THE WNY UPSTANDER The Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo Spring 2016 Yom HaShoah 2016 Sunday May 1st Temple Beth Zion (805 Delaware Ave.) 1:00 P.M. Survivors Speakers Stephan Lewy (l) and Herman Stone (r) tell their stories to teachers Stereotypes: From Nazi Germany to Your Classroom Over 100 teachers from WNY attended the 2nd Annual Conference for Educators entitled: Stereotypes: from Nazi Germany to Your Classroom held March 7th at Erie 1 BOCES. Dr. Larry Jones, professor of History at Canisius College and Dr. Seven Spencer, professor of Psychology at University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada addressed the teachers. Dr. Jones spoke about how the Nazi Regime used stereotypes to facilitate the Holocaust and Dr. Spen- ser spoke on how stereotypes can influence others in subtle but impactful ways. A highlight of the day were breakout sessions with seven Holocaust Survivors who shared their personal stories and confirmed the critical importance of what each of the teachers was contributing to society. (L-R) Reed Taylor, Henry Bawnik and Michael Mietlicki Keeping the Dream Alive By Maura Graham, City Honors Student Student Brings Survivor to Class by Reed Taylor, HRCOB founding member We learn and read about the Holocaust in school, but for some individuals it is hard to grasp the magnitude and significance of this time period. It is a totally different and Reversing the usual HRCOB process of sending a profound experience to hear a real Holocaust Survivor speak about their own experi- Speakers’ Bureau survivor to an area school, an ences. It humanizes and connects the Holocaust to people who otherwise would not enterprising student in Heather Wulf’s Honors English 11 class at Kenmore East High School have a personal exposure to the subject. reached out to Henry Bawnik, the newest addition to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Speakers’ Bureau, to visit his class on February did the same when he deliv- 12. ered his “I Have A Dream” Chris Mietlicki had chosen as his class project, a speech. He revealed that the study of Holocaust Survivors in the area. Seeing oppression of African Ameri- Gene Warner's recent article on Mr. Bawnik in the cans did not stop when the Buffalo News, Chris invited Henry to visit the school, 13th amendment was ratified. with me providing the support of an HRCOB friend and fellow resident at Canterbury Woods. I had Every year my school earlier noticed Henry’s tattoo and innocently asked if (City Honors School at it was what I thought it was. His affirmative answer Fosdick Masten Park) holds a led to his visit to an HRCOB Board meeting, and Keeping the Dream Alive then to his interview with the News. assembly, in honor of Martin Chris did a good job summarizing his research Luther King. This year I was and introducing Henry, who shared his painful given the task of finding a key experiences with the amazed, respectful, and -note speaker for the event. In engaged students. As Henry faltered a few times, he pointed to my cane, saying he was glad to have Dr. Sol Messinger and Maura Graham the past we have my little "you're doing ok, Henry" comments and supportive looks--and occasional insertions of had pastors, former faculty, and government officials speak, but we had never had context--as his "cane." Afterward, Henry was the pleasure of a Holocaust survivor attend. This is one of the many reasons our stu- touched as several students, some in tears, came dent body and faculty were incredibly excited to invite Dr. Sol Messinger. I heard up to hug or shake hands. about the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo through my father, Dr. Brian Gra- It was a classic moment with a survivor! ham. He is the former principal of West Seneca West Middle School and used to in- HRCOB salute Chris’s initiative in reaching out vite Joe Diamond to speak to the eighth grade class. I was overjoyed when Dr. to promote our mission of providing resources to teach the lessons of the Holocaust. Chris's dad, Messinger agreed to participate. It was a perfect match, for Dr. Messinger is a 1950 Michael, had taken a Holocaust course in high Fosdick Masten Park graduate. His story flawlessly parallels to Dr. King’s message of school, and Chris often heard him speak about the acceptance, tolerance, and peace. Our school was so incredibly lucky to have had subject--prompting his choice of report topic. Once Dr. Messinger come in to speak. He did an impeccable job and left us in awe and again we see how the teaching of the Holocaust and admiration. He helped transform the program into something completely profound its lessons can spread in new and exciting ways! and memorable. HRCOB First to Screen “Forget Us Not” whose father died at Dachau, while the rest of the family was By Mary Lou Wyrobek, HRCOB board member (reprinted with