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Co-founder Sharon Hannah Berry is one of Hannah’s seven grandchildren. Along with her sisters, Sandra and Cynthia, this foundation was created to fulfill Ben Fainer’s wishes of continuing his legacy of Holocaust education. Ben is their father who survived Hitler's Hell.
"While most U.S. adults know when the Holocaust happened and are familiar with Auschwitz, [...] fewer are cognizant about the number of Jews murdered and how Hitler came to power in Germany, according to a [...] American Jewish Committee (AJC) public opinion survey." /1
"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."
It seems the concept of Never Again has been replaced with disinformation intended to denigrate people who observe Judaism. This powerful wave of hate in the streets, the media, and college campuses propels us to challenge the rise in global anti-Semitism fueled by lack of knowledge about the Holocaust, Holocaust denial, prejudices against Jews, and the denial of Israel’s right to exist.
Sharon is retired and now works part time in a research capacity. She devotes the lion's share of her time to the administration and management of the Hannah Ida Urman Foundation. She lives on a several acres in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and has turned her love of gardening into a farmette growing blackberries, sunflowers, and tomatoes. In her spare time, she is writing a book to be titled After the Silence; her personal story following her father's memoir Silent for Sixty Years, co authored by Mark Leach.
/1 The survey of U.S. adults was conducted for AJC, a nonpartisan organization, by the independent research firm SSRS. A nationally representative sample of 1,004 general population adults, ages 18 or older, was interviewed from October 10 – October 18, 2022. The margin of error is +/-3.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
CHESTERFIELD’S WWII HEROES:
A Holocaust Survivor, Nazi Camp Liberator,
and a P.O.W. in Germany
The Heritage Foundation of Chesterfield will host a public event
celebrating the lives of three local citizens, each with a unique first-hand experience of WWII.
➢ Ben Fainer, Holocaust Survivor: Ben was a Chesterfield business owner who spent six years in Nazi camps, from age 9 to 15. He was liberated by U.S. forces on a final death-march in the waning hours of the war. After 60 years of silence, he met and became best friends with one of his liberators!
➢ David Lupo, U.S. Army Liberator of Dachau: David was a Chesterfield resident who fought his way across France and Germany. In the spring of 1945, he began to hear something called “concentration camps” being mentioned in Signal Corps communications. It wasn’t until he found himself opening the gates of Dachau that he understood what those messages were talking about.
➢ Frank Huelskoetter, U.S. Army P.O.W. in Germany: Frank was a Chesterfield resident who fought his way across France and Germany, before his unit was surrounded and taken prisoners. They were lined up in a field, and the Germans set up machine guns pointed at them. Frank assumed he was going to be killed.
The ceremony will be held at the Chesterfield Community Center at Chesterfield Mall,
followed by a book signing and open house at the Chesterfield History Museum.
Both are located on the upper level adjacent to Macy’s.
Thursday, April 7, 2022 5:30 pm Check In / Seating
6:00 pm Program Start
Chesterfield Mall Upstairs by Macy's
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED Click Here to Register OR BY LEAVING A PHONE MESSAGE: (484) 393-1734
Register early, seating is limited
Speakers Includes:
Bob Nation, Mayor of Chesterfield, Michael Staenberg (friend of Ben Fainer),
Sharon Berry (Ben Fainer’s daughter),
Helen Turner, Director, Education and Interpretation, St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, In honor of the survivors and the memory of the victims,
Mark Leach (co-author of Silent for Sixty Years; Ben Fainer Holocaust Survivor and editor of Why We Fought: Nazi Camp Liberators of St. Louis.
Immediately following the ceremony, the Museum will be open, and attendees may tour it at their leisure and watch a slideshow, Chesterfield’s WWII Heroes, shown on a continuous 10-minute loop. Sharon Berry and Mark Leach will be available to sign books and answer questions.
PAST PROGRAMS:
Thank you to St. Louis County Library Foundation for their dedication to Holocaust Education and building a better humanity
Hitler greets the Protestant Archbishop of Nuremberg, Ludwig Müller, and Benedictine Abbott Albanus Schachleitner at the Reich Party Rally of 1934
In this educational program, we will look at the Catholic Church’s response during WWII, as the Nazi party rose in power and waged war across Europe killing more than 15 million Jewish and non Jewish people (USHMM).
Bryan Rigg, PhD is a WWII military historian and the author of five books – each one giving the reader an in-depth view on World War II from different and unique perspectives. He holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University and an undergraduate degree from Yale University. Rigg served as a volunteer in the Israeli Army and an officer in the United States Marine Corps. He has served on the boards of the Iwo Jima American Association and the Dallas Holocaust Museum, and is currently serving on the American Jewish Committee Board in Dallas, Texas, where he currently runs his own financial advisory firm, Rigg Wealth Management, LLC.
Sharon Berry is a daughter of Ben Fainer, of blessed memory, a St. Louis Holocaust survivor from Będzin, Poland. She is a co-founder of The Hannah Ida Urman Foundation that continues her father’s legacy of Holocaust education. Born in Toronto, Canada, her parents immigrated to the U.S. to St. Louis, where she grew up. She relocated to Philadelphia with her husband and son in 1999. Berry is writing her first book to be titled After the Silence -- it follows her father’s memoir Silent for Sixty Years, co-authored by Mark Leach.
