San Antonio Standard

San Antonio Public Library (SAPL) and The Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio (HMMSA) present the twelfth annual The Holocaust Learn & Remember series this January. Each year, SAPL commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan. 27) with this series dedicated to honoring and remembering the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.

The 2024 theme, “upstanders,” highlights individuals who recognized wrongs and took action to make them right. From Jan and Miep Gies who hid Anne Frank and her family to the Bielski Partisans who helped Jews escape from ghettos in Poland, there were many everyday citizens throughout the Holocaust who took action to push back against the hate perpetrated by the Nazis.

The month-long series includes presentations by historians and Holocaust experts, telling the stories and exploring the history of remarkable individuals who recognized the wrong and tried to do what was right.

In addition to programs presented by historians, a travelling exhibit will be on display at four locations throughout the month of January. Visit Igo Branch and McCreless Branch from January 3 –12 and Memorial Branch and Parman Branch January 14 – 31 to learn the stories of individuals recognized by Yad Vashem, World Holocaust Remembrance Center, as the Righteous Among the Nations. These individuals, regarded as “upstanders,” were non-Jews who took great risks to save Jews during the Holocaust.

Visit MySAPL.org/Holocaust for more information on the series, exhibition, and closing event.

Complete Program Listing

Upstanders: Stories of the Righteous Among Nations

McCreless Branch Library | 1023 Ada St, 78223

Tuesday, January 9 | 6:30 - 7:30pm

Righteous Among the Nations is an honor given by Israel to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. In this presentation, you will hear the stories of three rescuers through the voice of those that were saved. Presented by Robin Long.

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"Jewish Resisters, Though": Why There Has Been Reluctance to Apply the "Upstander" Label to Jews in the Holocaust

Igo Branch Library | 13330 Kyle Seale Pkwy, TX 78249

Friday, January 12 | 10 – 11:30 a.m.

In this presentation, Dr. Wolfson explores the question what might explain the longstanding tunnel vision that elects to spotlight and applaud the actions of “Righteous Gentiles” who rescued Jews, but not the actions of Jews themselves.  See how the tendency to privilege stories of non-Jewish rescue of Jews over Jewish resistance reveals much about how our culture has sought to define and remember the Holocaust. We cannot approach a fuller understanding of Holocaust history without acknowledging the challenges, suffering, courage, and selflessness that helped shape Jewish resistance. Presented by Dr. J.E. Wolfson.

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You Jump In and Help: The Irena Sendler Story

Parman Branch Library | 20735 Wilderness Oak, 78258

Sunday, January 14 | 3 - 4 p.m.

Memorial Branch Library | 3222 Culebra Rd, 78228

Thursday, January 18 | 12 – 1 p.m.

Christian social worker Irena Sendler saved 2,500 Jewish children during the Holocaust. Her audacious actions resulted in her capture, imprisonment, and torture, but she was so valuable to the resistance, they paid a bribe to save her on the eve of her scheduled execution. Who was this remarkable young woman? What motivated her to risk her life for others? How is she remembered today? Presented by Liz Reichman.

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Upstanders: Stories of the Righteous Among Nations

Central Library, Latino Collection and Resource Center | 600 Soledad St, 78205

Wednesday, January 17 | 11 - 12:30 p.m.

Righteous Among the Nations is an honor given by Israel to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. In this presentation, you will hear the stories of three rescuers through the voice of those that were saved. Presented by Robin Long.

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Protest and Resistance in Nazi Germany

Online - Register Here

Wednesday, January 17 | 2 - 3:30 p.m.

Dr. Westermann's presentation discusses the opportunities and consequences related to acts of protest and resistance within Nazi Germany. It focuses on the role of the churches and private individuals and their acts of opposition to the Nazi regime during the Third Reich. Presented online by Dr. Edward Westermann.

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Dramatic Reading of Undesirable Secrets

Holzman Auditorium at the Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community

12500 NW Military Hwy, 78231 | Sunday, January 21 | 2 – 4 p.m.

The final program of the 12th Annual Holocaust Learn & Remember series features the dramatized reading of the play “Undesirable Secrets” by playwright Rodolfo Alvarado and in collaboration with the Anthony C. Acevedo Foundation. "Undesirable Secrets” tells the story of World War II medic and prisoner of war Anthony Acevedo, who was also the first Mexican American to register as a Holocaust concentration camp survivor.

Original source can be found here.