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Board of Directors
John Rosner PRESIDENT
Rita Blank VICE PRESIDENT
Tasha Weinstein SECRETARY
David Kirk TREASURER
Monte Finkelstein HERC EDUCATION
DIRECTOR
At-Large Members
Linda Davey Eileen Lerner Robyn Rachin
Shari Gewanter Michelle Gayle
Mary Ann Deitchman Avi Wygodski
Daniela Wellner
Dear HERC Friends,
This month we are excited to
highlight the many events. On October
26th, seventy five teachers from the Big
Bend area attended the Fall Educators
Workshop presented by the Anti-
Defamation League. The curriculum
resource guide was provided to everyone
that participated. This year marked the
thirteenth workshop in Leon County for
HERC that presented guidelines with
lessons to take back to the classroom.
This program helped launch many
education outreach activities in the
schools and community. The workshop
was planned thanks to the collaboration
of the Leon County School district with
the forward thinking approach of
reaching many new teachers.
On November 9th, the Holocaust
Education Resource Council (HERC)
hosts its annual Remembrance Dinner at
FSU's Turnbull Center. The featured
speaker will be former U.S. Attorney for
the Northern District of Florida Pamela
Marsh, who will talk about the 2011
discovery of a 16th Century art
masterpiece, stolen by the Nazis in World
War II that wound up in the state art
museum in Milan, Italy and then brought
to Tallahassee's Brogan Museum as part of a
traveling exhibit. On WFSU Perspectives, Ms.
Marsh talked about the details of the case and was
joined by former Brogan Museum Executive
Director Chucha Barber and HERC Executive
Director Barbara Goldstein.
http://news.wfsu.org/post/perspectives-herc-
remembrance-dinner
The Holocaust Education Resource
Council is in the center of advocating and
facilitating connections and providing resources to
support local programs. Through the many
initiatives, we share important issues in the
community to help expand the message of
learning from history.
We can all have an impact to take a stand
and make a difference. Donate today a gift to help
support the work to educate people in our own
community. Please help continue this work by
sending a gift. Barbara Goldstein Executive Director
Ho locaus t Educa t ion Resources Counc i l
Newsletter November 2016
Inside this Edition... Message from the President .............. 2
Why We Remember ............................ 2
November 9, 1938, Kristallnacht ...... 3
Teachers Workshop Articles ............... 4-6
HERC Book Club .................................... 7-8
Poland Trip Brochure ........................... 9-10
I Saw It In the Movies! .......................... 11
Requiem of Defiance ............................ 12
Membership ............................................ 13-15
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The images are horrifying even 75 years later. Kristallnacht, “The Night of
Broken Glass”, shattered the lives of Jews across Central Europe. More
importantly, a world watched and did very little to stop what would
become the eventual murder of over 6 million Jews. The lessons we’ve
learned cross lines and yet even as we try to keep the memory alive in
order to prevent the past from reoccurring, we are reminded of the hatred
that exists today. We live in a world where our mass‐media actually
promote people to “hate” others for their differing views and beliefs. At
what point do we end the madness and recognize the extension of these
laws and actions. Through education learning opportunity training and
telling the history of the Holocaust, our young people are reminding us why “never forget” is perhaps more
important today than ever before.
The Holocaust Education Resource Council hopes to inspire and impact everyone with the lessons of history to
understand the ramifications of unchecked hate to the extreme. Help students become the guiding light for the
next generation to make a difference in the world today.
Message from John Rosner, HERC President
As we move into November, the anticipation and excitement rises almost on a daily level. HERC’s annual Remembrance Dinner is rapidly approaching. This year’s event promises to be a truly gala affair honoring guest speaker Pamela Marsh and Susan Turner, our generous sponsors and, in fact, all attendees.
Although the dinner comprises the culmination of each year’s hard work, we are already considering the events of next year. But for now, I look forward to seeing you at the dinner. I guarantee that you will be physically satisfied, emotionally moved and intellectually stimulated.
Sincerely,
John Rosner HERC President
Why We Remember – by Barbara Goldstein
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November 9, 1938, is the date marked by historians as the official beginning of the
Holocaust. Why that date? On that night a state sponsored, state sanctioned, nationwide
(including Austria and Sudetenland) attack on the Jewish community was perpetrated. 267
synagogues and an estimated 7,500 Jewish owned businesses were destroyed on this Night of
Broken Glass ‐ Kristallnacht. Over 30,000 Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps
(many were released if they promised to leave the Reich within 3 months); 91 Jews were killed.
Again, why?
