Joe Berger at Beit Chaverim

In Poland, a Search for Jewish Heritage

New York Times Writer Joseph Berger to Speak at

Beit Chaverim , May 1 at 4 PM

Noted writer and longtime New York Times reporter Joseph Berger, a child of Holocaust survivors, has written extensively about growing up as a first-generation American. His memoir, Displaced Persons: Growing Up American after the Holocaust, has been widely praised.

Last summer, Berger and his sister traveled to Poland with hopes of finding their past, and he wrote about the experience in a full-length New York Times Magazine feature story. In addition to visiting the major Jewish historical centers of Warsaw and Krakow, the concentration camps Treblinka and Auschwitz-Birkenau, and many smaller historically Jewish towns, the two journeyed to their ancestral home towns of Otwock and Borynya (which is now in Ukraine) and saw the neighborhoods where their parents grew up. Berger suggests that, as the last generation with direct access to Holocaust survivors, it is incumbent on us to go back and see Poland for ourselves so that we can keep the survivors’ legacy close to our hearts.

At the May 1 event, Beit Chaverim Synagogue, together with local partners, will announce a Westport community trip to Poland planned for early summer 2017. Jan Rudamina, former director of the Polish National Tourist Agency in North America, will talk about opportunities for American Jews visiting Poland, and advise on creating a legacy agenda to ensure a successful and enjoyable trip.

In addition, filmmaker and child Holocaust survivor Agnes Vertes will present a screening and talk-back of her award-winning film, One Out of Ten, a documentary about child survivors of the Holocaust.

Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) Program: Sunday, May 1, 4 PM, Beit Chaverim Synagogue, 85 Post Road West, Westport | Free admission | Info/reservations: (203) 227-3333