Past Events
Thursday November 7, 2019, Weiss delivers speech and film screening at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, in conjunction with Kristallnacht. The museum is located at 36 Battery Park in New York City.
August 27-September 11, 2019 in Krakow, Warsaw, Prague, Budapest and Vienna. Ann Weiss will lead a trip through Eastern Europe, for alumni and friends of the University of Rochester—see details below. If someone who is not associated with U of R is interested in joining us, please contact Cory Dagan at corinne.dagen@rochester.edu to see if there are still spots available.
Whether you’re seeking to recapture your ancestral heritage or simply wish to discover a beautiful and poignant part of the world, join us August 27 to September 11 for this small group tour through Eastern Europe. Both leisurely and comprehensive, it provides a generous overview of five distinctly different—and fascinating—cities including Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, and Prague with the option to end this incredible journey in Berlin. Register today!
June 1-3, 2019 in Skokie, Illinois.
Weiss will participate in the annual conference of the Association of Holocaust Organizations, sponsored by the Illinois Holocaust Museum.
May 8, 2019 — January 3, 2020 New Exhibition opens at Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park, New York, titled: “Auschwitz—Not Far Away, Not Long Ago” has just opened in America. This extraordinary exhibition features over 700 artifacts, never seen outside Auschwitz before. It also includes a section of photos from my book, featuring life before they became victims. See photos and further details in Author’s Blog, May-June 2019.
April 30, 2019 in Dresher, PA.
Weiss delivers Yom Hashoah speech at Temple Sinai on Limekiln Pike, for students and adults in the community.
January 2019 in Charleston, South Carolina
Weiss participates in the Winter Seminar of Association of Holocaust Organizations, including special meetings with museum directors of international institutions like the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, as well as professors and Holocaust museum directors in the United States.
Tuesday November 20, 2018 6-8 pm
Ann Weiss will speak at Greenwich Village at the Cornelia Street Cafe, with Robin Hirsch, Minister of Culture/Owner and Janet Kirchheimer, in a belated Kristallnach program.
The Cornelia Street Cafe
29 Cornelia Street
Greenwich Village, NY 10014
212-989-9319
University of Rochester Travel Club!
DISCOVERING EASTERN EUROPE
August 27-September 11, 2019
LEARN MORE AND REGISTRATION FORM
MEET YOUR HOST
Dr. Ann Weiss ’71
Ann Weiss is a director, producer, photojournalist, researcher, filmmaker, public speaker, and teacher. A specialist in Holocaust psychiatry and the daughter of two survivors from Poland, she is a frequent speaker at conferences, museums, and universities around the world. Her book, The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau, uncovers the previously-unknown personal photos of Jewish deportees. As the founder and executive director of Eyes from the Ashes Educational Foundation, she uses the past to work toward creating a better future. Weiss earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester, two graduate degrees from Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communications, and her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. Above all, she listens to stories told by survivors, often spoken out loud for the first time, and shares them with audiences worldwide.
Whether you’re seeking to recapture your ancestral heritage or simply wish to discover a beautiful and poignant part of the world, this small group tour offers ample opportunity for enrichment, enlightenment, and enjoyment. Both leisurely and comprehensive, it provides a generous overview of four distinctly different–and fascinating–nations.
For further information, contact
Corine Dagan ’03
Associate Director Alumni Relations
Director, University of Rochester Travel Club
corinne.dagan@rochester.edu
585-273-2680
When Ann Weiss was in Krakow in July, she presented her book The Last Album
to the Galicia Jewish Museum. Here is what they wrote in their September 2018 Newsletter:
SEPTEMBER 2018
GALICIA JEWISH MUSEUM
Dr. Ann Weiss presented The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau to our library when she came to Krakow to speak and attend memorial services, August 2018, on the 75th Anniversary of the deportation of Zaglebie Jews.
The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz Birkenau, written by Dr. Weiss, features the personal photos carried by Jews deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in August 1943, when they believed they were going to be worked, not murdered. Unlike most photos associated with the Shoah, this book by Ann Weiss features how they LIVED, not how they died.
As far as anyone knows, these are the only photos of a whole transport to survive. They were hidden by members of the Jewish Underground.
We would like to express our gratitude.
Jakub Nowakowski
Galicia Jewish Museum Director
GALICIA JEWISH MUSEUM
ul. Dajwór 18, 31-052 Kraków
(+48) 12 421 68 42
www.galiciajewishmuseum.org
June-October 2017
Exhibition – ‘Evidence’ at Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada
When a Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz complained that “There is no human face in this ‘Evidence’ exhibit”, created by renowned Auschwitz expert, Robert Jan Van Pelt, a compromise was reached: an extra room was added to the exhibit which features photos from The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau. This exhibit of artifacts and evidence now exists ‘with the human face’ added of individuals whose photos are featured in Weiss’ work, photos that were carried to Auschwitz when their owners were deported there.
June 2017
Tremendously informative presentations were given by (especially) senior Holocaust scholars, including child psychiatrist-child survivor Robert Krell (Vancouver), Robert Jan van Pelt, architect and Auschwitz expert (Toronto) and John Roth, professor emeritus and prolific author presented a “Play in Three Acts” (Seattle). Their presentations, together with those of lesser
known scholars, were of significant value to the participants, as was the opportunity to informally discuss matters of common interest.
March 2017
Work in Israel – continue research with survivors.
March 2017
Florida – continue interviews with survivors.
January 2017
World War II Museum — Holocaust Winter Seminar in New Orleans, Louisiana — As a result of this seminar, personnel at the WWII Museum and Weiss are in discussions regarding interesting joint educational projects
March 7, 2015
White Plains, NY — Bes Am Shalom – Shabbat Scholar’s Speech.
March 15, 2015
Philadelphia, PA — Holocaust Scholar’s Conference – Think Tank Participation.
April 16, 2015
April 16 — Washington, DC — Yom Hashoah National Commemoration at Unites States Capital, flags of liberating armies, with French Ambassador, Cory Booker, Abe Foxman and USHMM Holocaust Survivors.
June 13-16, 2015
Las Vegas, NV — Association of Holocaust Organizations, Annual Conference.
August 13-14, 2015
Pittsburgh, PA — Pennsylvania Educator’s Summit, by invitation only, to plan future Holocaust educational initiatives for the state.
Monday January 26, 2015
Keynote Speech—7:00 pm Brookdale College,
Center for Holocaust, Human Rights and Genocide Education
70th Anniversary of Liberation of Auschwitz Lecture: Photos Found at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the People and Their Stories
765 Newman Springs Rd./ Lincroft, New Jersey 07738
For further information, contact Dale Daniels, Executive Director
ddaniels@brookdalecc.edu 732-224-2045 www.cchange.org
October – November, 2014 PHOTO EXHIBITION & Book Signing
Naples, Florida
The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau
Premiere Speech and Opening—Sunday October 12, 2014 – 4pm
Holocaust Museum and Education Center of Southwest Florida
4760 Tamiami Trail North in Naples, Florida 34103
For further information, contact museum at 239-263-9200
http://www.holocaustmuseumswfl.org/
Thursday November 6, 2014 at 7:30pm FILM & LECTURE
Toronto, Canada
‘Photos Hitler Never Wanted You to See, and Why They Matter’
Holocaust Education Week at Kehilla Shaarei Torah
2640 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M2L 1B7
For further information, call 416-229-2600
Monday January 26, 2015 FILM and LECTURE in commemoration of
70th anniversary of LIBERATION of AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU, Jan 1945.
Lincroft, New Jersey
Center for Holocaust, Human Rights & Genocide Education
Brookdale Community College
765 Newman Springs Road
Lincroft, New Jersey 07738
For further information, www.chhange.org
or call 732 224-2074
Dale Daniels, Executive Director
Sunday April 27 Weiss will deliver YOM HASHOAH KEYNOTE presentation for city of CALGARY, ALBERTA CANADA at 7:30 pm, which is sponsored by the Calgary Jewish Federation. In addition, the names of children who perished will be remembered, with a special yarzheit ceremony.
For further information, please contact Director of Human Rights and Holocaust Education, Ilana Krygier Lapides, at ikrygierlapides@jewishcalgary.org
Sunday March 16, 2014, 4 pm – Keynote at opening plenary of conference, titled: THE HOLOCAUST IN HUNGARY, 70 YEARS ON: NEW PERSPECTIVES at Floida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers, Florida.
