resistance fighters during the Holocaust.

"Pictures of Resistance: The Wartime Photographs of Faye Shulman" features dozens of large format photographs and includes the camera that Shulman used to document the lives of resistance fighters who also lived in the forest during the War.

Upcoming Exhibits

Against All Odds exhibit

ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950
January 23 – April 24, 2011

During the Depression and World War II, our superheroes—now cultural icons—provided the message of goodness, hope, and strength. This exhibit showcases mid-Century comic books, mostly created by Jewish authors, and their continued effect in today's culture.

Torn from Home
September 17, 2011 – January 5, 2012

This exhibit will explore the lives of more than 30 million refugees, 10 million of which are children, who have been displaced by war.

In addition to its many programs and a monthly survivor lecture, Bearing Witness, the Museum has two permanent exhibits:

Absence of Humanity: The Holocaust Years
Creating Community: The Jews of Atlanta

The Autobiography Imperative

In addition to the Bearing Witness program, The Breman offers other programs, classes, and events to its members and the general public. I attended the "The Autobiography Imperative: How to Do It and Why You Must!" author lecture.

My copy of "The Complete
Autobiography Workbook"

Elizabeth Huntoon Coursen presented her book, "The Complete Autobiography Workbook," through an inspirational speech about creating the book, stories of her family, and recollections of her research…all created vivid imagery in my mind.

Liz owns First Person Publications, a company that specializes in helping writers become published authors and then marketing their literary works.

At the end of the book presentation, Liz conducted a (free) raffle and the prize was an enlarged, mounted vintage Atlanta postcard. Liz also owns American Postcard Art. 

After the lecture, I told Liz about the only item I have that belonged to my paternal grandmother, Mary, who passed away on her 70th birthday in 1979.

It's a postcard of her, dressed to the nines, playing the slot machines at Lady Luck Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, which opened the year before I was born. From what I recall being told, she loved Las Vegas and traveled there many times…obviously enough times that the Lady Luck made a postcard of here to sell in their gift shop.

The Return

Will I return (again) to The Breman? Indeed, I will. The upcoming programs are enticing and I want to hear some of the survivor lecture series. While I can never imagine what it was like to live during World War II and the Holocaust, I can listen to the stories and use them to help me live a life of acceptance, tolerance and to celebrate diversity.

Touring The Breman

Date toured: Sunday, December 19, 2010
Hours: Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.; Closed on Saturdays and most Jewish and Federal holidays.
Location: 1440 Spring Street (at 18th Street) (directions and map)
Cost: Adults $12, Seniors $8, Students $6, Children (3-6) $4, Children (under 3) free
Parking: Free onsite parking
Website: http://www.thebreman.org/

Typewriter used in the
Belarussian forest

The Breman: Jewish Life in Atlanta

Torah in the
Creating Community exhibit

A recent visit to The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum was a sobering reminder of the horror mankind is capable of when tolerance and compassion are abandoned. I spent the majority of my visit in the exhibit "Absence of Humanity: The Holocaust Years."

Throughout my life I've had more than a passing interest in the Nazi Holocaust, specifically the stories of survivors. From a young age I read a lot about the Holocaust.

We moved around a lot growing up so I was frequently "the new kid." But, one of the benefits of being the new kid that I was able to tap into was that often my teachers would leniently allow me select my own books for book report assignments. When given that opportunity, I would always read an autobiography of a Holocaust survivor.

Exhibit describing life in the prison ghettos

The first Holocaust book I read (when I was as a child) was "Night" by Elie Wiesel, which was many years before the book became required reading in a number of schools. Elie was 15 years old when he was taken to Auschwitz. He was later moved to Buchenwald where he was liberated in April 1945, shortly after his father's death.

Years later, in 1986, Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And on November 25, 2002, I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Elie Wiesel speak at the National Press Club, after which I got to meet him when he autographed for me a copy of "After the Darkness," one of the scores of books he's written.

Holocaust museums and memorials around the country have often been on my must-see list when traveling, including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and The Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach, Florida.

The Museum Exhibits

I knew about the Selig Center and The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, but just recently learned about The Breman…so, I was quite anxious to explore.

I picked up my ticket from Judy, the membership director, who immediately made me feel welcome. She explained the layout of the museum, but before heading into the first gallery, Judy and I chatted for a couple of minutes…a rare treat when visiting a museum.

In the museum, there is a main gallery surrounded by three themed exhibitions:

• Absence of Humanity: The Holocaust Years
• Creating Community: The Jews of Atlanta
• Against All Odds (a special exhibition through January 3, 2011)

Death camp electric fence

The Absence of Humanity exhibition chronicles the persecution and murder of European Jews through 12 galleries that feature photographs, documents, and personal belongings, as well as hundreds of artifacts, including a section of railroad track that lead to the Treblinka death camp, which is displayed on the ceiling.

This exhibit also has five video stations playing testimonials by Holocaust survivors.

The exhibits, reading, videos, and time for reflection could easily make for a full day…in this gallery alone!

Video Highlights of the Absence of Humanity Exhibit



The Creating Community exhibit celebrates Jewish life, contributions, and faith in the city of Atlanta. The word centerpiece should be a plural word because this gallery has several. The two that piqued my interest most were a Torah scroll from 1800 and the Yom Ha' Atzmaut Quilt, created for the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Isreal.

Yom Ha' Atzmaut Quilt

The Against All Odds exhibit, in the special exhibits gallery, is one of a two-parter that tells the story of a sanctuary created by the Bielski brothers in the forests of Belarus during World War II were more than 1,000 Jews were saved from being killed.

The 2008 movie Defiance is based on the same events. You can also pick up a book about this story in the Museum Shop.

All three exhibitions are highly informative and include everything from heartbreaking testimonials by death camp survivors to awe-inspiring celebratory exhibits of Jewish life in modern-day Atlanta.

Holocaust Gallery

Survivor Lectures

I believe with every fiber of my being that we should live in the present, but equally important, I believe we should keep the past close to us for it is our greatest teacher. Holocaust memorials and museums stand as a pledge to never forget what happened during the Holocaust.

The Breman furthers that initiative with a program called Bearing Witness. On the first Sunday of each month, a Holocaust survivor or a survivor's child, from Atlanta, shares stories of their experience. The story-sharing is followed by a guided tour of the Holocaust exhibit.

The Breman Museum

Getting There

The Breman has a Spring Street address, but the entrance is across the street from The Center for Puppetry Arts, just off Spring Street on 18th Street.

The entry is gated but has a call box from which you can speak with security to gain access. The building entry is also secure and you have to check in with security before proceeding to purchase your ticket(s).

The Return

Will I return to The Breman? Absolutely. In my relatively short visit, I didn't see nearly as much as I wanted. The Museum's website recommends 90 minutes to see the museum. I recommend at least twice that amount of time if you want to see even a portion of what the Museum has to offer.

Touring The Breman

Date toured: Friday, December 3, 2010
Hours: Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.; Closed on Saturdays and most Jewish and Federal holidays.
Location: 1440 Spring Street (at 18th Street) (directions and map)
Cost: Adults $12, Seniors $8, Students $6, Children (3-6) $4, Children (under 3) free
Parking: Free onsite parking
Website: http://www.thebreman.org/