Holocaust Remembered: a Special Supplement from the Columbia Holocaust Commission APRIL 13, 2014

holocaust_TAB.indd 1 4/6/14 2:36 PM 2 • Holocaust Remembered: A Special Supplement from The Columbia Holocaust Commission APRIL 13, 2014 Contributors Lilly Filler, MD Tell them we remember Co-chair CHEC Secretary, SC Council on the Holocaust USC Clinical Affiliate Faculty By LILLY FILLER survivors, Felix Goldberg, Cela Lyssa Harvey, Ed.S Miller, Jadzia Stern and liberator Co-chair CHEC elcome to the T. Moffatt Burriss. Licensed Professional Counselor inaugural edition The CHEC (www. Teacher, therapist and artist of the” Holocaust columbiaholocausteducation.org) Federica K. Clementi WRemembered” supplement!! is an active volunteer commission USC Assistant Professor of Jewish This first edition celebrates the that accepts, reviews and awards Studies upcoming 70th Anniversary grants from educators teaching Author of Holocaust Mothers and of D-Day, June 6, 1944, the the Holocaust throughout the Daughters: Family, History and Trauma invasion on the Normandy Midlands. The Commission has Rachel Golson, M.Ed NBCT beaches by 160,000 Allied developed a “museum quality” American Montessori Society Certified forces. Although a devastating exhibit, entitled “Holocaust day for the Allied troops, that Remembered” which can be Frank W. Baker Media Education Consultant, Media epic day began the dismantling viewed each spring at the Literacy Clearinghouse, Inc. of the horrific events of the Columbia Jewish Community Holocaust. General Eisenhower Center. This year the exhibit Doyle Stevick Fulbright Fellow, Estonia, 2013-2014 called the operation a crusade will travel to several venues to Associate Professor, Educational in which “we will accept nothing allow more public exposure, Leadership and Policies, USC less than a victory.” It still took starting at the Columbia Jewish another year to bring a halt to Community Center from Marlene Roth, MA March Holocaust and Genocide Studies the atrocities of the Nazis and 31-April 9, Columbia Convention the obsession of Adolf Hitler’s Center from April 10-21, Beth Selden K. Smith, PhD “one thousand year reign.” Shalom Synagogue History Professor Emeritus, Columbia COURTESY OF CHEC April 22-27 It is with great pride and and The State House Atrium College Columbia Holocaust Memorial in Memorial Park, dedicated on June 6, 2001. anticipation that the Columbia April 28-May 2. We hope that Eileen Chepenick Holocaust Education Commission liberators and survivors, to but they were not successful you will find this supplement SC Council of the Holocaust, Chair (CHEC) presents this edition to the remember the 6,000,000 Jews in completing this project. Dr. informative and use it as a Minda Miller Midlands community. This is an idea and millions of others that were Filler worked with the Columbia resource in the future. If you wish Selden K. Smith Education Foundation, that has been seen in many other murdered, and to educate Jewish Community, Fort Jackson, to financially contribute to the Chair communities throughout the US our South Carolinians. These The University of SC and with publication and distribution of Emily Taylor and it allows the local citizens the 3 objectives were the pillars the City of Columbia to fulfill this yearly supplement, please Teacher Advisory Committee Chair; SC ability to read and learn about a very that guided the creation and this dream and the Memorial contact Barry Abels at barrya@ Council on the Holocaust dark time in world history. It brings dedication of the Columbia stands distinctively among other jewishcolumbia.org. We welcome the lessons of WWII to the local Holocaust Memorial. memorials in Memorial Park your comments. areas by introducing the community The CHEC grew out of the on Gadsden St. SCETV filmed to the Holocaust survivors and Columbia Holocaust Memorial the dedication and the entire liberators that live in our community. project, spearheaded by Dr. ceremony is shown several times Columbia Holocaust Send us your story. We invite those with experiences Over 6000 new publications are Lilly Filler in 2000, dedicated in yearly on ETV. Please consider Education Commission: Dr. Lilly Filler and Lyssa Harvey— from the Holocaust to send their estimated to be printed yearly on the Memorial Park on D-day, June a visit to this beautiful park that stories (500 words or less), along Shoah (Holocaust), but this one is 6, 2001. That project was in the honors war heroes, liberators Co-Chairs with 3 to 4 original photographs, tailored to us. minds and hearts of her parents, and survivors. View the 2 sides of Barry Abels, Esther Greenberg, to Barry Abels, barrya@ We plan this as a yearly Ben and Jadzia Stern (obm) the Memorial and reflect on the Kimberly Richey, Marlene Roth, jewishcolumbia.org supplement to honor our for 16 years prior to this date, benches with quotes from local Dr. Selden Smith Study exercise 2 �� 9 Memories of the madness �� 16 Cover photo courtesy U.S. Holocaust Index Memorial Museum. The beginning of Holocaust education in Anne Frank traveling exhibit �� 10 In search of rememberance �� 18 The views or opinions expressed in this the Midlands �� 3 A tale of two sisters �� 11 A lesson in optimism �� 20 publication, and the context in which this What is the “Holocaust”? �� 4 Strike and hold �� 12 SC Council on the Holocaust �� 21 image is used, do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of, nor imply approval How could this have happened?............ 