Holocaust Stories of Champaign-Urbana And Beyond

"There is a lot of literature and research today about how Holocaust survivors would hold back from sharing their family's fate with their children. Often they opened up more to the third generation. And this was the case in our family as well." 

Michael LeRoy is the LER Alumni Professor of Labor and Employment Relations and affiliated faculty of the College of Law at UIUC, as well as long time C-U community member. His father, Otto Lefkowitz, or Robert LeRoy, was a survivor of Auschwitz. Michael talks about his fathers upbringing in the German town where his family had resided for over 350 years, and the ways that the area grew increasingly hostile after the Nazi regime came to power. He has the account of where most family members were taken, and if they did or did not survive. Michael also shares the way that the way his upbringing was effected by growing up as a child of a Holocaust survivor, and the difficulty with telling this story. 

"Not a day went by that my father didn't cry for his lost family"

Sharon Shavitt is Professor Emerita at the Geis College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is also the daughter of a Holocaust Survivor. In this episode, Sharon talks about her mothers incredible story of survival, and how she used a combination of cleverness and luck to help her family evade the Nazi's. Her mothers' resilience in the face of atrocity will surely inspire and empower any listener. Thank you, Sharon, for sharing your families story!

"That’s one set of [false identity] papers, but there was my mom and her sister. So my mom ... remembers just staying up, lying awake for hours just trying to figure out how she could make this work... what she could do to save both of them."

This episode is generously sponsored by Alaina and Larry Kanfer.

Larry Kanfer is a Midwest based, nationally collected photographic artist, and longtime resident of Champaign-Urbana. Many are familiar with his pictures and artistic work, but not many know he is the son of Frederik Kanfer, a Holocaust survivor. Larry shares his family's long journey to safety while they were running from the Nazis, and the kindness of strangers that allowed them to survive. His father's outlook on life affected his upbringing and his own worldview. 

Thank you, Larry, for sharing your family's story!

"Another reason my father didn't want to talk about it is he didn't want to burden us with that negativity. He always pushed the idea to 'be the best you cant be' and don't be uncumbered that way."

Tova and her son Shachar share how their life has been shaped as descendants of Holocaust Survivors Dina and Meir Pschechatzki. Shachar teaches advertising strategy, creativity and campaign at UIUC, and Tova is a retired kindergarten teacher and social worker of 40+ years. This unique episode allows listeners to hear the multigenerational impact of the Holocaust through two separate perspectives. Listen as Tova shares her parents incredible and painful story of survival - her mother from 4 camps and her father from 7 - and their eventual immigration to Israel. Shachars additions and insights will help remind listeners of the importance of sharing these stories, now more than ever.

Their family story is also written in the book The Tree of Life: The Story of Meir and Dina, published in Hebrew. You can read their story HERE.

"My mom was hardly able to walk. She was bleeing in her feet. In the Death March, if you are unable to walk, you will be shot. A friend and her mother were holding my mom on two sides just to make her walk."

Listen in as Brian Kahn from the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation's Holocaust Education Center talks about the 1990 Illinois mandate (Public Act 86-780) to teach the Holocaust in elementary and middle schools, and how the HEC has worked to help implement that. He talks about the best ways to teach about the Holocaust, and current initiatives that the HEC has. 

"We don’t have to wonder how to teach the Holocaust. We know best practices now--primary source documents, reading nonfiction texts, and learning to incorporate writing poetry and studying drama."

Hear Linda talk about her parents story of survival and her birth in a displaced persons camp. Listen to her upbringing in Germany, in Colorado, and her eventual move to Champaign-Urbana. Linda Bauer previously served as the Executive Director for the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation.

"I have a friend that found out about my family history and the concentration camps and all that and they asked ‘well, what did you guys do?’ 

I said ‘we didn’t do anything.’ "

"Helping to Advocate Towards Your Healing Journey"

In this episode, Bill talks about his experience of surviving the Holocaust as a child and how his family rebuilt after. From the Warsaw Ghetto, to the Siberian work camps, to Ellis Island, this won’t be a story you are easily able to forget.

His family story also is documented in the book Tunnel, Smuggle and Collect - A Holocaust Boy’s Story by Bill’s nephew, Jeffrey Gingold. 

"One boy, seemed very articulate... said ‘I don’t think that what you’re sharing with me is factual,’ and I said ‘well, all I can do is share with you what I think I know, and what I’ve learned over time.’ "

This episode is generously sponsored by Kendrick Counseling, PLLC.