News Briefs - Fall/Winter 2006

2nd Anniversary of Permanent Exhibit:
Personal Story of Judge Cooley and
Open House of Exhibit and New Artifacts

Date: Sunday, November 5, 2006

Special Program: JCC Auditorium, 1:00 – 1:30 P.M

4:00 P.M. Cost: Free to the public

There will be a special program and open house to mark the second anniversary of the opening of our permanent exhibit, “A Reason to Remember: Roth, Germany 1933-1942”.

At the end of World War II in 1945, Judge Sidney Cooley was put in charge of Beyreuth, a small, out-of-the-way town in the American Zone of Germany. This town was a gathering place for many of the displaced persons from the war, primarily Holocaust survivors. As part of his assignment, Judge Cooley found housing for nearly 300 survivors and helped train them in agricultural work in preparation for their immigration to Palestine. During his time in Germany, he was presented with an award from the very people he assisted. Judge Cooley shares his intriguing story at 1 P.M.

Following this personal story, there will be an Open House at the Hatikvah Center called “Artifacts: Personalizing History”. There will be docent-led tours until 4 P.M.

There are many new artifacts on display, including Judge Cooley’s award and collection of pictures; close to 75 items on loan from Darrell English, a World War II collector from North Adams, MA; letters from the Hochster family in Germany to relatives who had escaped to South Africa; and other rare and important documents.

Also new added are a cap worn by a concentration camp inmate, a last birthday card sent from Germany to a niece the sender would never know, a wedding picture of long lost relatives, and a number torn from a concentration camp uniform.

These possessions were protected, concealed and often saved under extraordinary circumstances. When the witnesses themselves are no longer here to tell their stories, these artifacts are all that is left to speak for them, making them increasingly more important with each passing year.

School Visits to Hatikvah and Outreach Increase Dramatically.

As part of the second anniversary of the opening of our permanent exhibit, we are proud to share some impressive statistics with you. We now annually reach over 3,000 students and work with teachers representing over 450 classrooms. An additional 2,500 people have visited "A Reason to Remember" since it opened in October 2004.

Cambodian Genocide Survivor to Speak at Annual Kristallnacht Commemoration

Sponsored By: Hatikvah Center and Elms College

Date: Thursday, November 9, 2006

Place: Library Theater at Elms College

Time: 7:30 P.M.

Samkhann Khoeun, a survivor of the Cambodian Killing Fields, will be the featured speaker at this year’s Interfaith Kristallnacht Commemoration. His personal testimony is both powerful and moving and his story relates to many other people and places. There will also be Cambodian dancers, music, and prayers by Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist religious leaders.

For more information about this program, contact Hatikvah Holocaust Education Center at (413) 734-7700 or the Institute for Theology and Pastoral Studies at Elms College at (413) 557-6924.

For more information about Kristallnacht, please visit our web site at: www.hatikvah-center.org/events/annual.html.

Return of Popular Classes

Two previous classes are back by popular demand this fall. There are still some openings. Call (413) 734-770 for more information.

Christian/Jewish Relations After the Holocaust – Thursdays, 7:30 – 9:00 P.M.

As before, this class will be taught by Rabbi Robert Sternberg, Executive Director of Hatikvah; Professor Martin Pion, professor of theology and world religions at Elms College; and Paula Gallup, lay pastoral assistant at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Longmeadow, MA.

There will be eight sessions from October 5-26, 2006. The first two classroom meetings will be at Hatikvah Holocaust Education Center where participants will have the opportunity to tour the permanent exhibit. The last two classroom session will be at Elms College where participants can view “Beyond Genocide” an art show of Illuminations by Amy Fagin. Three sessions will take place at a synagogue and two churches during regular worship services. The course will conclude with participation in the interfaith Kristallnacht Commemoration.

There is no charge for this course.

Holocaust and Contemporary Jewish History Seminar – Mondays, 7:00 – 9:00 P.M.

The seminar will meet for 15 weeks beginning November 13, 2006. Participants will study with Rabbi Robert Sternberg at the Hatikvah Center. Students will examine the history and lessons of the Holocaust and analyze and interpret primary source materials. The main course text will be The World Must Know by Michael Berenbaum with various other readings and movies also used.

Registration is limited and the fee is $300

Redesigned and Expanded Hatikvah Web Site

Please visit our redesigned and expanded web site at: www.hatikvah-center.org. There are many added details about all of our exhibits, programs, and collaboration with other groups as well as additional information about our future plans.

Traveling Exhibit

We are now working on a traveling version of our permanent exhibit that can be displayed throughout the United States and Canada. Nineteen Holocaust Education Centers have already expressed interest in renting it. Want to help with this exciting project? Please send an e-mail to director@hatikvah-center.org.

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