Connect with Us
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.
What We Do
To fulfill our mission, we facilitate educational programs that share the stories of ours and others' families along with events and subjects that surrounded the Holocaust. We believe learning these human stories enables communities to bond together and strengthen their commitment to preventing future genocides. Our Past programs include in person events at schools, libraries, and community centers, as well as virtual webinars. We share other educational information through our periodic newsletter, blogs, and social media.
In addition to the programs we create and schedule, we are happy to partner with schools or groups to create a specific program of interest. You can send us a request by using the form below.
To Request an Educational Program, Please Complete Form Below:
Student Alline Gillision, Ben and Michelle Hastings-Mohr at
Steelville High School, Steelville, MO
Through Holocaust education, students deepen their historical knowledge and learn what caused the Holocaust, where racism can lead, and how to prevent something similar happening again.
Students carry with them a respect for the memory of the victims.
As students gain insight into the many historical, social, religious, political, and economic factors that cumulatively resulted in the Holocaust, they gain awareness of the complexity of the subject and a perspective on how a convergence of factors can contribute to the disintegration of democratic values. Students come to understand that it is the responsibility of citizens in any society to learn to identify danger signals and to know when to react.
— United States Holocaust Museum
Hirsz Litmanowitz
also grew up in Bedzin, Poland and Hannah knew him as a child, as he was Ben and Majer’s playmate. He holds in his mind and heart the image of Hannah we have never seen.
Hirsz was imprisoned in Auschwitz and was one of the many child victims of Josef Mengele’s inhuman, monstrous experiments.
His family was not spared loses, and only a few survived. His chilling story is available on YouTube by following this link.
Hirsz actively continues to tell his story.