Weiss will share a visual and historical comparison between The Auschwitz Album (which features devastating photos of the deportation and destruction of Hungarian Jews in 1944) and her own book, The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau (which features personal photos of pre-war Jewish life, which were carried into Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1943). The difference is both striking, and heartbreaking.
Feb/March 2014 (date being resecheduled due to snow day on 2-13-14) at Barrack Hebrew Academy, Bryn Mawr, PA.
Whole school assembly so student can see the photos Hitler never wanted anyone to see, and hear the story of these photos were saved by members of the Jewish Underground at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Student questions and follow-up with student interest clubs will conclude the program. This presentation is in honor of Senior Jack Kolansky, who interviewed Weiss and made a film about her work when a student at Saligman Middle School.
Tues Feb 18, 2014M – Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 6:30-9:00 pm
Ann Weiss will teach Professor Brett Burchette’s Sports Management class, highlighting non-profit management techniques, as well as details the genesis of Eyes from the Ashes Educational Non-Profit Foundation. In addition to the lecture, students will have an opportunity to develop marketing and fund-raising strategies for a real non-profit foundation.
January 27, 2014 Royal Palm High School–in honor of World Holocaust Day
Teaching students, grades 9-12, with personalized stories about similarly aged teenagers featured in the Eyes from the Ashes photo collection. [Classes taught during the day]
Public lecture, commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945, screening film and sharing narratives of the people in ‘Eyes from the Ashes’ photo collection.
January 12-14, 2014 Holocaust Winter Seminar in Washington, DC–featuring Alexandra Zapruder (granddaughter of Abraham) on digitizing teenagers’ Holocaust memoirs, featured in Salvaged Pages.
January 20-March 2014 Traveling photo exhibition in Palm Beach School District.
These ‘Eyes from the Ashes’ photos will be mounted in several schools, beginning in Royal Palm High School, 10600 Okeechobee Blvd., Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411.
There will be private school related presentations especially for school district personnel and students.
Monday January 27, 2014 at 7pm –Community wide keynote for the public at Royal Palm High School (10600 Okeechobee Blvd in Royal Palm Beach, Florida). For further information, please contact Darrell Schwartz 561-389-7750 or Maureen Carter, Holocaust Studies Palm Beach School District Supervisor at 561-289-5612.
SPRING 2014 PRISM (Journal) –Article published by Ann Weiss featuring memories from the unpublished memoir of Lunia Gartner Backenroth Weiss, entitled: “Memories of Cheses/Compassion:What Remains When the People are Gone.”
March 16-18, 2014 Conference: The Holocaust in Hungary Seventy Years On Sponsored by Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Myers, Florida (near Sarasota)
Sunday March 16, 2014 – Keynote Plenary by Ann Weiss – “The Auschwtiz Album and The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau: A Comparison.”
July 2014 Yad Vashem conference in Jerusalem, Israel and Ghetto Fighter’s House Education Conference in Haifa, Israel
August 18-25, 2013 Research, Teaching and Memorial Mission in the Ukraine with delegation of Holocaust scholars, descendants of families from the Ukraine.
I was invited to participate because organizer, Joel Susel of Denver, whose family came from the Ukraine, learned about me through my book and my Holocaust research. Our delegation will be meeting with Holocaust experts from the region who direct the Ukrainian Jewish Museum in Kiev, as well as museum directors and scholars smaller towns and villages. There will be memorial services, research exchanges and a pilot exhibition project to be replicated, in the future, throughout the Ukraine, in order to share for the first time, personal photos and stories of Jews who exist no more.
For me, this trip has extra resonance because much of my own family was murdered in these pits in the Ukraine. To tell their story in the country where they once lived and flourished, and were then ‘erased’ without even a grave to mark the place, feels like a mission that goes far beyond the Holocaust research I usually do. And to add yet one more layer to this journey: 2013 is the 18th year since the death of my mom, Lunia Backenroth Gartner Weiss, in 1995. In this ‘chai‘ year, I will be reading from her private memoir–both the stories of how her family lived, and how her family died–in the Ukraine where it all happened.
May all their memories be for a blessing.
October 9-18, 2013 – Holocaust conference in Harbin, China
June 19-22, 2013 – Presentation at International Association of Genocide Scholars, “Memory of Humanity in the face of Inhumanity: Excerpt Private Memoir of Athalie Backenroth Gartner Weiss of Stryj and Schodnica, Poland” in Siena, Italy.
May 2, 2013 – United Nations Holocaust Educators’ Seminar, 9:30 am- 5:30 pm, United Nations Headquarters, New York, New York.
April 8, 2013 – Yom Hashoah Presentation of Holocaust Stories, 7-9 pm, “Emanuel–Saving Lives through Poetry and Courage”, Penn Valley, PA Congregation Beth Am Israel.
February 2013 — Limmud Conference, East Brunswick, NJ.
March 2013 — Annual Scholars Conference.
June 2013 — Association for Holocaust Organization Annual Conference, Austin, Texas.
June 2013 — Preventing Genocide Conference, Sienna, Italy.
June 2013 — Association of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem Israel.
July 2013 — Yad Vashem Conference, Jerusalem, Israel.
January 7-9, 2013 — Participation in Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation conference at USC, ‘Testimony, Prevention, Access and Education for the Twenty-First Century.’
November 18, 2012-March 15, 2013 Photo Exhibition in Detroit. Premiere speech and reception at Holocaust Memorial Center at Zekelman Family Campus on Sunday December 2, 2012 at 7pm, 28123 Orchard Lake Rd. in Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334. For further information, contact Rebecca Swindler, Education Director at 248-553-2400 x 13.
Nov 2-Nov 10, 2012 Ann Weiss will participate in international conference in Berlin and Vienna, under the auspices of Association of Holocaust Organizations, which will include Berlin’s famed Topography of Terror.
June 17-12, 2012 Participate in International Educator’s conference in Jerusalem, sponsored by Yad Vashem. Special presentation on “Women and Girls in the Shoah–an Inside Perspective” — This is a completely new approach, created expressly for international educators to engage middle school, high school and university students.
June 1-5, 2012 Participate in annual Association of Holocaust Organizations conference in Detroit, Michigan
May 30, 2012 Participate in honoring Reb Zalman Schechter-Shalomi at Central Synagogue in NYC in first ‘If Not Now, When?” Ceremony.
May 20, 2012 Speech in NYC for Child Survivors of the Holocaust at Park East Synagogue, 2 p.m. 164 E.68th St (between Lex and 3rd).
May 4, 2012 Drexel University presents ‘Service to Community’ Award to Weiss, for doing work that has most benefited the community. Award presented by President John Fry, followed by Gala.
April 18-19 Participated in Yom Hashoah in Jerusalem, Israel with Yad Vashem.
Highlights of 2012:
**Honoring memory of Holocaust at the United Nations (January 25-27, 2012)
**Jerusalem during Holocaust Remembrance Day in April
***May 2012–Ann Weiss awarded Alumni of the Year who did most to help the Community
**June 2012–Popular Culture and Historical Memory–Michigan conference
**June 2012–Yad Vashem Jerusalem International Educators’ Conference
**October 2012–Speech at Carlton College, Ottawa, CANADA
**November 2012–International Conference in Vienna and Berlin, Association of Holocaust Organizations
**November 2012-March 2013 Eyes from the Ashes Traveling Exhibition will be on display in Detroit at the Holocaust Memorial Center/Zekelman Family Campus on 28123 Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
Community presentation by Ann Weiss will take place on Sunday Dec. 2, 2012 7p.m. with follow-up programs to be scheduled with students and community groups. For programming information or to make arrangements, contact Rebecca Swindler at 248-553-2400 x 13
Monday, November 14th 2011 — BATES COLLEGE
Intercultural Studies presents Ann Weiss sharing photos, narratives, meaning.
Lewiston, Maine at 7 P.M.
November 8 at 7p.m. BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY
On the eve of Kristallnacht, 73 years later, Weiss shares photos and stories of Jews deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Film Screening, talk and book signing–sponsored by the Berelson Center–will take place at Trout Auditorium in LITERATURE Building. For further information, contact Linda Godfrey (570) 577-3677 or lgodfrey@bucknell.edu.
