Research In Action 2023
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
Q:
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.
A:
To the person who wrote commenting on Wiesel's hope that he would not be the last living survivor. Yes, you captured the pathos and the overwhelming responsibility of bearing witness in a post-Holocaust universe where the very notion of truth-telling is under radical assault.
Q:
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.
A:
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.