Child Survivors of the Holocaust

The majority of European Jewish children alive in 1939 were murdered during the Holocaust. Of the 1.5 million children, only an estimated 150,000 survived. In the aftermath of the Shoah, efforts by American Jews brought several thousand of these child survivors to the United States. Open to all, join us for a social from 10:30 – 11 am and take part in discussion with historian, Beth B. Cohenat the Boulder JCC.

In her talk, historian Beth B. Cohen will weave together survivor testimonies and archival documents to bring their story to light. She reveals that even as child survivors were resettled and “saved,” they struggled to adapt to new lives as members of adoptive families, previously unknown American Jewish kin networks, or their own survivor relatives. Nonetheless, the youngsters moved ahead. As Cohen demonstrates, the experiences both during and after the war shadowed their lives and relationships through adulthood, yet an identity as “survivors” eluded them for decades. Now, as the last living link to the Holocaust, the voices of Child Survivors are finally being heard.

Beth B. Cohen received her Ph.D. in Holocaust History from Clark University, and her Master’s degree from Harvard University. Cohen is the author of two books and many publications on Holocaust survivors’ postwar experiences in the United States. She also consults widely to Holocaust museums and educational organizations. Currently, she is developing a permanent exhibit on the Holocaust for the United Nations Headquarters in NYC. Cohen lives and works in Berkeley, California.

This program is supported by the Ilona Irene Rosenschein Holocaust Education Endowment Fund (IIRHEF) at the Boulder JCC. This fund was launched in 2019 with a generous donation from Larry Cohn to honor Irene and her contribution to Holocaust education in the Boulder Community. If you would like to support the IIRHEF, you can make a donation (Please indicate in the notes that it is for this fund).

All Boulder JCC programs are open to everyone of all or no religious affiliation. You do not need to be Jewish to participate. There is also no membership requirement to participate in Boulder JCC programs.

If you can not attend in person please register for the Livestream option.

Sunday, October 15 | 10:30 am – 12 pm | FREE