Research In Action 2023

Photo Research in Action Alan Berger, Ph.D.

Surviving the Holocaust: Between Hope and Despair

Alan Berger, Ph.D.
professor, theology department
and Raddock Family Eminent Scholar Chair for Holocaust Studies
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters

Not a question. Thank you for a very interesting talk. The comment about not wanting to be the last survivor is powerful. I work with survivors and never thought about this.

All my family, of whom I am very proud, were Holocaust survivors. My Mother, Erna Ferber Rubinstein, was awarded the Elie Wiesel Award when he was still living.

Concerning Erna Rubinstein, I was fortunate enough to know this wonderful woman. She lectured to my Holocaust classes both at Syracuse University and at Florida Atlantic University. Erna was an "eyshet Hyal" (a woman of valor) who, while a victim of cruel hatred and evil, always preached love and understanding. She never ignored the facts, but she did transcend them. She greatly influenced generations of students.