Jewish Long Beach Welcomes Holocaust Survivor & Artist Trudie Strobel

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) is a day for the community to collectively remember and honor the six million Jewish people who perished in the Holocaust. This year, the Jewish Long Beach hosted Yom HaShoah Youth Program & Community Observance takes place at 9:30 a.m., May 5, 2024, at the Alpert Jewish Community Center (3801 E Willow, Long Beach 90815) with guest speaker Trudie Strobel, a Holocaust survivor and artist. Trudie’s exhibit, Trudie Strobel: A Life in Tapestry, is currently on display in the Center’s Gatov Gallery through May 24, 2024. The event is open to ages 12 and up.

Strobel was placed in a Labor Camp as a child with her mother. Her mother’s talent as a seamstress saved their lives and bought them enough time to see Liberations. Her artwork began as a way to heal from the traumas of her past. After surviving the Holocaust, Strobel wanted to forget the atrocities she experienced as a child prisoner of the Nazis. In her late forties, however, all the years of suppressed memory came rushing back and sent her into an almost catatonic depression. A therapist suggested that she draw if she could not speak. Strobel instead picked a needle and thread and began to tell her stories stitch by stitch. Strobel is now a celebrated artist whose artwork captures vivid scenes with needle and thread. Her stunning tapestries have been on display in various museums and synagogues.

Following the Youth Program, guests are welcome to stay for the Community Observance at 11 a.m. led by Rabbi Nancy Myers (Temple Beth David) and Rabbi Menachem Mirski, Ph.D (Temple Beth Shalom) with local clergy and Beach Hillel. Afterwards, guests can enjoy a dessert reception while exploring Strobel’s artwork in the Gatov Gallery.

People may RSVP for the free memorial service by visiting https://alpertjcc.org/event/yom-hashoah-community-observance-2/. Those who wish to help continue the crucial work of Holocaust education and remembrance can donate to the Jewish Long Beach Gerda Seifer Yom HaShoah Fund. Donations may be made at www.jewishlongbeach.org or by calling (562) 426-7601 ext. 1314.

The Alpert JCC is located on the Weinberg Jewish Long Beach Campus and operated by Jewish Long Beach, providing programming for all ages and stages of life. Known as “Your Center for Life,” The Alpert JCC is a gathering space in which all are welcome to pursue early childhood education, after-school programs, fitness programs, aquatics activities, and summer camp, as well as to engage in Jewish life, culture, and education.

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