On November 9, 1938, the Nazi elite was in Munich celebrating the anniversary of the
1923 Beer Hall Putsch. A few days before, a minor German official, Ernst vom Rath, had been shot
in Paris by Herschel Grynszpan. Grynszpan's parents had been expelled by Germany and were
stranded in a dismal refugee camp on the Polish border. When vom Rath died on Nov. 9, the Nazi
leaders decided that this was the incident they had been awaiting as a pretext to launch a night of
anti‐Semitic attacks. Joseph Goebbels announced that the assassination was part of a conspiracy
of "World Jewry". He said that there would not be a Party response, but if there were
“spontaneous” eruptions of anger, they would not be hampered. These words were interpreted as
the go‐ahead command for unleashing "spontaneous" violence throughout the Reich. Storm
Troopers and Hitler Youth were directed to wear civilian clothes to support the idea of an
"outraged public reaction" while they destroyed Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues. Local
police and firefighters were instructed not to respond unless non‐Jewish property was endangered
by the fires. But Kristallnacht didn't end with the overnight destruction. Within days, the German
government, in response to the ire of non‐Jewish insurance companies, blamed the Jews for the
violence. Within days in November 1938, a series of laws known as "Aryanization Laws” were
passed. These laws essentially deprived the Jews of their property and means of livelihood. Jewish
owned property and businesses were transferred to Aryans at a small fraction of their value. Jews
had to pay for the damages of Kristallnacht. Building on the 1935 Nuremberg laws which stripped
the Jews of their citizenship and rights, Aryanization laws further eliminated Jews from public life
(movies, concerts, driving, schools).
November 9, 1938 was a critical turning point in the Nazi persecution of the Jews which
culminated in the Wannsee Conference and the systematic murder of 6 million Jews. After
Kristallnacht, anti‐Jewish policy and actions were more and more directed by Himmler and
Heydrich and carried out by the SS. Also, the international Evian Conference of July 1938 and the
apathetic response of the German population to Kristallnacht were signals to the Nazi regime that
more radical measures would not be opposed either internally or internationally. Kristallnacht was
not directed at political opponents or the disabled as many previous Nazi decrees had been.
Kristallnacht was the first time the Nazis targeted and jailed Jews on a massive scale simply
because they were ethnic Jews. The path to the "Final Solution" had been chosen.
Further reading: Gilbert Martin, KRISTALLNACHT: PRELUDE TO DESTRUCTION, NY, Harper
Collins, 2006.
November 9, 1938, Kristallnacht – by Linda Davey, HERC Board
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Ryan Dailey, Tallahassee Democrat Staff Writer – 10/26/2016
Nearly 75 teachers gathered Wednesday at the Aquilina Howell
Center for the Holocaust Education Resource Council’s 13th annual
Holocaust education workshop.
The workshop is aimed at providing teachers with resources and
insight regarding how to teach Holocaust history in their
classrooms and make it more accessible to students.
Jill Rembrandt, the associate project director with Holocaust education multimedia program Echoes and
Reflections was the program’s keynote speaker.
“Our goal is to have teachers understand how to teach the Holocaust as a human story, to make sure their
students understand that each victim of the Holocaust was a person,” Rembrandt said. Rembrandt said the
resources provided at the workshop work toward humanizing Holocaust victims within the curriculum.
“When we teach that the holocaust happened and 6 million people died, we give a number that is just too
big to understand. To rescue those individuals, we use primary sources like poetry, art, diary entries and
visual history testimony.”
Barbara Goldstein, HERC’s executive director, said teacher enthusiasm and energy is abundant at the
workshops and has proven beneficial in the classroom. “They’re going to be getting many resources and
materials to take back to their students on the lessons and guidelines of teaching the Holocaust and how
it’s relevant today,” Goldstein said.
Brian Lassiter, a fourth grade teacher at Buck Lake Elementary, echoed Goldstein and Rembrandt’s
sentiments. “There’s a lot of difficulty in teaching the Holocaust to begin with because of the age of the
students and being able to understand those things,” Lassiter said. “What we want the students to
understand is how to see the different cultures and how to show tolerance.
“When you tell stories and they see a number, it might not mean much. But when they can make a
connection to a person, that’s when they start understanding more of what happened.”
(Photos by Ryan Dailey)
Jill Rembrandt, associate project director for Echoes and Reflections, speaks at workshop.