TALK and FILM-October 22 University of Rochester MELIORA WEEKEND, 3:30.
Following presentations by Bill Clinton and Antonin Scalia, Weiss will give a talk featuring photos from LAST ALBUM exhibition, film screening, and book talk. The focus of the talk will be “What They Still Teach Us–Life, Family, Society and What Matters” This talk is part of Meliora Weekend, sponsored by Alumni Affairs.
TALK-October 21 University of Rochester, 8 p.m.
Weiss will share stories about pre-war Eastern European life of Jews, particularly highlighting specific family stories dealing with Sabbath (‘shabbat’–Hebrew, or ‘shabbes’–Yiddish), culture, practice and society. The stories are personal and their message, universal.
PHOTO EXHIBITION–September 20-October 30, 2011 — Rochester, NY
The Last Album will be on exhibit at University of Rochester, Rochester, NY in the symbolic heart of the campus, Rush Rhees Library. Weiss will give a walking tour, and several presentations during Meliora Weekend in October 2011.
University of Rochester
Small Exhibition at Marcus (Atlanta) JCC — Held over by popular demand until August 2011 (January-August).
Large Exhibition at Downtown Initiative of the Visual Arts (DIVA) – Held over by popular demand until August 2011 (April-August).
Friday October 23, 2011 University of Rochester’s MELIORA WEEKEND
Presentation at Interfaith Chapel 8 p.m. overlooking Genessee River.
Saturday October 24, 2011 – University of Rochester at Rush Rhees Library main library – 3:30 p.m. Walking Tour through exhibition mounted at main lobby, followed by film screening and book signing at Hawkins-Carlson Room. Weiss’ follows talk by President Bill Clinton (11 AM) and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (1:30 PM).
For more information including a video overview of the exhibit, visit divacenter.org and click on “The Last Album Exhibitâ€. Or call DIVA at 541.344.3482.
Thursday-Saturday May 5-7, 2011Presentations, Lane Community College and University of Oregon in Eugene Oregon
For further information, contact Kim Vogel 541-513-0885 at cymitri@gmail.com or John Watson at pagebinder@gmail.com
Sunday, May 1, 2:00 PM – Cincinnati Community-Wide Yom Hashoah Ceremony
Ann Weiss will present the keynote presentation.
Sponsored by The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, to be held at Mayerson Jewish Community Center.
For further details, contact the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, Director Sarah Weiss at (Direct) 513.487.3091 or sweiss@holocaustandhumanity.org www.holocaustandhumanity.org
Monday May 2, 2011 7 p.m. Peace Presentation and Film Screening for the wider Cincinnati Community by Ann Weiss, sponsored by Christian peace group
‘Greater Anderson Promotes Peace’ to be held at Turpin High School.
For further details, contact The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, Director Sarah Weiss at (Direct) 513.487.3091 or sweiss@holocaustandhumanity.org www.holocaustandhumanity.org
Monday May 2, 2011 High School Forum, presented at Amelia High School, in urban Cincinnati by Ann Weiss, with screening film and sharing narratives.
For further details, contact The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, Director Sarah Weiss at (Direct) 513.487.3091 or sweiss@holocaustandhumanity.org www.holocaustandhumanity.org
Sun. May 1, 2011 2 p.m. Cincinnati Community-Wide Yom Hashoah Ceremony
Ann Weiss will present the keynote presentation.
Sponsored by The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, to be held at Mayerson Jewish Community Center.
For further details, contact The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, Director Sarah Weiss at (Direct) 513.487.3091 or sweiss@holocaustandhumanity.org www.holocaustandhumanity.org
January 4-March 31, 2011 The Last Album PHOTO EXHIBITION – Atlanta
The Last Album Photo Exhibition has moved from the Emory University campus to Atlanta’s Marcus JCC, under the auspices of Cultural Arts Director Kim Goodfriend.
There is a new dimension to this exhibition, in which we focus on the cultural life of the people in the photos, emphasizing the community and familial bonds.
THE LAST ALBUM: Cherished Photographs from the Past Bursting with Life… Images from Eastern Europe
The Marcus Jewish Community Center is located at 5342 Tilly Mill Road/ Atlanta, GA 30338
For further information, contact Kim Goodfriend, Director/MJCCA Arts & Culture
phone – 678.812.4071
March 27-29, 2011—Houston Holocaust Museum, Houston, Texas
Weiss will participate in a panel discussion on Developing Traveling Exhibitions, at national conference on Curators and Curating.
March 31-April 12, 2011—Helping Himalayan Children in Nepal.
My participation in this effort stems from two impulses—1-we must never leave people alone who are in desperate need of help, and when we can do something to help change lives for the good, I feel compelled to do so, and 2-the founders, the Keenans, are cherished friends and I wish to help in their effort to improve the lives of some of the poorest children on earth. [Note: My efforts will continue to include other children in other trouble spots, as time progresses—but in addition to my work with survivors, my work with student and adults here in the United States, I feel a need to reach out and help others as well, both domestically and abroad].
Weiss will photograph, interview, research and participate in activities of Himalayan Children’s Charities, to write series of articles on the extraordinary efforts to change the lives of the poorest children, currently living in orphanages, by giving them high quality education and placing them environments that gives them hope, not despair.
As the excerpt from their web site describes, “Being a child in rural Nepal is fraught with challenges. Kids are often abandoned by destitute parents who cannot afford to support them. Even kids with families will often drop out of school by the age of 8 to begin work to support themselves. Life isn’t much better in the cities, where orphanages are overcrowded, underfunded and understaffed. Children are often left to beg on the streets to feed themselves.â€
For more details, see Himalayan Children’s Charities serving to improve the lives of children in Katmandu, Nepal.
Thursday Jan. 27, 2011—World Holocaust Day – Keynote speech by Ann Weiss at Atlanta JCC
For details, please contact Kim Goodfriend, Director Arts and Culture at 678-812-4071
Open to the Public
January 27, 2011 11 a.m.—Personalized Program at Atlanta JCC for Senior Adults
January 27, 2011 2 p.m.—Special Seminar for 8th graders at Epstein School, Atlanta
These 8th graders, thanks to the organization and inspiration of Jack Schneider, age 13, took a class trip to Emory University to see The Last Album exhibition.
The student wrote reflections and responses to The Last Album photos and narratives. Now they will discuss thoughts and queries with Ann Weiss, and new stories from Weiss’ research will be shared.
September 15-November 15, 2010—Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
The Last Album Photo Exhibition will open September 15, and because so many departments wish to be involved, there will be photographic installations mounted in multiple locations around campus—including the new Public Health building (opening in September 2010), Emory’s Medical School, the Center for Ethics, directed by Paul Wolpe, the new Hillel building (opening in September 2010), the Visual Arts Center and also the Schwartz Performance Space—For the first time, the photographic exhibition will be mounted in conjunction with musical compositions from the Holocaust period, in which Weiss will interweave narratives among musical compositions performed on Tuesday September 28, 2010 at the Schwartz Performance Space.
This joint program will feature Holocaust music by Italian composer, Lotoro, and will be coordinated and conducted by Honora and Robert Foah. Weiss’ Holocaust narratives will be interspersed between each musical performance.
OPENING: Testaments of the Heart: Photographs from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau
Wednesday, September 15
Time: 5pm – 8pm
Location: Visual Arts Gallery
Emory University
700 Peavine Creek Drive
Atlanta, GA 30322
Over 100 photographs, culled from Ann Weiss’ collection of images that were confiscated by the Nazis from those who were interned at Auschwitz during World War II and compiled into her book, “THE LAST ALBUM: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau,” will be on display at multiple venues at Emory University, including the Center for Ethics, the Visual Arts Gallery, the School of Medicine, and Cannon Chapel. The photographs will also be shown at Emory’s Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts in conjunction with a concert by prominent Atlanta musicians of music that was written and performed in the internment and concentration camps of World War II, and compiled for posterity by Professor Francesco Lotoro of Italy, who will be on campus to introduce the program on September 28. Additional programs will include guided walking tours of all the exhibition sites, multi-media presentations and book signings with Ann Weiss, and a lecture on “Photography and the Holocaust†by Visual Arts Associate Professor Jason Francisco. A complete listing of events and a map of the exhibition sites will be available at www.testamentsoftheheart.org after September 1.
