Thank you to Alejandra Espansande and Cinecito Productions for this wonderful short subject film about Voices of the Generations.  This is an important step in keeping the memories and the stories alive.

The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC  recently hosted the UCLA Festival of Preservation film series. Among the restored films presented on Sunday, August 14, 2011 were episodes of This Is Your Life, featuring the life stories of three Holocaust survivors, Hanna Kohner, Ilsa Stanley, and Sara Veffer.

Joanna Raczynska, from the National Gallery of Art Department of Film Programs, provided an overview of the programs and introduced Julie Kohner, founder of  Voices of the Generations.  Julie presented introductory remarks, and led a discussion afterwards. Among the questions raised, was one by a member of the audience who wanted to know how the sponsor of This Is Your Life agreed to support a television program on such a topic, eight years after the end of the war.  This is a question that deserves an answer, as even in our time of open media, questions are asked as to what is appropriate or not.

Photo above is from This Is Your Life, Sara Veffer.  Mrs. Veffer is shown sitting center.

Julie had the pleasure to meet Carolynne Veffer, visiting from Toronto, Canada, and granddaughter of Sara Veffer, one of the three subjects of the “This Is Your Life” programs featuring Holocaust Survivors.

Special thanks to the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC for hosting this event, and to the Ralph & Barbara Edwards Family Foundation and UCLA Film and TV Archive for making this travel possible.

Julie Kohner (Founder of Voices of the Generations) and Aviva Weintraub (Director of the Jewish Film Festival) held a Q&A session after the showing of “This Is Your Life, Hanna Bloch Kohner”, at the Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center, on Sunday, July 14, 2011.

Book signing following the presentation of “This Is Your Life, Hanna Bloch Kohner”.

Julie at the UCLA Festival of Preservation event held at Lincoln Center, New York.

Julie Kohner, founder of Voices of the Generations, will be speaking on Sunday, July 17, at the Walter Read Theater at Lincoln Center, New York City.  Julie is traveling with the UCLA Festival of Preservation, which showcases classic and rare film and TV titles restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive. Hailed by The Los Angeles Times as “the city’s most surprising, most stimulating, most invigorating film event,” the festival now heads east for its premiere New York engagement.

Julie will be speaking and participating in Q&A at the 12:30 presentation of three episodes of “This Is Your Life”  featuring three exceptional women—all survivors of the Holocaust. The Q&A will be moderated by Aviva Weintraub, Associate Curator of The Jewish Museum and Director of the New York Jewish Film Festival.

For more information, please click on the link below

http://www.filmlinc.com/films/series/ucla-festival-of-preservation

I have recently returned from an exciting VOG trip to Florida, visiting synagogues and schools.  The trip began on Thursday, April 28, with a teacher training session hosted by the Commission for Jewish Education (CJE) in West Palm Beach in which the VOG curriculum was introduced.  In addition, CJE helped to organize speaking engagements at Temple Shaarei Shalom in Boynton Beach, Temple Israel in West Palm Beach, Temple Beth Torah in Wellington, Arthur I. Meyer Jewish Academy in West Palm Beach, Congregation L’Dor Va Dor in Lake Worth.  In addition, I was also a guest speaker at Congregation Kol Tikvah in Parkland.
Below are some photos and testimonials from my recent visit.  A heartfelt thank you for inviting Voices of the Generations to your congregations. – Julie

“Julie’s presentation of her parents’ life before, during and after the Holocaust shines a bright light in everyone’s eyes.  Remembering the days of strife and ending in a love story that lives beyond the test of time is truly both remarkable and heartwarming.” Beth Pennamacoor, Cantorial Soloist/Director of Education, Temple Beit HaYam,  Stuart, Florida.   

“Ms. Kohner presented an extraordinarily moving personal story that touched our members deeply. Hearing the experiences of her family helped us place the events of the Holocaust and the lives of the survivors after the War into a more understandable framework for both the adults and the youngsters who were privileged to share her presentation.” Rabbi Pinsky Temple Beth Torah, Wellington, Florida 

”Julie’s unique presentation offered a fresh way to remember the Holocaust. Our teens were especially captivated by viewing the footage from “This is Your Life.”  It was powerful to see how pop culture in America attempted to address the issues of the Holocaust less than 10 years after the end of WWII.  I recommend that every Jewish organization invite Julie to visit and share her mother’s story.”  Debbie Hafetz -Ed. Dir., Congregation Kol Tikvah Parkland Florida

“Julie’s presentation was beyond our expectation! She had everyone in the room crying! She touched the souls of our teachers, students, parents and congregations,  Our entire community benefited from learning about her mother’s devastating experiences during the Holocaust and the courage and inspiration of her survival.”  Robyn Hurvitz, Director of Professional Development, Friedman Commission for Jewish Education

Nearly 200 people made their way to the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in Westwood last Sunday, March 13, to see three separate and truly emotional episodes of Ralph Edwards “This Is Your Life”. These most memorable episodes each featured Holocaust survivors, with different and compelling stories. These three individuals, Ilse Stanley, Sara Veffer, and Hanna Bloch Kohner, were surprised by host Ralph Edwards during his introductory remarks as he walked down the aisles of his studio audience.  My mother, Hanna Bloch Kohner, was the first Holocaust survivor, in 1953, to have her story told on national television.  I would like to thank the UCLA Film and Television Archive for the opportunity to speak to a truly receptive audience about my mother’s experience, growing up as a child of a Holocaust survivor, and our non-profit charity, “Voices of the Generations”, founded  to inform people across the country, utilizing “This Is Your Life, Hanna Bloch Kohner”,  as a personal and unique approach to Holocaust education.  – Julie.

In case you missed this great review by Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times on March 3.

Here is the link: LA Times review of UCLA Festival of Preservation.

The UCLA Festival of Preservation, Sunday night March 13 showing of “This Is Your Life” event has been posted to the UCLA Hillel site.  See it at http://www.facebook.com/HillelatUCLA

Appearing in the Jewish Journal.com “Picks and Clicks” for the week of March 8 – 18, 2011, is a pick for Sunday, March 13, 7pm – UCLA Festival of Preservation.  Three restored episodes from the 1950’s television show, “This Is Your Life” with three different Holocaust survivor stories will be presented.  Julie Kohner will also speak about her mother, Hanna Kohner, the first Holocaust survivor to share her story on national television.

On the web at JewishJournal.com