6 Final liberation �� 14 Online resources �� 22 or endorsement by, the U.S. Holocaust Study exercise 1 �� 8 Surviving with false identities �� 15 Donor list �� 23 Memorial Museum. holocaust_TAB.indd 2 4/6/14 2:36 PM Holocaust Remembered: A Special Supplement from The Columbia Holocaust Education Commission APRIL 13, 2014 • 3 I replied, “Alice, you know that I don’t know anything about the The Selden K. Smith Foundation for Holocaust Education was formed Holocaust.” Her quick response came, “Well, you could learn something by in May 2010 to further the programs of the South Carolina Council on the May, couldn’t you?” Chastised, I accepted the student challenge. Holocaust. The Foundation functions as a non-profit private source of funding for support of Holocaust educational activities and community awareness events in South Carolina The beginning of and has a 501 (c) (3) status. These programs are designed through education to honor the South Holocaust education Carolina survivors and liberators of the Holocaust. The goal of the Foundation is to operate state-wide as an institution to supplement and in the Midlands encourage programs in Holocaust education undertaken by the SC Council on the Holocaust, synagogues, By SELDEN SMITH, PhD Alice Malavasic, left, and Jadzia Stern churches, civic organizations, schools and colleges. All programs The Question was a tad late, so I grabbed a folding chair and them for a service at Beth Shalom synagogue. must be related to the Holocaust joined the students in rapt attention. The Sterns gave their best effort at trying to and tolerance education. Grants are enjoyed many years as a history professor What those wonderful parents were de- help their Methodist friend keep up with the awarded for classroom supplies, at Columbia College. In the 1970s the in- scribing with noticeable European accents was order of worship, page numbers, and books student field trips, teacher training stitution had an academic calendar which the Holocaust, that mammoth historical study whose pages begin at the back. Those Beth and workshops, Holocaust speakers, included a three-week May term for con- that demanded its own identity and Shalom visits also solidified my friendships and other Holocaust educational Icentrated study on one course not of- not just a chapter or two in the Eu- with the Goldberg and Miller families. I have efforts. The Foundation supports fered in the regular terms. Every year ropean history of Fascism and World enjoyed the personal contact with the rabbis projects at all levels of education, from in the fall, the history department War II. Alice had challenged me to that I have met during these visits, Philip Sil- elementary school to college along with invited our majors and minors to a go courtside that afternoon, and I verstein at Beth Shalom and Sandy Marcus community awareness throughout the session to solicit their suggestions was enthralled and excited. At the at Tree of Life synagogue. Likewise, I have state. for May term course offerings. One completion of the session, I hastened often been assisted in Holocaust education ef- The Foundation carries the name of of our enthusiastic majors was Alice to introduce myself and to apologize forts by Rabbi Hesh Epstein and the current Dr. Selden Smith. Dr. Smith is a retired Malavasic, whose South Carolina for my tardiness. I was greeted with rabbis at Beth Shalom and Tree of Life, Jona- history professor from Columbia mother had married a New Yorker. smiles and kind remarks. than Case and Daniel Sherman, respectively. Smith College who became interested in “Dr. Smith, why don’t you offer a The last speaker had been Jadzia teaching the Holocaust over three course in the Holocaust?” Stern. All of the testimonials were decades ago. This special interest I replied, “Alice, you know that I don’t The Preparation interesting and compelling, but Jadzia was es- One week prior to that May term course, my brought him in contact with survivors know anything about the Holocaust.” Her pecially poignant and clear. She described the friend Dr. Carl Evans from the Department of and liberators in South Carolina. He quick response came, “Well, you could learn mistreatment suffered, and she made the case Religion at the University of South Carolina acknowledges that these friendships something by May, couldn’t you?” Chastised, for why she thought the topic was important. called me. I had earlier sought his suggestions have enriched his life.

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