shipped to Auschwitz; Robert Wagemann, targeted for euthanization permission from author from Am-Pol Eagle) because of a disability caused by his breach birth and also targeted for arrest as a Jehovah’s Witness; and Natalia Orloff-Klauer whose The Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo sponsored an event in Ukrainian family was transported to the Bibigin slave labor camp Western New York in conjunction with U.N. International Holocaust along with many others from their village. Remembrance Day . This year HRCOB joined with other groups in The story of musician Wilhelm Heckmann, targeted as a hosting Heather Connell, director and producer of the documentary, homosexual, was also told. Surviving Dachau and Mauthausen, he Forget Us Not, interviewing four non-Jewish victims of Nazi was denied restitution in 1960 because he was imprisoned for atrocities. homosexuality. He died in 1995. Connell was introduced by Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz Mention is also made of the more than 2,500 clergy, mostly Catholic who told the audience of his own (Polish Catholic) family’s tragedy in priests, interred at Dachau, where the largest ethnic group held World War II when two cousins of his grandfather, Edward and were Poles. Katarzyna Poloncarz from the village of Oswiecim, were interred by The heart-rending accounts of these survivors and the horrors the Germans at the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. and deprivations they faced, give voice to the five million non-Jewish While Edward survived, Katrarzyna died on April 18, 1943 at the victims of the Holocaust who did not survive to tell their stories. age of 33. Poloncarz noted that “racism and hatred knows no Each of the four representative survivors endear themselves to the discriminatory bounds.” audience with their beautiful humanity. Triggered by a visit to Dachau Concentration Camp, Connell saw Ceija Stoka, whose artwork of her memories is shown in the the listing of the symbols of the various targeted groups of Nazi documentary, tells perhaps the most poignant story as she recounts hatred and was curious to learn more of these non-Jewish victims. the death of her little brother, Ossi. Separated from his family Eventually she felt compelled to tell their stories as there was so because of his severe illness, her mother and, later, she herself, risk little documentation of these “others.” punishment to visit him. Asking her Among the targeted groups, the to not forget him, the story she tells figure of 3 million non-Jewish Poles here will embed memory of him in suggested in the documentary seems to countless viewers. have been drawn from sites like the Mr. Wagemann tells of the hatred Jewish Virtual Library, a website directed to Jehovah’s Witness compiled by the American-Israeli members because of their refusal to Cooperative Enterprise. It is commonly sign up for military service or to give reported that 6 million Poles were killed, the “Heil Hitler” salute. Hiding 3 million Jews and 3 million non-Jews, throughout the war, he was denied approximately 20% of the population. any normalcy in childhood. Yet, he The U.S. Holocaust Memorial reminds us to “stand on the side of Museum suggests that 1.5 million Poles right,” and to be people of tolerance were shipped to slave labor camps, and conscience. hundreds of thousands sent to The gentle words and concentration camps, and at least 1.9 encouragement to respect of Natalia million non-Jewish Poles killed during Orloff-Klauer belay the slow the war. Generally it is reported that 75- starvation and constant deprivation 85,000 non-Jewish Poles died at she faced, and the frightening Auschwitz. bombing and burning of Dresden she The number of Roma also varies survived. She expresses such deep greatly. The US Holocaust Museum gratitude for having survived. Vera suggests that 25% of the Roma Elenska Young, the 84-year-old Pole, population was killed. Approximately ruminates on how the experience 19,000 died at Auschwitz. Estimates vary made her stronger and touchingly from 220,000 (USHMM) to 500,000 reminds us that we are here to help Roma were killed. one another. The Holocaust Museum does not Her strongest words come near report on the number of homosexuals the end of the documentary when killed. However, other sources suggest she chides Americans for not approximately 5,000 - 15,000 were appreciating what they have and interred in concentration camps, though with a real indignation acknowledges a higher number were imprisoned in regular prisons. It is estimated that many are “stupid,” because they do not appreciate the that 60% of those in concentration camps died. It is estimated that freedoms and bounty of America. about 3300 Jehovah’s Witness were sent to concentration camps The director noted afterward that Vera died soon after her and about 1,400 died.