A third-generation Holocaust survivor on the UW-Stout faculty will share his family’s story in a free public presentation Wednesday evening (Jan. 26) as the university
Jacob Hellman, a lecturer in UW-Stout’s English, Philosophy and Communication Studies Department, will speak from 5 to 6 p.m. in Ballroom A of the Memorial Student Center. It will also be possible to attend virtually on Teams Live.
Thursday (Jan. 27) is the 77th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. It is also International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day of memorial for the six million Jews and 11 million others killed by the Nazi regime and its supporters during World War II.
“My family’s story enriches UW-Stout’s story,” Hellman said. “I want to spread a message of tolerance to everyone and add to our university’s tapestry and diverse community.”
Hellman grew up knowing his grandparents’ history. It’s a story that began in Gunzenhausen, a Bavarian town of about 16,000 people, 35 miles southwest of Nuremberg, Germany, where his grandfather’s family had lived for six centuries.
Grandparents shared their story
His grandparents often shared their experiences of the violence they encountered on Kristallnacht, which started the flight from Germany that eventually brought them to the United States. His grandmother told their story many times to school groups and was interviewed by the Spielberg Foundation.
As Hellman grew older, he learned more details of their efforts to leave Germany prior to World War II. Growing up in the Baltimore area, where there is a large Jewish population, he knew many Holocaust survivors and descendants who knew their own family’s stories.
But coming to the Midwest and teaching at a smaller Wisconsin university, Hellman thought, “Maybe most UW-Stout students haven’t heard a Holocaust survivor story before.”
To access an article by Hellman’s father, describing his family’s experiences, click here.
Hellman said he hopes his account of what his family went through will contribute positively to the culture of social justice. He said he believes “we need to combat messages of hate.
“We need to remember our roots as humans,” he said. “In our lifetime, the Holocaust will pass out of living memory. We need to preserve the memory and as a human society need to keep it alive, or we are doomed to repeat it.”
Hellman’s presentation is co-hosted by UW-Stout’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office and the Involvement Center.
NOTE: This story is based on information provided by the Marketing Communications office at UW-Stout.