In this educational program, we will reflect on the liberation of a Polish, Jewish young man, and the Jewish Sargent from Brooklyn who liberated him.
These stories will be told through the eyes of their respective children who, through serendipity, found one another decades after their parents' encounter on that historic day in April 1945.
Richard Friedman is a former lawyer and teacher. He lives with his wife in Lacey, Washington.
Sharon Berry is a daughter of Ben Fainer, of blessed memory, a St. Louis Holocaust survivor from Bedzin, Poland. She is a co-founder of The Hannah Ida Urman Foundation that continues her father’s legacy of Holocaust education. Born in Toronto, Canada, her parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1957 to St. Louis, where she grew up. She relocated to Philadelphia with her husband and son in 1999.
In this educational program, we will look at some of the ways American corporations contributed to the rise of the Nazi party and its ability to wage war.
Without the substantial involvement of prominent American businesses and businessmen, World War II and the Holocaust would not have happened.
Pat Lorraine Simons is a former trial lawyer and teacher. She also founded Ready Readers, a nonprofit organization that inspires low-income preschool children to become readers. Simons has published short fiction and award-winning poetry in magazines and anthologies. She lives with her husband in St. Louis, Missouri.
Sharon Berry is a daughter of Ben Fainer, of blessed memory, a St. Louis Holocaust survivor from Bedzin, Poland. She is a co-founder of The Hannah Ida Urman Foundation that continues her father’s legacy of Holocaust education. Born in Toronto, Canada, her parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1957 to St. Louis, where she grew up. She relocated to Philadelphia with her husband and son in 1999.
Sponsored by and in conjunction with The St. Louis County Library Foundation
Thank you to the St. Louis County Library Foundation for supporting Holocaust Education and building a better humanity
PROGRAM DETAILS:
In this educational program, we will look at the joint efforts of Polish diplomats together with Jewish activists in wartime Switzerland (the Ładoś Group) to save the lives of thousands of Jews throughout German-occupied Europe by forging Latin American passports.
Jeffrey K. Cymbler, author, attorney, genealogist, and child and grandchild of Holocaust survivors will discuss the newly discovered remarkable story of the Ładoś Group.
Sharon Berry, daughter of Ben Fainer, a St. Louis Holocaust survivor of blessed memory, will share her father's story and discoveries made since her father's passing, including her family's connection to the Ładoś Group passports.
In Honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day - 75 Years After the Liberation of Auschwitz
A Holocaust Awareness Program (Open to Public Free of Charge)
Presented by Holocaust Survivor Ram Levy, PhD and
Sharon Berry, daughter of Holocaust Survivor Ben Fainer, of blessed memory.
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DATE:
January 28, 2020
TIME:
6:30 pm Reception
with light refreshments
7:00 pm Program Start
LOCATION:
1640 South Lindbergh Blvd.
St.Louis, MO 63131
For food and planning purposes, please
let us know you are attending:
Link to Article: The Scourge of Antisemitism
by Menachem Rosensaft
Link to Letter on Holocaust Lessons
by Wolfgang Gohner
Sponsored by and in conjunction with The St. Louis County Library Foundation
Bedzin, Bulgaria and Beyond
Learn why September 9 is a defining date in Holocaust Education and WWII History
Through the eyes of
Ram Levy, PhD
Bulgarian Holocaust Survivor
Sharon Berry,
Child of Ben Fainer,
Bedzin Holocaust Survivor
September 9, 2019
Reception: 6:00 PM
Program: 6:30 PM
Lyudmila "Lucy" Taseva
Consul and Deputy General Consul
Republic of Bulgaria
St. Louis County Library, Grant's View Branch
9700 Musick Road, St. Louis, MO 63123
Become a co-sponsor? Click Here to learn more
Madill, Oklahoma Public Schools
and Parents Support Holocaust Education
Hidden child Survivor Rachel Miller will share her story with 600 middle and high school students.
Speaking to dispel hate and showing students the power they hold to build a better life for themselves and humanity keeps Rachel going at 87 years young.
Thank you for your invitation,
See you soon,
Rachel
In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day,
a Free Event Sponsored by and in conjunction with the
St. Louis County Public Library
In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day,
a Free Event Sponsored by and in conjunction with the
St. Louis County Public Library
Rachel Miller
Holocaust Survivor
Hidden as a child in France, she shares her story of suffering and survival
January 29, 2019
Reception 6:00 PM
Program Time:
6:30 to 8:00 PM
St. Louis County Library
1640 South Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131
Want to become a co-sponsor? Click Here to learn more
Special Thanks to our Co-Sponsors
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NEVER AGAIN: Survivors share their stories of inhuman cruelty, righteousness and survival.
Want to Become a Sponsor?
Click on this pdf icon to learn more
Program Brochure
Many thanks to these sponsors for their support:
Proud Pacific Business for Almost 40 Years