Spending almost 20 years committed to the success of a single project demonstrates dedication and determination beyond any committee norm. The Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee, an interfaith and intergenerational volunteer group, chaired by Regina Kerr Alonzo, culminates their efforts with the presentation of a DVD project. its world premiere, on May 4, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. at The Tatnall School, Laird Performing Arts Center in Greenville, Delaware.
Steve Gonzer, 56, the creator and producer of “No Denying: Delawareans Bear Witness to the Holocaust,” is the driving force behind the soon-to-be released DVD set, one of many projects developed by the Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee (HEC), a subcommittee of the Jewish Federation of Delaware.
Gonzer, a Middletown resident and Director of Downstate Services with the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems, has filled countless hours over the past 20 years poring over testimonies of Delaware survivors and other eyewitnesses, of the Holocaust.
The Jewish Voice documented his thoughts about this extremely worthy project.
Q:The documentary; “No Denying: Delawareans Bear Witness to the Holocaust” soon premieres. How many years has it has taken to get to this point?
A: I have been working on the “No Denying” documentary for about three years. However, videotaping of Delaware eyewitnesses to the events of the Holocaust officially commenced in 1989 as one of several HEC projects. I have been · a volunteer member of the HEC for over 20 years and one of the coordinators for the original Videotaping Project, which was implemented with the assistance of the Fortunoff Video Archives of Yale University.
Steve Gonzer; the creator and producer of “No Denying: Delawareans Bear Witness to the Holocaust,” with Holocaust survivor, Dorothy Krause Finger.
Q: This project must have been very intense, emotionally. Was there a point where you felt like giving up? Conversely; can you tell us about a time where you felt particularly inspired?
A: My passion for this project emerges from the wellsprings of my heart and there was never a time when I felt like giving up. But there were many times when I felt emotionally and physically drained and frustrated. I can’t think of any particular period of time when I did not feel motivated by the poignant testimonies. When my inspiration waned, all I needed to do was reflect upon the courage displayed by all of the people that we interviewed over the years. This instantly redirected my attention; every account was rousing and powerful. Many of the people we interviewed shared their recollections for the first time, not even their families knew what they had experienced and endured. Each new interview served as catalyst for me to carry on.
Q: Can you tell our readers about your commitment to this project? What is your family history and what does this mean to you personally?
A: I felt a powerful sense of dutifulness to my family and all victims of the Holocaust. My maternal grandmother was born in a small village, Felsö Veretski, in the Sub Carpathian region of what is now the Ukraine. At around the age of 17, she and one of her sisters sailed from Hamburg, Germany to New York Harbor, in 1905. My grandmother was one of twelve children. During the Holocaust, nearly her entire family was wiped off the face of the earth: my aunts, uncles and cousins- all gone- simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and members of a group targeted for genocide. Most of my grandmother’s siblings had seven or eight children. They were Chassidic Jews, extremely religious. This is only one branch of my family; the Steinbergs. Then there is the Gottesman side. I do not know if any of them survived. I was told some did, and in my heart, I know that is true, but I will never know who or where they are. Mere words would be almost meaningless, to convey my feelings about what this project means to me personally. I do know that I live with an endless sense of loss and wonder. I have approximately seven cousins who survived the Holocaust and have met four. Not one of my grandmother’s siblings survived. What is illuminating, compelling, courageous and faithful to me is how any human being could muster the strength to survive horrid acts of genocide, gather what is left of their lives and begin all over again; a rebirth, so to speak, not from the tranquility of a mother’s womb, but scathed by the anarchy of unspeakable terror, cruelty and indifference.
Q: All of the witness accounts are unique but were there any that seemed similar to what you know about your own relatives’ experiences?
A: Several of the eyewitness accounts were not only similar to what some my family members experienced. many of the atrocities, timeframes and geographical locations were identical. I sometimes felt as if the words of the interviewees actually resonated from my own relatives.
Ester and Solomon Kopolovic, cousins. Both survived slave labor camps and several concentration camps. The returned to their hometown after the war ended, in what is now Levice, Czechoslovakia and eventually came to Wilmington in 1969.
Rose and Herman Jacobovic, cousins, shortly before they were taken by the Nazis. Both were murdered.
Grandmother, Anna Miller, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine with her two sisters in 1905. Nearly her entire family perished in the Holocaust.
Q: How did you work on this project for so many years and not be overcome by grief?