Special multi-media presentation at the Center for Ethics Commons 102
Wednesday, September 15
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Center for Ethics
Emory University
1531 Dickey Drive
Atlanta, GA 30322
Creativity Conversation Featuring Ann Weiss
Monday, September 27th
Time: 4:00pm
Location: Department of Film Studies
Emory University
109 Rich Building
Atlanta, GA 30322
What: Book Signing
Monday, September 27th
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Barnes and Nobles
Emory University
1390 Oxford Road
Testaments of the Heart: Theatrical Concert
Tuesday, September 28
Time: 8:00pm
Location: Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Emerson Concert Hall
Emory University
1700 N. Decatur Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30322
Testaments of the Heart will be the first time the images and music of the victims of the Nazi regime have ever been presented together. In fact, most of the music being presented on the evening of September 28th has never before been performed in front of a live audience.
The official Emory info about this event appears below. For more detailed information CLICK HERE
Holocaust Music, Photographs Presented at Emory This Month
Contact:
Elaine Justice: 404.727.0643
A debut of music written in Nazi concentration camps and a collection of personal photographs brought as keepsakes by Jewish deportees to those camps are part of a program at Emory University this month titled “Testaments of the Heart,” a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit.
Photography Exhibit
Noted author and Holocaust scholar Ann Weiss will present a campus-wide exhibition of photographs from her internationally acclaimed book, “The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau,” from Sept. 15–Nov. 12, 2010.
Titled “Testaments of the Heart: Photographs from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau,” the selection of more than 100 photographs from “The Last Album” will be shown in five locations at Emory–the Visual Arts Gallery, Center for Ethics, School of Medicine, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, and Cannon Chapel.
Opening Reception
All the venues will host an opening reception from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15, with a gallery talk and book signing by Weiss at the Visual Arts Gallery from 5-6 p.m. and special multi-media presentation by Weiss at 7 p.m. at the Center for Ethics. A map of all of the exhibition locations is available at www.visualarts.emory.edu. All events for the exhibition are free and open to the public; tickets are not required.
Concert
A concert of music written in Nazi camps, compiled by renowned musician, composer and musicologist Francesco Lotoro, will have its international debut at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28 at Emory’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Scribbled in notebooks, diaries and even on pieces of lavatory paper, the collection provides a remarkable history of the music played and sung by the victims of the Holocaust.
Musicians from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Georgia State University Orchestra and Emory’s Department of Music will come together to perform a selection of diverse musical pieces, from cabaret to classical, interspersed with visual imagery from Ann Weiss’ book, “The Last Album,” accompanied by stories and commentary from Weiss. Lotoro also will be present to provide a historical context and to perform a composition written for the organ.
The concert, presented in partnership with Mythic Imagination Institute, will be held at the Emerson Concert Hall of the Schwartz Center, 1700 North Decatur Rd. Free tickets (limit 4) may be obtained in person or by calling the Arts at Emory Box Office at 404.727.5050. The box office is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For more directions, parking and updates, visit www.arts.emory.edu
About “Testaments of the Heart”
“Testaments of the Heart” is a series of visual art, music, and multi-media programs and lectures that seek to supplement the images and stories of brutality and death that are typically associated with the Holocaust with evidence of the humanity, creativity and faith of its victims.
Congregation Ohev Shalom at 2 Chester Road in Wallingford. On Tuesday evening, 23 March, Dr. Ann Weiss will deliver a lecture entitled “Humanizing History: Narratives of Life, from the Ashes of Death.”
Dr. Weiss, the author of Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau, who has interviewed hundreds of survivors of the Holocaust, will give a view of the lives of people before they became victims. This lecture is sponsored by the Robert Nichols Adult Education Fund.
The Ma’ariv service, which lasts about fourteen minutes, will begin at 7:15 and will be followed immediately by the lecture.
The lecture is free, and all are welcome! Refreshments will be served
Sunday March 14, 2010—4 p.m. Marcus Memorial Lecture—Ann will deliver the Fred Marcus Memorial Lecture, in Denver, Colorado.
Organized in memory of survivor Fred Marcus, an exceptional survivor who tried to help others understand the value of life after the Holocaust, this lecture and film screening will take place at the Infinity Event Center at 4400 East Kentucky Avenue in the Glendale section of Denver. For tickets, go to: www.alumni.du.edu\fmmhl and for further information, contact Shoshana Zeldner at Center for Judaic Studies, University of Denver szeldner@du.edu or 303.871.3097.
On Sunday March 14, 2010 from 2-4 p.m. University of Rochester Alumni of Denver will host a reception honoring Ann Weiss and her work, prior to the Marcus Lecture.
March 6-8, 2010 Scholar’s Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches, 40th anniversary conference and special sessions in memory of Franklin Littel, held at St. Joseph’s University and Temple University.
Weiss shared a passage entitled, “Alone in the Pit–Lunia and the Einsatzgruppen,” excerpted from her mother’s unpublished memoir
February 6, 2010 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Day long seminar for Denver educators, Ann will present several sessions, in conjunction with the University of Denver and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, featuring ‘Auschwitz Photos—Diverse Perspectives from Perpetrators, Bystanders and the Jews.’
Ann concluded the day-long program with her presentation titled, “Humanizing History through Photos and Narratives”
Lindsay Hudgins attended Weiss’ Educators’ Seminar in Denver, sponsored by the University of Denver, the United States Holocaust Museum and the Holocaust Awareness Institute.
For further information, contact Shoshana Zeldner at Center for Judaic Studies, University of Denver szeldner@du.edu or 303.871.3097.
January 10-12, 2010 Association of Holocaust Organizations Winter Seminar, Washington, DC Series of annual seminars on diverse Holocaust research, in association with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Sunday November 15, 2009 Ezra Taglit Birthright Leadership Training seminar for Soviet Jews—Seabreeze Community Center, Brooklyn New York.
Coordinator Gene Smelyanskiy and assistant Olga Henkin organized talk, film screening and discussion for Russian Jews who emigrated from former Soviet Union twenty years ago, when they were children coming to US with their parents. This talk was part of a series of speakers to heighten cultural and historical connections to Judaism.
Saturday October 10, 2009 University of Minnesota, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies–Minneapolis, Minnesota
Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
The Faces of Genocide: Bosnia and the Holocaust
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, 9:30-4:30
International Institute of Minnesota
1694 Como Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Special Presentations:
The Bosnian Crisis: Professor Thomas Emmert
War Crimes Tribunals: Judge Marilyn Kaman
Faces from Bosnia: Randi Markusen
Faces from Auschwitz: Dr. Ann Weiss
Moving Against Genocide: Dance performance
The Multi-Generational Legacy of the Holocaust
To register, go to http://chgs.umn.edu/news/bosnia.html
These workshops are free of charge and open to the public.
Continuing education credits are available for teachers and lawyersc.
Space is limited; please register early!
Click here for an event schedule
WORLD WITHOUT GENOCIDE
Fundraiser to help create a world free of GENOCIDE
Sat October 10, 2009 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
17500 County Road/101 West
Wayzala, Minnesota
for further information, reservations, and questions, please call Lindsay at 608-628-6139
Thursday November 5, 2009 Bryn Mawr Film Institute
Film Screening, Book Signing, Talk and Reception for Friends and Alumni of University of Rochester.
6:00 pm Reception
7:00 pm Presentation
Bryn Mawr Film Institute
824 Lancaster Ave.
Bryn Mawr, PA
Join University of Rochester alumni, parents, and friends for a powerful presentation of stories and images of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Millions of photos were brought to death camps, yet only some 2,400 images survived. Photojournalist and educator, Ann Weiss discovered these secret photos on a tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1986 and then embarked on a tireless quest to bring these remarkable images to life. These photos reveal the lives of Jews who brought their memories with them when they thought they were going to be worked, not murdered. Weiss will share her story of the discovery of these photos as well as the stories of the lives of the people in them before they became victims.
There is a $10 charge to attend which includes FILM SCREENING, TALK, and hors d’oeuvres reception Advance reservations are requested. Copies of Weiss’ critically acclaimed book, The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auscheitz-Birkenau, will be available for purchase and signing. To register, please contact Office of Alumni Relations Megan Thompson at 877.MELIORA (877.635.4672) or visit us online at www.rochester.edu/alumnievents.
