Holocaust Survivor Lecture at Drew University

Author, artist, clinical researcher, pediatrician and Holocaust survivor Robert O. Fisch will delve into the many chapters of his life as the 2016 Karpati Lecturer next month at Drew University.

The talk, hosted by Drew Library, the Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study and the Center on Religion, Culture, and Conflict, will take place April 11 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Born in 1925 in Budapest, Hungary, Fisch was 18 when the Nazis sent him and his father to concentration camps. He survived the harrowing experience; his father did not. Later, Fisch took part in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 before immigrating to the United States in 1957.

Despite the trauma of his youth, Fisch has led a life brimming with positivity and accomplishments in both the arts and sciences. After putting down roots in the U.S., he became a medical intern and eventually a professor in pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, where he practiced and taught until his retirement. His research on the genetic disease PKU is internationally renowned.

Fisch has written several books about his experiences during the Holocaust, each one bearing messages of love, hope and freedom. He also found a passion in painting—his works have been exhibited in solo and group shows around the U.S., Israel and Austria.

Tickets for the lecture are $20, with proceeds benefitting Drew Library’s book endowment fund. To reserve a ticket, contact the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey box office at tickets.shakespearenj.org or 973-408-3917. For additional information, call Drew Library at 973-408-3471.

The George and Alicia Karpati Lectureship was established in 2005 by Michael and Noémi Neidorff, in honor of Noémi Neidorff’s parents, to bring to Drew outstanding authors and scholars in the fields of Jewish studies, Eastern European history and Holocaust studies. Past speakers include Elie Wiesel and Daniel Mendelsohn.