Brown Bag Lunch Series Remembers the Holocaust

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is marking its eight-year partnership with the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center (BHEC) in presenting “Remembering the Holocaust,” as the Brown Bag Lunch series throughout the month of March. The programming partnership with the BHEC includes presentations by Birmingham residents sharing their experiences and perspectives. The programs are at the Central Library each Wednesday, March 14 through March 28, at 12:00 p.m. in the Richard Arrington, Jr. Auditorium. The programs are:

March 14: “The Story of My Father, Judel Schuster and his Jewish Community of Sarny, Poland”
Dr. Abraham Schuster of Birmingham never heard his parents Pauline and Judel Schuster speak of their experiences in their native Poland during World War II. After the deaths of their parents, the Schuster children documented the gripping story of courage and survival that Schuster will share.

March 21: “Riva Hirsch: A Holocaust Survivor Speaks”
Riva Hirsch shares the story of her childhood as a seven year old in 1941 when the Germans occupied her village in Bessabia in Eastern Europe. She was arrested and sent to several work camps, including Luchinetz and Tolchin in the Ukraine. From Tolchin she was rescued by partisan troops and cared for by nuns hidden in bunkers from 1943 to 1945. In 1945 she was liberated by Russian troops.

March 28: “In the Garden of Beasts”
Dr. Natalie Davis, Professor of Political Science at Birmingham-Southern College, will discuss Erik Larson’s best-selling book, In the Garden of Beasts. Larson’s book explores the early years of the Nazi regime through the experiences of the United States Ambassador to Germany William E. Dodd and his family.

The BHEC seeks to teach remembrance of the Holocaust and its victims, as well as an understanding of the dark period in human history, by providing teacher resources and support, Holocaust education workshops, speakers, and community events.