Coming up for Eyes from the Ashes are appearances and exhibitions in Philly, NYC, Myrtle Beach and Columbia, South Carolina and in early 2010, bookings in Denver and 2011, an exhibition in Texas.
In May (to a private audience of Young Leaders), Weiss will give a special hosted by HIAS, focusing on the roots of modern Jewish European history, vis a vis, the Eyes from the Ashes collection.
In June 2009, Weiss will participate in the Association of Holocaust Organizations annual conference in California.
In June-July, Weiss will participate in a 10 day seminar in Jerusalem, Israel.
In August 2-7, Ann Weiss will attend and present a lecture at the National Association of Jewish Genealogists annual convention, to be held this year in Philadelphia. Ann’s talk on “Photos Hitler Never Wanted You to See†will take place on Monday August 3, 2009 at 11-12:30—which is exactly 66 years after the photos and their owners came to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
July 29, 2009— Tisha B’Av Program – Aish Center – Bala Cynwyd, PA, 8:30 PM, No charge
We are honored to have Ann Weiss, a national lecturer on the Holocaust, join us to share Memoirs and stories about the Holocaust on Tisha B’Av, the Jewish National Day of Mourning. The Aish Center is located at 50 Montgomery Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004.
When: Tuesday, February 10th at 6:00 p.m.
Where: McClelland Hall in the Quad at 37th and Spruce Streets
What: Program and Dinner with Ann Weiss, Ph.D. (U Penn)
SEE THE PHOTOS HITLER NEVER WANTED YOU TO SEE!
These are the unknown personal photos that Jews brought with them to Nazi death camps when they thought they were going to be working not murdered. They give us an intensely intimate view of what and whom these people chose for their own remembering.
Unlike photos usually identified with the Holocaust, these family photos resonate with life not death and show these individuals BEFORE being victimized, when they were living normal lives, much like our own.
Ann Weiss discovered these unknown photos in Poland by accident, and has spent more than twenty years traveling the world, identifying the photos, interviewing survivors and sharing narratives with audiences in North America, Europe and the Middle East.
Her stories are captivating, and the photos she will share, even more so!
Don’t miss this unforgettable program emphasizing the humanity of the people, not their victimhood.
Copies of her book, The Last Album, will be available for a reduced price of $36.00. Dr. Weiss will personally inscribe each book.
To RSVP, please e-mail: Susan Schwartz, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at susansz@pobox.upenn.edu or call 215-898-4550 (Day) 215-898-0239 (Evening).
January 11-13, 2009— AHO/ASSOCIATION OF HOLOCAUST ORGANIZATIONS at UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM Winter Seminar, Washington, D.C.
Ann Weiss will present workshop entitled, “Reading Photographs—Process, Techniques and Praxis,†including an overview of photography history, as well as principles of photo analysis and individual photo examination.
January 15-19, 2009—LIMMUD NEW YORK
Held in the Catskills at the Nevele, Ann will present four presentations related to archival photos from Auschwitz-Birkenau, scheduled throughout the weekend. Presentations include: a) Stories to Fuel the Soul, b) Pivotal Narratives, Pivotal Principles, c) Reading Family Photos, and d) Photos Hitler Never Wanted You to See: Eyes from the Ashes.
For detailed conference specifics, click here or email: info@limmudny.org.
Wednesday November 6, 2008, 7:30-9:00 PM – Monmouth University, in West Long Branch, New Jersey.
Memorial lecture, in honor of Dan Bar-On, will be given by Ann Weiss for 70th commemoration of Kristallnacht/ Night of Broken Glass, sponsored by Jewish Culture Program.
Dan Bar-On, an influential leader in bringing people with differences (Palestinians and Israeli Jews, as well as children of Nazis and children of Survivors, etc.) together in dialogue, died of a brain tumor in September. His obituary, written by Palestinian professor Dr. Saliba Sarsar, was reason for Weiss and Sarsar to be in contact. However, it is not Dan’s death, but rather his life—in bringing people together as a bridge between cultures and religions—that is the impetus for this memorial lecture.
For further information, please contact Professor Sarsar
at 732-571-4474 or sarsar@monmouth.edu
Thursday December 4 to Friday December 5, 2008 – Pennsylvania and New Jersey Holocaust Education Annual conference , held at Valley Forge Radisson Hotel.
Weiss will present seminar on “Photos Saved from Destruction.”
For further information, or to register for conference, please contact Deanne Comer at dconsult@verizon.net or 215-517-5905.
January 11-13, 2009 – Association of Holocaust Organizations Winter Seminar, to be held at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Georgetown Holiday Inn.
Weiss will present seminar to museum directors on “Reading Historical Photographs†on Monday January 12 from 9:00-10:30 AM
Registration limited to registrants. Waiting list.
Saturday May 3, 2008 Global Human Rights Torch Event–LIBERTY BELL
Ann Weiss will speak at the Liberty Bell at 12:30 p.m., 6th and Market St, Philadelphia, PA discussing human rights abuses by Chinese government, from her perspective as a Holocaust scholar.
The event is designed to bring attention to the Chinese Communist Party’s violation of human rights and their support of other governments who commit similar crimes.
Related events are being sponsored throughout the world. Click here to see Israel’s Human Rights Global Torch event.
Event is free. For further information, contact:
Jessica Russo, Psy.D.
Office: (215) 236-8461
May and June, 2008, Premiere Event Thursday May8, 2008
‘THE LAST ALBUM’ EXHIBITION, CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS
at the Peoples Street Photo Project Gallery,
415 Peoples Street
Corpus Christi Texas 78401
For further details, please contact:
Kim Vogel Watson, Gallery Director
peoplesstreetphotoproject@gmail.com
Peoples Street Photo Project Website
Click here for a flyer about this event
The photos carried by Jews to remember their lives, when they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, will be seen for the first time in Corpus Christi. School groups as well as civic and community groups will have special events. Curator Ann Weiss will give the premiere speech at the opening on May 8, 2008—in memory of Cvi Cukierman, zâ€l, whose birthday and whose liberation date were both May 8. Stories about the people in the photos, including the family of Cvi Cukierman, will be shared.
Mon April 14, 2008 4:00 p.m. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
SIMMONS COLLEGE OF ARTS and SCIENCE
Weiss will speak to university students at Simmons on both the meaning and the narratives of the photos discovered at Auschwitz-Birkenau. There will be an opportunity for students to see the photos, ask questions, and have books personally inscribed.
Click here for more information
Monday April 14, 2008 12noon BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
WENTWORTH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Weiss will speak to students of Wentworth Institute, under the auspices of Professor Joanne Tuck about the photos carried into Auschwitz, about the people depicted in the photos, and about what this has to do with our own lives.
For further information, please contact: Professor Tuck at tuckj@wit.edu
Sunday April 13 at 12 Noon—RANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS
Temple Beth Am—Lecture and Brunch
Click here for more information
Wednesday April 9, 2008
University of Pennsylvania, Phildadelphia, Pennsylvania
Limited to U Penn students, faculty, staff. 6:00 p.m.
The Photos Hitler Never Wanted You to See: the stories, the photos, the people.
Ann Weiss will share narratives and photos that Jews chose for their own remembering, photos that put the final punctuation, not on their deaths, but on their lives.
Weiss will also screen a video-montage of the Auschwitz personal photos, and will sign copies of her book, The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
For further details, contact: susansz@pobox.upenn.edu
Sunday April 13, 2008
Friends of the Hillel Library Benefit—Keynote by Ann Weiss,
Fundraiser for the Cohen Hillel Academy, Swampscott, Massachusetts.
In addition to Weiss’ keynote presentation, the evening will feature a tribute to Survivor Abraham Rogozinski, and special honoring of L. P. Summers, of Atlanta, Georgia.
Program will be followed by light buffet and dessert reception.
For further information and tickets, please contact: Co-chairs
Maura Copeland, MD/ pandmcopeland@comcast.net
Flori Schwartz, MPH/ floridavids@comcast.net
Librarian/ diane@cohenhillel.org
February 20th, 2008
Wynnewood Borders, Wynnewood, PA “Meet the Authorsâ€
Featuring Ann Weiss, Dan Ben Amos, and others. Sponsored by JPS, URJ Press and Borders Books.
