In observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day, there will be two major events in Shreveport:
- the Louisiana film premiere of Four Winters about Jewish Partisans who fought back against the Nazis during WWII, with Director Julia Mintz in attendance, at the Robinson Film Center on Sunday, April 28 at 2:30 p.m., and
- the 41st annual Northwest Louisiana Holocaust Remembrance Service on Sunday, May 5 at 3:00 p.m. at LSUS with award-winning author and Holocaust survivor Sonia Levitin as the featured speaker.
The Louisiana premiere of the documentary Four Winters will be 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 28 at the Robinson Film Center. Director and Producer Julia Mintz will be in attendance to introduce the film, and for a Question and Answer session afterward. The film focuses on Jewish individuals who fought back against the Nazis during World War II.
“All I owned was my camera, a leopard coat, and a grenade in case of capture…the pillow was the rifle, the walls were the trees and the sky was the roof,” says partisan Faye Schulman. Over 25,000 Jewish partisans fought back against the Nazis and their collaborators from deep within the forests of WWII’s Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Belarus. Against extraordinary odds, they escaped Nazi slaughter, transforming from young innocents to courageous resistance fighters. Shattering the myth of Jewish passivity, these last surviving partisans tell their stories of resistance in Four Winters, revealing a stunning narrative of heroism and resilience.
Robinson Film Director Wendell Riley states “As with most reflections of historical events, we often latch on to established narratives, but in doing so we run the risk of missing valuable stories that haven’t been given voice yet. We are honored to be partnering with the North Louisiana Jewish Federation to share this story with our community, and in doing so hopefully create a more complete account of those involved in World War II.”
Tickets may be purchased through the Robinson Film Center (https://robinsonfilmcenter.org/comingsoon#/four-winters-cs/). The ticket price includes the film, Q and A, and a reception afterward.
Thanks to the generosity of several sponsors, some Northwest Louisiana teachers can attend for free. Middle and High School teachers of English, Social Studies, Arts and other Humanities can use this link to register (https://jewishnla.regfox.com/four-winters-for-teachers).
The 41st Annual Northwest Louisiana Holocaust Remembrance Service will be 3:00 p.m. Sunday, May 5 in Louisiana State University Shreveport’s University Center. To honor the victims of one of humanity’s worst moments, our community remembers the Holocaust with an annual ecumenical service and program. The Chair of the event is Dr. Kenna Franklin, Assistant Provost of Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement and Associate Professor of Professional Practice. “LSUS welcomes any opportunity to equip our students, our campus, and our community with an engaged awareness of intellectual history that can broaden the study of culture and highlight the struggle of the world’s sense of humanity,” notes Dr. Franklin.
The guest speaker will be Sonia Levitin, Holocaust survivor and award winning author. Sonia Levitin is also an artist, playwright, and social activist, often using the novel as a form of intercultural understanding. As a Holocaust survivor, Sonia wants to be a bridge between peoples. Her books include mysteries, historical novels and current affairs. She has been honored with the Pen Award, National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor Award, and the German Catholic Bishops Award. There will be signed copies of her young adult novel Journey to America available at the reception following the service.
Since 1984, a coalition of community partners in Northwest Louisiana have held an annual remembrance service for victims of the Holocaust. Through our remembering and active cooperation, we strive to obliterate injustice. Eleven candles will be lit in memory of the eleven million lives lost during the Holocaust. We will share prayers together in memory and solidarity. This is intended as a non-denominational opportunity for the community to come together to remember and find strength to prevent injustice in the world. Please join us, whatever your faith background.
Northwest Louisiana middle and high school students are given the opportunity to participate in the Holocaust Remembrance Literary and Arts Competition. Students learn about the Holocaust, and produce poems, stories, essays, visual art, or musical compositions. This year there were 135 student submissions. Winners of each category will be announced at the service.
More information about the Service and the Literary and Arts Competition can be found at holocaustremembranceservice.org
There is no charge to attend. Registration is appreciated at (https://jewishnla.regfox.com/hrs).
Information about Yom HaShoah:
The internationally recognized date for Holocaust Remembrance Day corresponds to the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. It marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. In Hebrew, Holocaust Remembrance Day is called Yom HaShoah. This year, Yom HaShoah falls on Monday, May 6.
Shoah, which means “catastrophe” or “utter destruction” in Hebrew, refers to the atrocities that were committed against the Jewish people during World War II. This is a memorial day for those who died in the Shoah. The Shoah is also known as “the Holocaust,” from a Greek word meaning “sacrifice by fire.”
The Holocaust was the largest manifestation of antisemitism in recent history. Yom HaShoah reminds us of the horrors that Jews and other persecuted groups faced: forced labor, starvation, humiliation, and torture, which often resulted in death. It was a systematic effort to wipe out an entire population from the face of the earth.
For more information, contact:
Barbara Joseph
Executive Director
318-868-1200
barbara@jewishnla.org