Holocaust Survivor to Speak at Congregation Beth Israel

Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) in Scotch Plains will commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, known as Yom HaShoah in Hebrew, on Sunday, April 12, at 4 p.m. The program is free and open to the community.

The event will feature a presentation by Holocaust survivor, Mark Schonwetter, who will tell his story of survival and resilience. Mark was only five years old when Germany invaded his hometown of Brzostek, Poland. In 1942, Mark’s father was questioned by the German Gestapo and never returned home. This prompted Mark, his mother, and younger sister to flee from their home to find safety. For three years, they survived the Holocaust by hiding in the forest or in attics and barns of generous Polish families.The Schonwetters eventually took on false identities to live as refugees with other Polish people escaping the front lines until they were liberated by the Russian army in 1945.

Mark Schonwetter will be joined by his daughter, Isabella Fiske, who will moderate the program. The Schonwetter family founded the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting respect, kindness, and anti-hate through Holocaust education. The foundation offers grants to schools across the country to support field trips, programming, books, and having Holocaust survivors speak to students.

The Yom HaShoah program is sponsored by the synagogue’s Second/Third Generation Holocaust Survivors Group.This support group, which was created at CBI, also includes participants from other area synagogues and the community. Members of the group volunteer at local schools to present their families’ Holocaust experiences to students. They also plan events to educate the public about the Holocaust and to honor and remember those who suffered and perished.

Registration for the Yom HaShoah program is required at: www.cbinj.org/event/yomhashoah2026.

Congregation Beth Israel is located at 18 Shalom Way, Scotch Plains, NJ(corner of Martine Avenue).For more information, call the synagogue office at (908) 889-1830.