January 24, 2008 at 7 PM
Speech and Book Signing in center city Philadelphia.
For further information and details, please contact Shara Brunner at shara_brunner@verizon.net
September 18, 2007
Villanova University, Falvey Library. Weiss will speak on Conscience and the Holocaust. Postponed at Villanova’s request until Sept 2008.
Feb 8, 2007 — Cherry Hill, NJ:
Full day teacher’s training for New Jersey Holocaust Commission on “The Art of ‘Reading’ Photographs—Before, During and After the Holocaust.†Goodwin Holocaust Museum and Education Center of the Delaware Valley, 9 a.m. For information, contact Dr. Paul Winkler or Judy Baker at (609) 292-9274 at NJ Division of Holocaust Education.
Feb 5-28, 2007 — Honolulu, Hawaii:
Series of speeches at University of Hawaii Film Festival, other Honolulu colleges, community programs, schools and religious venues. For specifics, contact Seymour Kazimirski, Chairman, Global Consulting at (808) 591-1111 or globalcc@hawaii.rr.com
or Jody Helfand at jhrose22@hotmail.com
- Feb 18 University of Hawaii Kirk Cashmere Film Festival 7:30 p.m.
- Feb 19 Ala Moana Hotel—Speech to Chabad 7:30 p.m.
- Feb 21 Winward Community College, 7:30 p.m.
- Feb 22 Midpac High School (closed, only for students)
- Feb 23 Temple Emanual 7:30 p.m.
All programs in Hawaii are free and open to the public, except Midpac.
March 8, 2007 — Allentown, PA:
Premiere Speech and Photo Exhibition for Project Yachad, a consortium of organizations in Allentown, PA
Allentown JCC/ 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104
For further information, contact Wendy Rosenfeld at 610-435-3571 x 110.
March 10-13, 2007 — Cleveland, Ohio:
Participation in Scholars Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches.
Speech entitled: “What Do We Do After the Last Survivor is Gone?â€
Cleveland Marriot Downtown at Key Center at 127 Public Square.
For further information, contact Linda Gilmore at ljg3@po.cwru.edu
or view the conference website for most complete info:
http://www.case.edu/artsci/rosenthal/AnnualScholarsConference.htm
March 21, 2007 — Haverford, PA:
Film Screening and Storytelling for the Yiddish Culture Group at Haverford College. Chase Hall, 7:30p.m.
For further information, contact Jeff Tecofsky Feldman at 610-896-1199.
March 28, 2007 — NYC, NY:
HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) research seminar to World Congress of Russian Speaking Jewry, detailing tales of research discoveries in The Last Album. Unorthodox research techniques as well as more common ones will be shared. 6-8 p.m.
For details, contact HIAS Family Finder Director Valery Bazarov at 212-613-1409
Presentation and Panel Discussion, Reception
Closing event is 4 part series:
Limits of Imagination in Holocaust Representation
Thursday May 4, 2006
Cardozo School of Law
New York, NY
The Last Album: a Forschbeit Photographic Exhibition
Tuesday April 4, 2006 to Graduation June 2006
Cardozo School of Law
New York, NY
Life From the Ashes: Women of Valor
Honoring the Legacy of Susan B. Anthony 100th Anniversary
Wednesday March 22, 2006 at 7:00 PM
Speech and Reception
MCC – Rochester, NY
Sponsored by Holocaust and Genocide Project
Book Signing
Wednesday December 7, 2005 at 1:30-4:00 PM
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Washington DC
New Book and Foundation Launch Event
Thursday December 1,2005 at 6-8:00 PM
Philadelphia, PA
Philly Writes
Thursday November 17th, 2005 at 7:00 PM
Panel Discussion
Gershman Y – Philadelphia, PA
Photo Exhibition
September 22, 2005 to January 1, 2006
Burroughs-Chapin Art Museum
Myrtle Beach, SC
Southern Style with Diane DeVaughn Stokes
Tues Sept 20, 2005 @ 12:30 PM and 7:30 PM
Time Warner Television Talk Show
Yom Hashoah Annual Holocaust Memorial Observance
Sunday April 25, 2004 2:00
Newport News, Virginia
United Jewish Community of Virginia Peninsula and Virginia War Museum sponsor Weiss’ keynote
Reception and book signing to follow. Donations to benefit UJC Holocaust Education of Virginia are appreciated
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Wednesday
April 21, 2004 2:00 – 4:00
Book Signing
Ann Weiss will sign The Last Album athe the Museum Bookstore to commemorate the Holocaust and the 10th anniversary of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Elliot Museum and House of Refuge
January – March 2004
Stuart, FL
Photo Exhibition
Speech, film, book signing and reception
Television Appearance
WHYY Channel 12
Friday January 2, 2004 10:30 – 11:30 PM
ANN WEISS talks about her rare and moving collection of pre-World War Two photographs that belonged to deportes to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The photographs are featured in her book “The Last Album.” She came across a hidden cache during a visit to the camp in the early 1980’s. Joining in are TOLA GILBERT and BEN HIRSCH who found images of friends and loved ones among Weiss’ collection. Ann Weiss will be the third guest.
Scholar-In-Residence
January 2004
La Jolla Country Day School
La Jolla, California
Presentations to school and community. Special seminars for students and faculty.
Photo Exhibition (school version)
January-February 2004
La Jolla Country Day School
La Jolla, California
Pennsylvania Task Force on the Holocaust
Annual Conference
December 2003
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Last Album has been chosen for inclusion in the educational teaching trunks to be circulated around Pennsylvania public and parochial schools for Holocaust education. These trunks of learning materials will assist teachers throughout the state in teaching lessons of the Holocaust using specially chosen curriculum material.
Philadelphia Chapter of Hadassah
Keynote Speaker
November 18, 2003
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
At its annual meeting and as its featured event at the Festival of Books, Ann Weiss told stories of the pre-war lives in The Last Album.
National Public Radio, WHYY
Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane
November 21, 2003 11 AM – 12 AM
National Radio Appearance
Ann Weiss talks about her rare and moving collection of pre-World War Two photographs that belonged to deportes to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The photographs are featured in her book “The Last Album.” She came across a hidden cache during a visit to the camp in the early 1980’s. Joining in are TOLA GILBERT and BEN HIRSCH who found images of friends and loved ones among Weiss’ collection.
American Association of University Women
Keynote Speaker
September 9, 2003
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
At kick off for the year, Weiss tells the history of the discovery and the project.
Borowsky Gallery at the Gershman YMHA
Photo Exhibition
Speech, film, book signing and reception
September-November 2003
Reception: Sunday, September 21, 3-5pm
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Created from a secret trove of snapshots and formal photos miraculously saved, this exhibit celebrates the extraordinary yet ordinary pre-war lives of Jews, most who perished at Auschwitz – Birkenau
US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Keynote Speech and Film Screening
May 18, 2003
Helena Rubinstein Auditorium
Washington, D.C.
Special presentation for survivors, families of survivors, liberators and others. Commented history scholar (name withheld by request), “Of all the programs I’ve attended at the Holocaust Museum , and I’ve been to many, this was the most moving, and the most thought-provoking of any. In short, it was the best!”
Liberation in Europe Day
Keynote Speech
May 8, 2003
Absecon Middle School
Absecon, NJ
Maitland Holocaust Center
Maitland Florida
April-July, 2003
Photo Exhibition (smaller version)
The exhibition was both premiered to the public and used in conjunction with an Educators’ Conference. Conference organizer, “This show taught more of what I hoped to show the teachers than anything else we’ve ever done! Moving and thoughtful and unforgettable”
National Public Radio, Morning Edition
June 14, 2001
Washington, D.C.
National Radio Appearance
Feature on Ann Weiss and The Last Album by Alex Van Oss
Kol Tikveh
April 25-27, 2003
Parkland, Florida
Interfaith Commemoration
Yom Hashoah
Weekend of Stories
Rabbi Alex Lilienthal
Stockton University
April 3, 2003
Pomona, New Jersey
Graduate School Seminar
Dr. Marci Sachs Little, Director
Erie Museum of Art
January-March, 2003
Erie, Pennsylvania
Photo Exhibition
Premiere Saturday January 11, 2003 7 PM
Speech, film, book signing and reception.