Teachers Attend Holocaust Education Workshop
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My name is JP Swope, and I am an Assistant Principal at Lawton Chiles High School in Tallahassee, Florida. I
had the pleasure of meeting Barbara Goldstein this summer as she met with a small group of teacher
leaders, the principal, and myself to explore how we could implement some pieces of Holocaust education
and artifacts into our school as a living museum. As we talked that day during the summer, the idea
blossomed into a week‐long focus on creating opportunities for students, parents, and other stakeholders
to participate in activities that focused on educating our Chiles Community on the events that took place
prior to and during World War II. Our team is excited and humbled to have the opportunity to provide
these opportunities for our community to grow in their understanding of the Holocaust. Equally as
important, we hope to help everyone involved process through their emotions and feelings surrounding
the events to an understanding that the only way we keep a tragedy like that from occurring again is by
growing in how we view and respect others. The theme for March 21 ‐ 24 will be "Facing History:
Courageous Defiance."
If you are a parent or an educator, you know that it is often difficult to build connections for our students
with their own lives and with events that happened even just last week, so the task of engaging them in
history provides an even greater challenge. On October 26, 2016, I attended the Holocaust Education
Resource Council's (HERC) workshop that I believe provided many resources to make World War II relevant
and relatable. This training focused on equipping teachers with pertinent and meaningful tools to aid them
in connecting students with an event that occurred seventy years ago. Barbara brought in a great speaker
that was able to engage a room full of teachers and administrators for over six hours. During that time,
those in the workshop participated in exercises that could be done with students or faculties and were
challenged to reflect on emotions and feelings that had been buried or were not regularly discussed with
colleagues. Though it was uncomfortable, the atmosphere that had been fostered by the speaker allowed
for each person in the room to reflect and discuss in a way that allowed them to connect on a deeper level.
Along with the discussion activities, we watched numerous biographical videos of survivors and reading
diaries and journals of individuals that did not survive.
Everything about that day seemed to be focused on a shift in thinking from the abstract to the individual.
For instance, we changed our language from saying that the Holocaust was not an event that killed 6
million Jews, but rather it was an event that killed “one Jew, 6 million times.” The Jews that were killed
were community members like you and me—doctors, lawyers, teachers, students, and nurses—who made
an impact on the lives of those around them. This change of perspective is essential as we teach and lead
people to understand the great loss of human potential that dramatically affected the last seventy years. I
am grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the workshop and am looking forward to our
continued partnership with HERC.
Leaders in Holocaust Education – by JP Swope
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Chiles High School Teachers Stacey Fabrega
Donna Callaway
Grace Bigelow Mary Ann Deitchman & Barbara Goldstein
Steve Friedlander
Nancy Long
Photos from the Holocaust Education Workshop
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Holocaust Education Resource Council 2016/2017 Book Club
Date Book & Author Time Venue 11/17/2016 Assignment Rescue: An
Autobiography by Varian Fry
7:00 PM‐ 8:30 PM
Leon County Public Library 200 W Park Ave Program Room B (850) 606‐2665
No discussion group in December
XXX XXX XXX
1/19/2017 Legacy of Courage: A Holocaust Survival Story in Greece by Frederic Kapis
7:00 PM‐ 8:30 PM
Leon County Public Library 200 W Park Ave Program Room B (850) 606‐2665
2/16/2017 Shanghai Refuge: A Memoir of the WW II Jewish Ghetto by Ernest G. Heppner
7:00 PM‐ 8:30 PM
Leon County Public Library 200 W Park Ave Program Room B (850) 606‐2665
3/16/2017 The Seventh Million: Israelis and the Holocaust by Tom S. Segev
7:00 PM‐ 8:30 PM
Leon County Public Library 200 W Park Ave Program Room B (850) 606‐2665
2016/2017 HERC Book Club
Upcoming Events…
Please join us on April 23, 2017 for Holocaust Remembrance Commemoration at Temple Israel 2215 Mahan Drive Tallahassee, FL 32308
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2016/2017 HERC Book Club
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The HERC movie series, I SAW IT IN THE MOVIES, will continue in 2017. For the past two years, we have been
exploring the movies produced by American movie houses in the U.S. (Warner Brothers, United Artists, Columbia,
etc.) in the years just prior to and during WWII. We have seen that American audiences of the “social media” of the
day – the movies – knew about the discriminatory policies of the Nazis, the denial of free speech and religion, and the
existence of brutal concentration camps inside Germany. We have become aware of Nazi spy activities in America,
the labeling of “degenerate” art, and the take‐over of the minds of the youth of Germany ‐ boys being trained to be
soldiers for their “savior”, Hitler, and girls to be breeders of soldiers. We saw Charlie Chaplin’s 1940 parody of “The
Great Dictator” and heard his impassioned plea for the brotherhood of man.
