November 2019 Volume 8 • No. 7

You can make a difference today and donate to HERC athttp://holocaustresources.org/donate/

Message from the HERC

Newsletter

Holocaust Education Resource Council • P.O.Box16282 • Tallahassee, FL 32317HolocaustResources.org • https://www.facebook.com/HERCTallahasseez

Iam so proud of what weaccomplished in the past year.

Thanks to your support, wehelped provide class sets of booksto all elementary schools to honorHERC Founder Rita Miller Blank.We offered an opportunity tothe teachers with a new roleas Holocaust EducationAdvocate to take the lessonsback to share at their schools.Our outreach and educationprograms trained 65 teachersat the workshop on October21st located at TallahasseeCommunity College. Thisdemonstrated the key rolethat the Holocaust EducationResource Council has provided forover ten years. Teachers wereexcited to go back and takestudents into the history of theHolocaust.

HERC’s vision is to expandwith staff and resources in thenear future. Read about our newStrategic Plan developed by astrong forward thinkingcommittee chaired by PrestonMcLane. Share your commentsand join our mission to supportHolocaust education as we need

to teach the lessons of theHolocaust. Click here for theHERC Strategic-Plan 2019.

Like us on Facebook and shareprograms. Come to the bookgroup discussions held at

Midtown Reader and the FilmSeries starts in January along withmore events to follow. While wehave been charged with a mission,there are more teachers out therethat need our help to supporteducation.

The Remembrance Dinner wasa big success as another sold outevent. The evening honoredSenator Bill Montford and authorof Violins of Hope, James Grymesspoke about instruments ofhistory. The message that evening

was clear to the full room, wemust continue to outreacheducation opportunities. You can view the 2019 LegislativeAward presented to Senator Bill Montford video tribute

Click here Here are some ways to

help bring Holocausteducation awareness: ShareHERC on Facebook, forwardthis monthly newsletter witha friend, make a donation inmemory or honor someonespecial, contribute to help ateacher receive resourcematerials.

Always remember thepower of lost voices. Thanks toeveryone,

BarbaraBarbara GoldsteinExecutive Director

Spotlight the Power of Education

Inside this Edition . . .

Executive Directors Message . . 1HERC Book Group . . . . . . . . . . 2Rememberance Dinner . . . . . 3, 4Become an HEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Honoring Rita Miller Blank . . . 6HERC Movie Series– . . . . . . . . . 7Membership Form . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Steve Winn, Sen. Montford, Segundo Fernandez, andBarbara Goldstein

(From Goodreads) In April 1942, Lale

Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly

transported to the concentration camps at

Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover

that he speaks several languages, he is put to

work as a Tätowierer (the German word for

tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his

fellow prisoners. Imprisoned for more than two

and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific

atrocities and barbarism – but also incredible

acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his

own life, he uses his privileged position to

exchange jewels and money from murdered

Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.

One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407,

comforts a trembling young woman waiting in

line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her

arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first

encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the

camp and marry her. A vivid, harrowing, and

ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov’s

experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of

thousands of prisoners with what would become

one of the most potent symbols of the

Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a

testament to the endurance of love and humanity

under the darkest possible conditions.

When: Thursday, November 14, 2019

Time: 6:30 pm

Where: Midtown Reader

1123 Thomasville Road

The Tattooist of Auschwitzby Heather Morris

The HERC Book Discussion November 14, 2019

For more information contact Barbara Goldstein at barbara@holocaustresources.org

www.HolocaustResources.org

Designated Site of the FDOE Commissioner's Task Force on Holocaust Education. Funded in part by FDOE Commissioner's Task Force on Holocaust Education.

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HERC November Newsletter 3

HERC’s 8th RemembranceDinner was a year of firsts-

the first time the event was soldout and the first time it hosted asilent auction. This year’s dinnerwas also my first doing socialmedia for the event? I had theopportunity to meet many localleaders connected to theHolocaust, either because theywere related to survivors, areHolocaust educators or are justcommitted to never forgetting. Imet many guests who appreciateHERC’s important work. Here aresome highlights.

TCC President Jim Murdaughsaid, “what inspires me about thisevent every year is the opportunityfor people to get together andremember.”

I particularly liked meetingFlorida Commissioner ofAgriculture and ConsumerServices Nikki Fried whoparticipated in the 1994 and 1996March of the Living, told me shesupports HERC and said “teachinglove and not hate” is what she doesevery day.

Steve Friedlander said heenjoyed HERC’s workshops. Hesaid it’s important to teach theHolocaust because “we are goingon 80 years since the Holocaustand things are forgotten so it’simportant that the currentgenerations understand why ithappened so it doesn’t happenagain.”

