loading . . . Children of Holocaust survivors preserve their familiesâ stories By Sarah Zientarski, One Detroit Contributor This is part two of a two-part series. Part one is about Holocaust survivor and author Irene Millerâs story. Children of Holocaust survivors are learning tools to share their parentsâ stories, helping to carry on their legacies. Earlier this year, descendants of Holocaust survivors attended a storytelling workshop at The Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills led by writer and performer David Labi. Labi, whose father was a Holocaust survivor, created the session to help children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors refine how they share their familiesâ stories. âI felt like this was a good opportunity to work with people on the stories they tell themselves about their parents and grandparents,â Labi said. âLooking at different ways they can approach the stories of their ancestors.â Participants included Gail Offen and Jeffrey Cymerint. Both are members of the Holocaust Centerâs Next Generation Speakers Program and share their fathersâ stories of survival during public talks. Offen said she signed up for the workshop immediately after learning about it. âEverybodyâs stories can get better,â she said. âHow do you connect with people in your audience? You need to have your story resonate with them.â Offen explained her father and uncle were imprisoned in a labor camp where prisoners were forced to carry large, heavy rocks up 186 steps throughout the day. âIf you didnât run, the guards would shoot at you,â she said. Offen said her father began sharing his story publicly at age 60, encouraged by The Zekelman Holocaust Centerâs founder Rabbi Charles Rosenzveig. Cymerint also speaks on behalf of his late father. He said the workshop reinforced the importance of keeping audiences engaged. âThatâs the biggest thing I got from the workshop is how to make it compelling and keep the audienceâs attention,â Cymerint said. Approximately 4,000 Holocaust survivors settled in Michigan after World War II. Today, more than 400 survivors still live in the state, and programs like the Next Generation Speakers initiative aim to ensure their stories remain part of Michiganâs historical record. Offen and Cymerint sat down with One Detroit contributor Sarah Zientarski and explained how their families ended up in Michigan as a part of our ongoing Destination Detroit series, which explores the regionâs rich history and the people who helped shape it. https://www.bridgedetroit.com/children-of-holocaust-survivors-preserve-their-families-stories/
