Holocaust Stories of Resistance and Resilience

Meet two courageous men who fought to survive the horrors of the Holocaust and build new lives of hope in Kansas. Teenagers Lou Frydman, a Holocaust survivor, and Jarek Piekalkiewicz, a Polish resistance fighter, both defied daunting odds and lost everyone and everything dear to them. Despite their personal tragedies, each summoned bravery to build a new life in Kansas. How does one make a life in a new land? Their stories, shared through the broad history of the Holocaust, World War II, and the rise of Polish resistance, demonstrate their valor and hope in finding new meaning to life.  The presentation is based on the book Needle in the Bone authored by presenter Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg. 

Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg is an author, poet, and was the Poet Laureate of Kansas from 2009-2013.

“Holocaust Stories of Resistance and Resilience” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Speakers Bureau and “21st Century Civics,” a collection of resources that invite Kansans to participate in community discussions and learn more about the history of American democracy and the shared responsibilities of citizenship. “21st Century Civics” is made possible with support from “A More Perfect Union: America at 250,” an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.