Although Director Vanco lamented lack of publicity for many museum programs, The Lasr Album garnered more publicity than the museum has ever had, and despite a blizzard on January 11, there was a standing room capacity crowd!
International Network of Children of Holocaust Survivors
May 1988
New York, New York
Leadership Conference
Speaker
Holocaust Center
December 1988
Jerusalem, Israel
International Conference of Children of Holocaust Survivors
Keynote speaker
Clark University Holocaust Center
November-December, 2001
Worcester, Massachusetts
Keynote Speaker and Photo Exhibition
Speech, film, book signing and reception
Transcending Trauma: Psychological Aspects of Survival Conference
December 2, 2001
Philadelphia, PA
Keynote Speaker
Speech, film, book signing and reception
Ann Weiss opens conference with film screening, 9 a.m. and luncheon discussion, Other participants include Robert Krell (Vancouver), Israel Charney (Jerusalem), Eva Fogelman (New York City), and members of the Transcending Trauma research team.
Toronto Community Center
February 1989
Toronto, Canada
“An Evening with Ann Weiss: The Film, The Story, The Woman”
Speech, film, and reception
University of Pennsylvania
March 1989
Philadelphia, PA
Anne Frank International Scholars’ Conference
Opening conference speaker
Durham-Chapel Hill Commemoration of the Holocaust
April 1989
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Keynote speaker
“What Does the Holocaust Have To Do With Us?”
Drew University
November 1, 2001
Madison, NJ
Keynote Speaker
Keynote speech, film screening and reception
“Expressing the Inexpressable” at , Weiss presents film screening and lecture with James Young, author of The Texture of Memory
Villanova University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Guest Lecturer
Department of Peace and Justice, with Professor Sue Totten. Various seminar presentations.
Buffalo Holocaust Center
May 1989
Buffalo, NY
Keynote speaker
in honor of Television Station Manager, Len Arries
Annual Educator’s Conference
May 1990
Brookdale College Holocaust Center
Keynote speaker
with Eric Goldman of Ergo Films: “Film and the Holocaust”
Miami city-wide Commemoration of the Holocaust
Yom Hashoah, April 1991
Miami, Florida
Keynote speaker
“The Holocaust After All These Years: Looking Backward, Looking Forward”
Conference: Stories of the Holocaust
November 1991
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
Keynote speaker
with Aharon Appelfeld, “Visual Stories of the Holocaust”
Opening of the Museum’s Premiere Exhibition
World Center and Children’s Museum
November 1991
Raleigh, North Carolina
Keynote speaker
Keynote address, “Anne Frank in the World, 1929-1945”
Cabrini College
February 1992
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Guest Lecturer
“Media Manipulation and the Holocaust”
Ecumenical Sponsorship of Holocaust Commemoration
Yom Hashoah, April 1993
Lehigh University
Keynote Speaker
“Yom Hashoah and the Eyes of Auschwitz—Through Photos and Stories.”
Pittsburgh Holocaust Center
Yom Hashoah, April 1993
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Keynote Speaker
“The King of the Children: Januscz Korczak and the Holocaust,”
Oxford University
March 1994
Oxford, England
sponsored jointly with Humboldt University Berlin, Germany
Premiere of new resesearch
“Imagining the Unimaginable: the Relationship between Auschwitz Photos, Holocaust Student Attitudes, and Visual Image Interpretation.”
Association of Holocaust Organizations
Conference, “Art and the Holocaust”
June 1994
Nashville, Tennessee
Opening Speaker and Film Screening
Weiss’ Eyes From the Ashes
Canal Gallery
May-July 1995
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Keynote Speaker
Premier Exhibition of Eyes From the Ashes Photo Exhibition, based on personal photos brought into Auschwitz by deported Jews
Ecumenical Holocaust Consortium of Churches and Synagogues
Council of Christians and Jews
June, 1995
Holyoke Holocaust Center
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Keynote Speaker
Speech, film, book signing and reception
International Symposium on Contemporary Froms of Genocide
April 1996
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
Keynote Speaker
“The Personal Face of Genocide: Looking into Eyes From The Ashes of Auschwitz”
Tampa Bay Holocaust Resource and Education Center
April-July 1996
Tampa, Florida
Photo Exhibition
Keynote Speaker, film, book signing and reception
Eyes From the Ashes Photo Exhibition, based on personal photos brought into Auschwitz by deported Jews
Community Yom Hashoah Observance
April 1996
South Bend, Indiana
Keynote Speaker
Speech, film, book signing and reception
“The Holocaust and You”
Because of Weiss, this as the first time Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Jews came together to commemorate the Holocaust.
Barnes & Noble Bookstore
April, 1996
South Bend, Indiana
Keynote Speaker
Joint appearance with author Ken Jacobson.
Store Manager reports it was the largest crowd ever in the history of the store!
Stockton University
June 1996
Stockton, New Jersey
Keynote Speaker
High School Students Meet Authors, Artists and Filmmakers, including Yehuda Bauer, Mary Johnson, Carol Ritter and Ann Weiss
Weiss’ packed morning and afternoon classes conclude with standing ovation! Weiss given highest conference evaluations for teaching.
Detroit Community Center
October 1996
West Bloomfield, MI
Keynote address and Photo Exhibition
Keynote address and Eyes From The Ashes Photo Exhibition to standing room only crowd.
Multicultural Center, Bloomsburg University
February 1997
Bloomsburg, PA
Keynote address and Eyes From The Ashes Exhibition Premier
Speech by Ann Weiss to capacity audience.
Students discuss issues with Weiss past midnight
Holocaust Scholar’s Conference
March, 1997
Tampa, Florida
Speech by Ann Weiss
“Art, Memory and the Holocaust—Visual Images as a Mode of Remembering,”
chaired by Art Historian Betty Rubenstein
Major Genocides of the Twentieth Century
March 1997
McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Speech by Ann Weiss
featuring Armenian (Guggenheim Foundation speaker) Jewish Holocaust (Ann Weiss) Cambodian (Harvard speaker) and Rwandan genocide
Stockton University
April 1997
Stockton, New Jersey
Speaker
“Students Meet Authors and Artists.” Enthusiastic response to how a film is made, using Eyes From the Ashes as example
Institute of Christian-Jewish Studies
May, 1997
Baltimore, MD
Photo Exhibition
Conference of Roman Catholic priests and congregational rabbis on Christian-Jewish Relations
City-wide commemoration of the Holocaust
Baltimore Jewish Council
May 1997
Baltimore, MD
Photo Exhibition
Photo Exhibition led processional and captured media attention of all the telelvision stations.
University of Pennsylvania
May 1997
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Graduation Speech
Graduation Speech by Ann Weiss. “Eyes From The Ashes: The Voices Hitler Couldn’t Silence.”
Hunter Museum of American Art
February-May, 2003
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Photo Exhibition
Speech, film, book signing and reception
Multiple Presentations to School Groups
Held over through May
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
March 1998
Chattanooga, Tennesee
Learning from the Holocaust Conference
Speech
Ann Weiss presents to educators with Christopher Browning, Yaffa Eliach, Lawrence Langer, Michael Berenbaum and Deborah Lipstadt.
Philadelphia Kaiserman Center
Dec 12, 2000
Philadelphia, PA
Book Premiere
Speech, film, book signing and reception
Weiss premiers book before it is available in bookstores to home town audience. Book Fair organizers dub Weiss’ speech to a capacity crowd “most successful program of the entire week.” Identification by survivor Marion Landau of his favorite teacher. Mr. Landau is the son of judge at the Nuremberg Trials.
Skalny Center of Central European Studies
University of Rochester
February 28, 2001
Rochester, New York
First Annual Lecture
Speech, film, book signing and reception
Student Union
Syracuse University
April 16-April 17, 2001
Syracuse, New York
Speech and book signing
Holocaust Remembrance and Art
Spiegelman, author of Maus and Ann Weiss, author of The Last Album, “What Hitler Could Not Destroy,
Yom Hashoah Commemoration
April 18, 2001
Har Zion, Penn Valley, PA
Photo Exhibition (smaller version)
Speech and book signing
Normally the Holocaust Commemoration attracts 50-75 people. When Ann Weiss spoke, over 500 people attended.