A: Believe me, producing this documentary and participating in a 20-year effort to videotape eyewitnesses to the Holocaust was. and is, very emotionally draining and intense. At times. I did feel overcome by grief, but in no way can my grief ever compare to the grief felt by those-whole lives were totally uprooted and who watched their loved ones saunter Into the gas chambers, shot in the forests or worked to death slave laborers. My grief is simply an echo of what others have endured. I must add that I also feel great joy and sense of honor for having been able to play a very minor role in contributing to the preservation. for the record. undisputed evidence that the Holocaust was real. Perhaps this will help silence the voice of the deniers and historical revisionists, so future generations will not continue to repeat history
Q: Do any of the survivors keep in touch with you on a regular basis? What are your interactions like?
A: Yes, I am in touch with many of the survivors, as well as the liberators and people who were saved by Righteous Gentiles. During the past 20 years, I have also had contact with, and met the children, spouses and siblings of many of the people who have been interviewed. My interactions with them are always heartwarming and heartbreaking. I consider many of them lifelong friends. In some psychological and spiritual sense, they fill an emptiness in my life, compensating for the loss of my family members who perished.
Q: How will the DVD and guild assist teachers in their efforts to educate our young students about the Holocaust?
A: HEC members who are survivors have shared their eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust with thousands of students over the years; the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Ten years from now, there may be no survivors among us to bear witness – “No Denying” will attempt to fill that huge void.
The complete four-disc “No Denying” DVD set and companion/user’s guide will be distributed to public, parochial, and private high schools throughout Delaware this fall. It is designed to be teacher/student friendly. The guide has suggested questions for discussion and a list of additional resources for teachers and students. The set will be a useful tool to teach about genocide, and in particular, the Holocaust.
In my opinion, one can never talk about genocide and not talk about the Holocaust. Fortunatelyu, the Nazis left undisputed evidence and hundreds of thousands of documents that prove the Holocaust did take place. This was not the case with most other genocides in history.
An aunt and her young son. Both perished in the Holocaust along with their entire family: six siblings and their father.
Q: What age is the DVD appropriate for? Is it limited to viewing only in Delaware?
A: The material in the DVD set is appropriate for students over the age of 12. Many of the words and visuals may be disturbing to viewers of all ages. “No Denying” is a documentary, a work of nonfiction. The facts speak for themselves. Though all of the individuals featured in the documentary are Delawareans, screenings and sales of the DVD set are absolutely not limited to Delaware.
Q: Will this DVD be part of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) collection?
A: Yes. The USHMM was extremely cooperative in providing audio/visual materials for the documentary in exchange for providing them with a copy of the complete DVD set.
Q: What, if any, projects are you on to next? Do you see yourself getting involved with anthing related to this experience or will you seek something completely different?
A: Next? I still have lots of work to do on this project. After that, G-d know and time will tell. I do know that I will continue to interview Delawareans who were eyewitnesses to the Holocaust, whenever the opportunity arises. I have many interest, so don’t know what is in store for me next. Most important, I am going to take a long vacation, maybe.
[Part I of the four disc DVD set will be shown in its entirety. The documentary illuminates the compelling recollections of extreme human courage, faith, physical and emotional strength, during times of unspeakable terror, cruelty and indifference.
This event marks the kickoff of a campaign to fund the Holocaust Education Endowment Fund, of the Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee (HEC). The Fund will support Holocaust education activities and projects throughout Delaware. All donations to the endowment fund are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
The DVD set and companion guide will be distributed to all public, parochial and private high schools and public libraries in Delaware in the fall of 2008, at which time the DVD set and guild will also be available for sale.
In addition to the “No Denying” premiere, Diana Wheeler, a teacher at Cape Henlopen High School, will share her feelings about the importance of teaching the lessons of the Holocaust. Diana is one of many Delaware teachers who participated in an educational cluster created and sponsored by HEC in June, 2008.
Admission to the event is $35 and includes a variety of Eastern European light fare and refreshments. Seating is limited and must be reserved no later than April 17, 2008. For reservation, please contact Robin Freshman at rjfresch2@msn.com or register onliPhne at www.shalomedelaware.org
For more information call Regina at 610-388-9230.
“No Denying: Delawareans Bear Witness to the Holocaust,” a documentary featuring the eyewitness testimony of Delawareans who personally experienced the horrors of the Holocaust will have its world premiere on May 4, 2008, 4:30 p.m. at The Tatnall Scool, Laird Performing Arts Center, in Greenville, Delaware.
