‘It is about the truth’: How descendants of Holocaust survivors aim to preserve their stories of survival

Ted Glanzer, Hartford Courant
·3 min read

With the number of Holocaust survivors dwindling, it’s become even more important for the torch to be passed to descendants to preserve and tell the stories of one of history’s greatest atrocities.

Voices of Hope, a nonprofit created by the descendants of Holocaust survivors from across Connecticut, is hosting its second Descendants of the Shoah Conference, a one-day event at the Mandell JCC in West Hartford on Sept. 11 that aims to raise awareness of the Holocaust, personal experience and the continuity of remembrance.

“It is about the truth,” conference co-Chairwoman Sharone Kornman said. “We’re losing pieces of it frankly. The people who were there, we’re losing those people. Now it’s very much secondhand. We’re really grasping at everything we can to preserve the truth and the observations and stories, because when they’re gone, they’re gone. When it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Kornman, whose mother survived the Holocaust by going into hiding in Poland, said a few survivors will likely attend, but the target audience is primarily for the children of survivors — known as 2Gs (for second generation). The event is also geared toward Holocaust educators and students, Kornman said.

The conference, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., features 12 discussions — two of which repeat throughout the day — spread out over three sessions. The discussions include:

  • “So, You Want to Write a Book?” by Robert Mandel, which delves into how to have a memoir published.

  • “Preparing to Speak in the Classroom,” by Dr. Sarah Snyder, which is designed to teach 2Gs and 3Gs how to discuss the Holocaust while visiting schools. “It used to be our parents who spoke, but now many of our parents who are still alive are not in shape to go and speak. Now it’s time for the 2Gs [to step in],” Kornman said.

  • “Not Just a Bunch of Thugs!” by Professor Barry Kosmin, which dispels the myth that Nazis in Germany were uneducated goons. “They were, in fact, highly educated and sophisticated people,” Kornman said.

In addition to the panels, just having the 2Gs congregate provides an opportunity for informal discussions that leads to forming a bond and community, Kornman said.

“When the 2Gs get together and share stories, it’s very meaningful,” she said. “We kind of all draw energy from each other. Some people have been talking for years; some people have never spoken, so it’s a real opportunity.”

The first conference was held in 2018 and was intended to be held every other year, but the pandemic put those plans on hold, according to Kornman.

Its importance is magnified even more with the increase in the number of hate groups that have cropped up across the nation, including reports of white nationalist organizations in Connecticut, Kornman said.

Kornman said she and others knew there would be a growing number of people who deny the Holocaust happened as the number of survivors decreased.

“It is for sure shocking that we are where we are, [that] there is still a growing number of people that want to totally deny the Holocaust,” she said. “But we knew that was going to happen. … Many of us knew that day would come as survivors dwindled, more and more people would say it never happened.”

What’s just as offensive, according to Kornman, is what historian Deborah Lipstadt labeled “softcore Holocaust denial,” which is the cheapening of the term by labeling things far less severe as a holocaust, or comparing someone they disagree with politically or socially with Hitler.

“People for sure say it all the time,” Kornman said. “People comparing COVID requirements with the Holocaust … [or] politicians and spokespeople using Holocaust rhetoric.”

Over time, using the Holocaust for such comparisons renders the term almost meaningless, she said.

The Mandell JCC is located at 335 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford. The cost of the conference is $85 for the general public, $18 for students and free for survivors. Lunch is included. Those who wish to attend must register by Monday. To register, visit ctvoicesofhope.org.