Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

After months of tumult on the campus of Harvard University following the Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the university's reaction, a holocaust survivor visited a Jewish organization at the prestigious school on Thursday. Karmela Waldman visited Harvard Chabad for a fireside chat comparing the history of the Holocaust to present-day antisemitism and recent incidents. Waldman was joined by her son, author and podcaster Joel Waldman, who recently published a book about his family's experience. The mother and son are on a book tour. Karmela Waldman survived the Holocaust in what was then Yugoslavia. Her mother and grandmother also survived, but her father and grandfather were killed at Auschwitz. "My mother took me through a hole in the fence," Karmela Waldman said. "They came to take us to the trains to take us to Auschwitz." Her mother asked a non-Jewish doctor for help, and he brought her to a Catholic nun at a boy's school. "He walked over there and asked them if they would take a Jewish child, a 5-year-old girl," she said. "She had to pretend to be a little Catholic boy, basically," Joel Waldman said. She remains upbeat despite all that she has endured. "I cannot help it, I'm an optimist," she said."My mom's not only a Holocaust survivor. She also lost her child during the writing of this book and was in the process of losing my father," Joel Waldman said. Earlier this week, pro-Palestinian protesters voluntarily cleared their encampment in Harvard Yard on Tuesday after university officials agreed to discuss their questions about the endowment, bringing a peaceful end to the kinds of demonstrations that were broken up by police on other campuses.University officials had suspended the group, Harvard for Palestine, before the encampment was established. Former Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned in January in part because of intense criticism over Harvard's response to the Oct. 7 attack. At a Congressional hearing on Dec. 5, she and the leaders of other universities struggled to answer a question about whether calls for genocide against Jews would violate Harvards code of conduct.Gay later apologized for the poor wording in her testimony, as did University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, who also resigned.Gay was the first person of color and the first Black woman to serve as president of Americas oldest institution of higher learning but her tenure was the shortest presidency in the history of Harvard.Numerous pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests have unfolded on the campus, sometimes simultaneously, since October."The best way to resolve it is through dialogue, through understanding, through patience and I'm sorry to say this as a cliche or not cliche through love," said Karmela Waldman."This story is about non-Jews saving a little Jewish girl. We need to get the world back on track," her son said.

After months of tumult on the campus of Harvard University following the Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the university's reaction, a holocaust survivor visited a Jewish organization at the prestigious school on Thursday.

Karmela Waldman visited Harvard Chabad for a fireside chat comparing the history of the Holocaust to present-day antisemitism and recent incidents. Waldman was joined by her son, author and podcaster Joel Waldman, who recently published a book about his family's experience.

The mother and son are on a book tour.

Karmela Waldman survived the Holocaust in what was then Yugoslavia. Her mother and grandmother also survived, but her father and grandfather were killed at Auschwitz.

"My mother took me through a hole in the fence," Karmela Waldman said. "They came to take us to the trains to take us to Auschwitz."

Her mother asked a non-Jewish doctor for help, and he brought her to a Catholic nun at a boy's school.

"He walked over there and asked them if they would take a Jewish child, a 5-year-old girl," she said.

"She had to pretend to be a little Catholic boy, basically," Joel Waldman said.

She remains upbeat despite all that she has endured.

"I cannot help it, I'm an optimist," she said.

"My mom's not only a Holocaust survivor. She also lost her child during the writing of this book and was in the process of losing my father," Joel Waldman said.

Earlier this week, pro-Palestinian protesters voluntarily cleared their encampment in Harvard Yard on Tuesday after university officials agreed to discuss their questions about the endowment, bringing a peaceful end to the kinds of demonstrations that were broken up by police on other campuses.

University officials had suspended the group, Harvard for Palestine, before the encampment was established.

Former Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned in January in part because of intense criticism over Harvard's response to the Oct. 7 attack. At a Congressional hearing on Dec. 5, she and the leaders of other universities struggled to answer a question about whether calls for genocide against Jews would violate Harvards code of conduct.

Gay later apologized for the poor wording in her testimony, as did University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, who also resigned.

Gay was the first person of color and the first Black woman to serve as president of Americas oldest institution of higher learning but her tenure was the shortest presidency in the history of Harvard.

Numerous pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests have unfolded on the campus, sometimes simultaneously, since October.

"The best way to resolve it is through dialogue, through understanding, through patience and I'm sorry to say this as a cliche or not cliche through love," said Karmela Waldman.

"This story is about non-Jews saving a little Jewish girl. We need to get the world back on track," her son said.

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Holocaust survivor visits Harvard to discuss modern antisemitism - WCVB Boston

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