Yom Hashoah Commemoration
April 22, 2001
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Washington, D.C.
Book Signing
Speech, film, book signing and reception
Border’s
April 23, 2001
Columbia Maryland
Book Talk
Inner Harbor Barnes & Noble
April 24, 2001
Baltimore, Maryland
Book Talk Speech and book signing
Ann speaks at the largest BN in world. New Identification by woman who says, “This is my Daddy,” Leibl Henesh and discovery of family in America with family in Israel, of Nunberg Family. A 90-year old who thought she had no family left after the Holocaust will be reunited with her newly discovered 80-year old cousin from Poland and Israel.
National Press Club
May 8, 2001
Washington, D.C.
Press Opening for new version of exhibition
B’Nai B’rith National Jewish Museum
May 9-September 28, 2001
Washington, D.C.
Premiere of National Tour, The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz Birkenau
Premiere Speech and Exhibits
Senator Joe and Hadassah Lieberman are the National Honorary Chair of the traveling exhibition
Exhibition runs through September 28, 2001. Special Excursions to exhibit organized by Smithsonian Associates (September 1, 2001), National Endowment, and International Red Cross on occasion of 10th Anniversary of Holocaust Tracing Bureau (September 11, 2001).
Annual Conference of National Jewish Book Council
May 31, 2001
Chicago, Illinois
Keynote Speaker
Speech, book signing and reception
Weiss and three other authors were chosen to speak to the Cultural Directors of Community Centers to highlight “most significant books of the year.”
St. Louis Holocaust Museum
October 15-November 18, 2001
St. Louis, Missouri
Keynote Speaker and Photo Exhibition
Speech, film, book signing and reception
St. Louis Exhibition Premier. Ann Weiss speaks at premier of exhibition. Exhibition runs through Kristallnacht
Jewish Learning Institute
January 7, 2002
Boca Raton, Florida
Seminar Speaker
Weiss teaches seminar based on The Last Album
Drew University, NJ
November 1, 2001
Film Screening and Lecture
“Expressing the Inexpressible”
Weiss presents film screening and lecture with James Young, author of The Texture of Memory, Norman Kleebart, Artist, The Jewish Museum in New York, and Nelly Toll, Artist and author.
For further information, see Drew University’s Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study ‘s web site: www.dets.drew.edu.chs
Clark University Center for Holocaust Studies
November 28, 2001
Worcester, Massachusetts
Exhibit Opening and Lecture
Ann Weiss speaks at exhibition premier at Clark University’s Center for Holocaust Studies, November 28, 2001. The Holocaust Center’s Director is Dr. Deborah Dwork. Exhibition runs through December 21, 2001.
Transcending Trauma Project
December 2, 2001
Philadelphia, PA.
Film Screening and Lecture
A Multidisciplinary Conference: How We Cope and Adapt after Traumatic Life Experiences, Philadelphia, PA. December 2-3, 2001.
Ann Weiss opens conference with film screening of Eyes from the Ashes, brief remarks. Other participants include Israel Charney (Jerusalem), Eva Fogelman (New York City), Helen Epstein (Boston), Robert Krell and Peter Sudfeld (both of Vancouver), and members of the Transcending Trauma research team, directed by Dr. Bracha Hollander. For further information, see www.pcfr.org and click on Transcending Trauma.
Jewish Learning Institute
January 7, 2002
Boca Raton, Florida
Seminar
Ann Weiss teaches seminar based on The Last Album. For schedule and specific information, contact Jewish Learning Institute Adult Education at (561) 756-0178.
The Holocaust Museum and Learning Center
October 14, 2001
St. Louis, Missouri
Exhibition
The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau
whose National Honarary Chair are Hadassah and Joe Lieberman will continue exhibiting in St. Louis, Missouri. Check here for details.
National Public Radio, Morning Edition
June 14, 2001
Radio Program
Feature on Ann Weiss and The Last Album by Alex Van Oss. Segment included conversation with Survivors Morris Rosen, originally from Dombrowa Gornica, Poland; Benjamin Hirsh, originally from Frankfort, Germany; and Henry Skorr, born in Kalish, Poland.
National Jewish Museum, Washington, DC
September 28th 2001
Exhibition
The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau
B’Nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum.
Special Events will be scheduled in May and June .
Special Excursions
September 1, 2001 and September 11, 2001
Senator Joe Lieberman and Hadassah are the National Honorary Chairs of the traveling exhibition. Special Excursions to exhibit have been organized by the National Endowments, Smithsonian Associates (September 1, 2001), and International Red Cross on occasion of 10th Anniversary of Holocaust Tracing Service (September 11, 2001). Ann Weiss will speak to the International Red Cross on September 11 at 10:30 a.m.
At the book’s publication, I knew that the soldier was wearing the uniform of the Polish Army, but no other identifying data. As soon as the book was published, I received a call from Israel. The soldier’s nephew, Cvi Cukierman, identified him as Avram Cukierman (pronounced Tsu’ker man) and his fiancée, then wife, Hela Krzesivo (pronounced Sheh’shi vah). For further information about the family, see pp120-133.
Avram Cukierman was a baker in Bendin, and his cakes and pastries were legendary. “People traveled from over a hundred kilometers to eat his cakes,” remembers Cvi.
Many years ago, when I was doing early research for this book, I visited a large group of survivors living in New York, who originally came from the Zaglembie region of Poland where many of these photos originated (Zaglembie includes Bendin and Sosnowiec in south central Poland, and has its administrative center in Katowice).
Picture this scene: a group of survivors arguing over what to order at Gayle Rifkele’s Pastry Shop in Bendin, each with a definite opinion of what is the most delicious.
“The cheesecake, it has to be the cheesecake.”
“No, it’s the fruit kuchen”
“The cakes, all the cakes, what could be better?”
“Chocolates. Remember their chocolates, and the creamy ice cream in the summer?”
The aging survivors, good-natured and animated, argued for many minutes over their favorite dessert—but the restaurant does not exist anymore, the baker has been dead since April 1944, and there are no Jews left in the town. Still the discussion is as earnest and heartfelt, as if in the next moment they will be ordering their favorite dessert at Gayle Rifkele’s.
To settle the matter, I ask (many years later) Avram’s surviving nephew. And although he admits that when he was starving during the war, he dreamed exclusively of the famous ice cream, Cvi Cukierman answers with certainty about what was the best dessert at Gayle Rifkele’s Pastry Shop:
“The cheesecake, definitely the cheesecake.”
Avram was the son of Rifkele and Hershel Cukierman, who owned the famous pastry shop in Bendin, Poland. His wife, Hela Krzesivo, was the sister of a leader Gordonia Zionist leader, Motek Krzesivo, who spent the war years in a Red Cross camp in Switzerland. Avram and Hela and their two beautiful young daughters, Halinka (born 1931) and Gutcha (born 1935), together with sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins, parents, aunts and uncles were killed. Though the war’s toll on this family was very high, the memories that linger are still very sweet.
As one survivor remembers himself as a child, pressing his nose against the glass of Gayle Rifkele’s Pastry Shop, said, “You could gain weight from just the aroma!”
Jewish Book Festival in Philadelphia (Kaiserman JCC)
December 12,2000
At the Jewish Book Festival in Philadelphia (Kaiserman JCC), where The Last Album was shared in a pre-publication premiere, a man from Bendin, Poland identified his beloved teacher from Furstenberg Gymnasium (Academic Academy). He is the son of the judge from the Nuremberg Trials who condemned Adolf Eichmann to death. Details will be shared as soon as he and I can speak at length.
On that evening, a capacity crowd listened to stories about the photos, the people who brought them into Auschwitz and speculation on how the photos were saved. In addition to screening my video-montage, Eyes from the Ashes, I introduced several people in the audience who were pivotal to the research, and the story:
*Avraham Susskind, a survivor from Sosnowiecz, who described, first-hand, the last moments of his best friends’ lives (see pp. 172-3).
*Relative of Artur Huppert (pp.144-155) who looks remarkably like his dashing relative in the photos.
*Participants from the original 1986 trip, Peggy Carver, Arlene Finkler, Beth Reisbord, and Sue Weiss, my sister, were present.