In 2017, we will continue to explore what has become quite obvious – that what Americans knew about the
policy and actions of the Nazis was quite extensive. Our first film is WATCH ON THE RHINE, starring Bette Davis and
Paul Lukas. Released by Warner Brothers in 1943, the movie was based on a stirring play by the famous writer Lillian
Hellman and adapted for the screen by Dashiell Hammett. Its success on the NYC stage was echoed on the screen;
Paul Lucas both won the Golden Globe and Academy Awards for Best Actor. He plays a German anti‐Nazi
underground leader who has been fighting and hiding in Europe and has brought his American wife and their children
to security in America. The complacency of Americans regarding the barbaric nature of the conflict spreading across
Europe plays a role in the story as Lucas’ identity is discovered and he and his family must make a sacrificial choice.
Determination, idealism, dignity and strength are portrayed passionately by Lucas and Davis. WATCH ON THE RHINE
will be seen on January 26, 2017.
On February 23, THE SEVENTH CROSS will be presented. This 1944 MGM film is set in 1936 when the primary
purpose of German concentration camps was to incarcerate political opponents of the Nazi state. It is based on a
novel by Anna Seghers. In the film, Spencer Tracy plays an escapee who sees the six men who broke out with him
recaptured and hung on crosses to die. As he keeps one step ahead of pursuing Nazis, he feels the terror of an animal
being ruthlessly hunted. Dread, suspicion, and anxiety are his companions. However, his faith in mankind is restored
by the perilous actions of his friends who help him. SEVENTH CROSS is one of the best known of wartime
concentration camp escape movies. We are showing this movie just days before the FSU exhibit, “Cinema Judaica”
will open at the FSU Fine Arts Museum. This film, as well as seven others we have seen in our series, will be featured
in the exhibit.
On March 23, we will divert a bit from our theme of what America knew in the 1940’s. The Tallahassee
Symphony orchestra will be presenting Verdi’s “Defiant Requiem” on March 25. Our film series will show the 2012
documentary with the same title, portraying the memorial concert which told the story of how musician inmates of
the concentration camp Terezin, conducted by composer Rafael Schachter, used the power of Verdi’s music to
maintain their dignity and fight back by playing and singing to the Nazis what they dared not say to them. This is a
little known story of incredible defiance, using music as the vehicle. If you are able to hear the symphony on March
25, seeing this film will provide you with a profound appreciation for the meaning of the title, “Defiant Requiem.”
The final film of the 2017 series, THE MOON IS DOWN, is based on a 1942 John Steinbeck novel, which told a
story of the Nazi occupation of a resource rich village in Norway. While the Nazis expected capitulation, the
townspeople, led by their dignified, compassionate mayor, resist and experience brutal retaliation. It is a story of
people whose will and nobility cannot be broken by violence. It also depicts a conflict of ideologies and is a
philosophical indictment of the Nazi “new order”. Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Henry Travers (you might recognize him
as Clarence in its A WONDERFUL LIFE) lead the cast. Twentieth Century Fox released THE MOON IS DOWN in 1943.
ALL FOUR FILMS WILL BE SHOWN ‐ AT NO CHARGE ‐ AT ALL SAINTS THEATRE 918 ½ RAILROAD AVENUE AT
7:00 ON THE DATES SHOWN
I SAW IT IN THE MOVIES !
