About Us
The mission of The Hannah Ida Urman Foundation is to remember and learn about the innocent victims tortured and murdered by Hitler’s Nazi regime. Toward that goal, we share the personal story of Hannah, her children and family, the Jewish communities she knew, and the stories of so many other people devastated by the Third Reich.
Our Team
Co-founder/director Sharon Hannah Berry is one of Hannah’s seven grandchildren. Along with her sisters, Sandra and Cynthia, this foundation was created to fulfill their father’s wishes. Sharon is self-employed in a research capacity and is turning her love of gardening into a farmette of blackberries, sunflowers and more. In her spare time, she is writing a book to be titled After the Silence.
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I have never seen a picture of my grandmother Hannah, though I continue to search records and photos that have become available. This seemingly small matter is a profound metaphor that illustrates the reality of a life once lived full and normal — extinguished from humanity. Those of us, who carry on the legacy for the victims of this atrocity, have a responsibility to keep their stories alive in ways that honor, respect, and inspire. It is my intent to promote the affirming lessons learned through Holocaust education, hearing personal histories and conscientious reflection.
MALKA "MOLLY" URMAN
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was Hannah’s aunt, who lived in Bedzin, Poland. She was married in Bedzin and came to the U.S. in the early 1900's and settled in New York. Her husband Sam Finkel was a co-founder of the Fraternal Order of Bendin Sosnowiecer ("FOBS"), a landsmanschaften established in 1929 and still in existence today; FOBS helped immigrants from their homeland region settle in the U.S. before and after WWII. Molly and Sam had three children -- Rose, Anna and Rachael, of blessed memory; Molly and Sam have seven grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, 28 second great grandchildren and 10 third great grandchildren -- currently.
May their memories be a blessing.
Molly and Sam at their grand daughter Barbara's wedding in 1957