Steve Uhlfelder said hisgrandparents were killed in campsand has other relatives whoescaped. He helped start aHolocaust teaching program at

FSU and his law firm started awriting contest and he is workingon a Holocaust memorial. “This issuch a significant event. HERCdoes such a wonderful job atkeeping the history alive.”

Likewise, Bob Cohen said hehas been involved with HERCfrom its beginning becausealthough part of his familyescaped Europe before theHolocaust, some did not. Cohenrepeated the phrase, “Neveragain.”

Rabbi Shields of Temple Israeltold me we need to give childrenthe tools to confront and stampout white nationalism and neoNazism here because “it’shappening” . He said “HERC isessential. Barbara Goldstein andher work is so crucial toeverything that we need to bedoing.”

Elizabeth Ricci said, “This wasmy third time attending theRemembrance dinner and firsttime as a board member. SpeakerJames Grymes was excellent. Hisstories were so moving that Ibought three copies of his book

8th Annual HERC Remembrance Dinner

You can view the 2019 Legislative Award presented to Senator Bill Montford video tribute at https://vimeo.com/365782773 (Click here)

continued on page 4Susan Turner, Barbara Goldstein

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Barney and Shelby Bishop

HERC Remembrance Dinner continued from page 3

[Violins of Hope]-two to give asgifts and one for myself. I alsowent to the soul stirringperformance at FSU a few dayslater.”

Ricci also noted, “I’m proud tobe a part of HERC and helpingensure that the atrocities of theHolocaust are remembered byfuture generations.” She was thehighest bidder on the Costa Ricatrip provided by AmFund. Thetrips helped raise almost $3,500.00for HERC.

Jack Levine, founder of FourGenerations Institute, grew upwith survivors in New York. Hesaid they didn’t want to talk abouttheir trauma but his fatherencouraged them to talk to theirchildren and grandchildren aboutthe atrocities they experienced.“There’s nothing better thanunderstanding for children’sbenefit the horrors of theHolocaust and the ways we needto fight hate and discriminationwith every breath in our lungs andwith every voice we can raise.”

Florida Holocaust Museum

Executive Director ElizabethGelman was excited to celebrateand congratulate the fabulouswork HERC is doing “especially inmaking sure there is qualityHolocaust education here inTallahassee.”

The Remembrance Dinner wastruly eye opening. It provided mewith powerful connections towhat I have only read about. I gotto see HERC’s influence first-hand

in my community. I’m honored tohave been a part of the event I amgrateful to be involved.

Article written by PalomaRamana. Paloma, age 14, is afreshman at Maclay School. Thissummer she participated in acommemorative D-Day trip andvisited Dachau which deeplyaffected her and inspired her tocombat hate stateside.

FSU College of Music Dean Pat Flowers andMarjorie Turnbull

James Grymes, author Violins of Hope

Sen. Montford and TCC President Murdaugh

HERC November Newsletter 5

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Honoring HERC Founder Rita Miller Blank . . . . . . by providing class books to every elementary school teacher.

Thanks to the donors that contributed for recognizing a special

person that helped keep memories alive.

HERC September Newsletter 7

In 2020, HERC begins its sixth movieseries again asking the question, “Whatdid Americans know about the racismand horrors of the NAZI threat beforeand during WWII?” In the past fiveyears, we have seen that American filmgoers knew quite a bit about thediscriminatory policies of the Nazis,the denial of free speech and religion,and the existence of brutalconcentration camps inside Germany.This year, we are expanding our seriesto include more recent documentariesand a feature film. These will add toour understanding of spiritual andphysical resistance during the Nazi eraas well as its treatment by Hollywood.

FREE 7:00 pm Movie ShowingsPresented by Holocaust Education Resource Council

& Tallahassee Film Society

I Saw It In The Movies Series

ALL SAINTS CINEMA • 918 1/2 RAILROAD AVENUE • 850-386-4404 • WWW. TALLAHASSEEFILMS.COM

Thursday January 23, 2020 – EVA A-7063Thursday February 27, 2020 – HITLER – Beast of Berlin Monday March 30, 2020 – DENIAL*New LocationGhazvini Center for Health Care Education - 1528 Surgeons Dr.

Thursday April 23, 2020 – Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and The Holocaust

WHERE: All Saints Cinema at RailRoad Square 918 1/2 Railroad Avenue*

TIME: Showings at 7:00 pm

COST: FREE

Funded in part byFDOE Commissioner’s

Task Force onHolocaust Education

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