A Last Survivor of Auschwitz: An evening of courage and inspiration with Irene Zisblatt
Press release from Chabad UF
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Soon all Holocaust survivors will be gone. How will the world continue to learn from their experience? Will their personal stories of courage, inspiration, and hope be remembered?
On Monday, January 29, at 7:30 p.m. we will have an exclusive opportunity never to forget one such story – as told by Irene Zisblatt at age 95.
Irene was born in 1929 and is a Hungarian Holocaust survivor, the only one that survived out of her whole family. She was an inmate in Auschwitz-Birkenau and was a victim of Josef Mengele’s experiments. She is one of the few who was able to escape from the infamous death camp. Irene is well known for her autobiography, The Fifth Diamond, and her testimony in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning documentary, The Last Days.
This historic event is taking place on Monday, January 29, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7:00 p.m.) at the Chabad UF Jewish Student & Community Center, 2021 NW 5th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32603. The event is RSVP and Free Admission.
This is an extraordinary opportunity for people from diverse walks of life, faiths, and backgrounds to be educated on the Holocaust and anti-Semitism and to hear a message of courage, hope, and inspiration. In light of the ongoing war in Israel and recent increased anti-Semitic incidents, organizers are hoping for a full house, as this is a once-in-a-life opportunity to see Irene and hear her powerful story and its ensuing lessons of tolerance and peace.
Gainesville‘s Chabad UF Jewish Student and Community Center Director urges the community to attend: “The Holocaust is a challenging subject of a time that is difficult to imagine, but its lessons are vital and valuable to learn, as well as critical to the future of humanity,” said Chanie Goldman. “Irene’s courageous story of survival is an inspirational story of hope and perseverance. We’re honored to have her come to Gainesville.”
A Special Feature in the program will include renowned local musicians Stephen Fine (violin), Alan Clark (piano), and Sophie De (violin) performing, including the stirring theme from Schindler’s List.
Admission is free of charge to give everyone an opportunity to listen and learn the lessons of the Holocaust and recommit to bringing love and compassion to the world while vowing, “Never Again.” RSVP and more information on the event, including a donation option to help sponsor the event is available at: www.JewishGator.com/HRD or email: Rabbi@JewishGator.com or call: (352)336-5877.
This is all getting so tiring. Enough
My favorite survivor stories are the one where they made a guy stick a shotgun in a bent pipe so the barrel pointed back at him. Or the peddle powered brain bashing machine. Or the best one where mengele genetically engineered German shepards with venomous fangs. These are all official stories you can look up btw. And if you don’t believe them you’re an evil holocaust denier.
Enough about history? Seriously? Shall we stop teaching the Civil War? WWll? Viet Nam? Or is it just the Holocaust you’d like to hide?
As the saying goes – we know about our future than our history….but believe everything you read…it’s great for you and your offspringzzzzzz.
More…more was the missing key word
I will forgive your profoundly ignorant statement, made even more obnoxious on the day following MLK Day. The horror of the Holocaust must never be forgotten in order to preclude its repeat. Nothing in the history of man has surpassed the savagery of the analytical, systematic murder of innocents by the Nazi regime during WWII.
I don’t condone any genocides, including Jews in WW2 – which is the only one anyone ever hears about for some odd reason.. But there have been many, many worse genocides. Belgian King Leopold in the Congo is the first that comes to mind. Look up Maoist China. Or Bolshevik Russia. Or Cambodia. Or what the Vatican did to native Americans. You obviously don’t know history.
Important to view history in its contexts. The tragedy of Islamic terrorism and Iran, Isis, Hamas, Al Qaeda etc, is the mixing of religious fundamentalism with modern politics.
By the same token, Zionism is a reaction to the Holocaust and pogroms, a longing to return to a biblical past period of supposed happiness, mixed with modern politics.
Both are nostalgic but flawed. They should separate God and Caesar, as Jesus recommended. Even Christian didn’t practice that until 1789. But it works.
As for today, I recommend Palestine surrender to Israel for political reasons, the way Germany and Japan did. Look at how they advanced after losing a war.
This is a very good thing, I hope that there isn’t even STANDING ROOM at the event, I strongly support the Jewish people and Jewish Nation, as my KJV tells me too. I am not a Jew.
There is value in victim-eyewitness accounts which are often subdued by historians burdened with academic, abstract narratives.
The Holocaust defies such interpretations and attempts of assigning context for lesser minds to comprehend or re-imagine.
I truly hope people take the time to listen to her.
Sadly, I am not able to attend, are other presentations scheduled?