On January 21, 2016, Holocaust survivor Hedy Rose came to UCSC to speak to over 400 students and community members about her experiences living amidst persecution by the Nazis in Amsterdam. The event took place in the Music Recital Hall, and was also live streamed nearby at the Digital Arts and Research Center room 108. Overall, the audience was deeply moved by her story, one that is both heartbreaking yet hopeful. A Q&A session was held after the talk, and afterwards a reception followed in the lobby of the Music Recital Hall.
This event would have been impossible without the help of so many people. First of all, we would like to thank Hedy Rose herself, who shared her story with so many of us on that day and touched the lives of so many. We would also like to thank our sponsors for this event: the Neufeld-Levin Endowed Chair in Holocaust Studies, The Center for Jewish Studies, Stevenson College, Oakes College, Merrill College, and the UCSC Psychology Department. Additionally, we would like to thank Dave Morrison, manager of the Music Recital Hall and our AV guru, as well as John Raedeke for filming the event, and making it available to those who could not attend. Many thanks to Tracye Lawson, the Theater Arts Event Manager, and her entire staff who ensured everything ran smoothly on the day of the event, and UCSC Catering for providing the food for the reception. Thank you to Jim Atkins, Executive Director of Santa Cruz Hillel, and Executive Vice Chancellor Alison Galloway and her Executive Assistant Ken Christopher, as well as Gitta Ryle, a Holocaust survivor herself. Also, we could not have live streamed the event without the help of Kristin Erickson, and our wonderful volunteers deserve a round of applause as well. Finally, thank you to all those interested who helped make this event the successful one it was!
Hedy is currently working on a book titled Living the Life of Anne Frank: A Childhood in Hiding.