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David and Barbara Abrams Nigel Allen
Donald Axelrad Susan Baldino Meg Baldwin Sandy Ballas
Brian and Carol Berkowitz (in memory of Rachel Capelouto)
Bill Berlow Bruce and Karen Bickley
Libby Bigham Martha Billings
Felix and Rita Blank Phil and Rita Blank
Byron and Pam Block Joe and Sue Boyd
David and Liz Brady Dr. Logan and Maryanne Brooks
Fran and Nancy Buhler Raymond and Wendy Capelouto
Tonya Chavis Thomas and Margaret Clark
Judge Robert and Karen Cohen Caroline Collins Michael Conn
Art and Elaine Cooper Arnold Cooperman
Bill and Stephanie Corry Martha Cunningham
Karen Culpepper Linda Davey
Paul and MaryAnn Deitchman Doreen DuMond Mark Easterling Shelia Erstling
Brian and Libby Fairhurst Lisa Finkelstein and Jim Hruska
Monte Finkelstein Joan Fowinkle
Stephan and Marcia Fregger Steve Friedlander
Daniel and Linda Fuchs Ann Gabor and Jay Payne
Michelle Y. Gayle Elizabeth George Shari Gewanter
Mitchell and Jacque Gilberg Linda Gilleon
Steve Goldberg Stacey Goldring
Ron and Barbara Goldstein Shimon and Nechama Gottshalk
Bill Graham and Shelley Hill Richard and Leigh Ann Greenberg
Susanne Griffin Kara Gross Sue Gross
Bill Gwynn Susan Haddix
Kathleen Hamption Gina Harris Paul Harvill
Tom and Dot Hayward Jeff Helicher
William Herrell Jerry and Roberta Hill
Sol Hirsch Lori Holcomb
Madelon Horwich Richard and Linda Hyson
Robin Johnston Wendy Johnston
Louise Kahn Janet Kaplan Kamila Kavka Patrick Kaye
Sandra Kendall Dr. Howard Kessler and Anne Van Meter
Paula Kiger Sam and Jessica Kimelman
Lynda Kinard Beth Kinnon
David Kirk and April Wetherington Kraft Nissan
Davia Kramer Joel and Betty Kramer
2016 HERC MEMBERSHIP
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Kim Koutnik David and Debra Lachter Dr. Sam and Judy Lamb
Dian Latour Eileen Lerner
David and Cathy Levenson Wayne Logan
Gabriella Mackee Daniel Maier-Katkin
David and Mona Markell Julie Matherly Joanna Mauer
Martin and Marion Merzer Jim and Laurye Messer Steve and Val Mindlin
Paul Mitchell Duncan and MaryAnn Moore
Jonathon and Eli Moore Richard and Jamie Morris
Diane Neidhart Jerome and Jaoanna Novey
Eva Pelt David Pepper
Brooks and Almena Pettit Earle and Virginia Perkins
Jorge and Betty Piekarewicz Colin and Anne Phipps
Corinne Porcher Sandy and Melinda Proctor
David and Jill Quadagno James and Martha Quinn
Robyn Rachin Radey Law Firm
DeeDee Rasmussen Kathy Reeves
Robert and Linda Reiser Steve and Amy Reznik
Howard and Kenya Rich Marty and Jan Roberts
David and Barbara Rosen Myrnalee Rosinsky
John and Monica Rosner Dr. Herbert and Judy Rubin
Eleanore Rosenberg Cherie Rowland
Ruby Diamond Foundation Lesley Sacher
Ron Sachs Dr. Ron and Tere Saff
Diane R Salz Joanne Sapolsky Paula Saunders
Ron and Jane Schagrin Martin and Sue Schneiderman
Mark and Missy Shamis Jerry Shapiro
Mimi Shaw (In memory of Dick Arnold) Judge J. Layne and Cynthia S Smith
Leslie Smith Dena Sokolow
Larry and Beverly Sokolow Mary Spector
Alvin and Susan Stauber Nat Stern
Gerry and Susan Sternstein Charles and Susan Stratton
Jackie Stubbs Tallahassee Jewish Federation Jan and Joanne Tanenbaum
Allison Tant Marjorie Turnbull
Steve and Susan Turner Steve Uhlfelder
Barry and Tiffanie Webster Brian and Tasha Weinstein Aria and Daniela Wellner Bruce and Wendy Wiener
Jodi Wilkof Palmer Williams
Steve and Judy Winn Jim and Jolene Wolf
Avi and Alexandra Wygodski Ken and Janice Zimmerman
Gary Yordon Peggy Youngblood
2016 HERC MEMBERSHIP - continued
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HERC Membership Form
Name:
Address:
Home phone: Cell phone: Email:
I am interested to help on one or more committee:
Book Club Holocaust Remembrance
Film Series Community Outreach
Memorial Membership
Teacher Workshop
MEMBERSHIP ENABLES YOU TO:
• Attend programs, films, and scholars’ lectures – at reduced rates or no charge
• Receive notice of ongoing programs and invitations to special events
• Borrow from our extensive collection of books, media, research files, and curricula on Holocaust
• Affirm your personal commitment to our mission and help us reach our goal
HERC is making a difference in our community, but we cannot continue to do so without your support. We
urge you to join us at whatever membership level is most comfortable for you.
HERC OFFERS VARIOUS LEVELS OF MEMBERSHIP: Please select a membership level.
$36 (Life) This membership level purchases a DVD, book, or periodical for our school resources
$100 (Peace) This membership level provides a scholarship for a student outreach program
$250 (Courage) This membership level buys a set of books for a school classroom
$500 (Remembrance) This membership level helps to sponsor a speaker for Professional Learning
Opportunities.
PLEASE SEND CHECKS TO:
Holocaust Education Resource Council
P.O. Box 16282
Tallahassee, FL. 32317
Donations can be submitted by PayPal on HERC website www.holocaustresources.org