Alverno College Offers Rare Opportunity to Hear a Holocaust Survivor Speak

In an increasingly rare opportunity to hear the first-hand accounts of Holocaust survivors, Alverno College will hold its 15th annual Holocaust Remembrance Service, the largest non-Jewish gathering of this type in the Midwest. The service remembers the six million Jews who perished, and honors those who resisted and survived. This year’s speaker is Holocaust survivor Agnes Schwartz, who became a “hidden child.” The service will take place on Wednesday, April 20, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Pitman Theatre, and will include a talk back. Afterwards, copies of her book, “A Roll of the Dice: A Memoir of a Hungarian Survivor” will be available for purchase, and Schwartz will sign copies. The event is free and open to the public.

Schwartz was born in Hungary in 1933. When she was 10, German forces occupied her town and her family was forced into the ghetto. Their housekeeper, who was not Jewish, smuggled her out and claimed the child was her niece. Enrolled in a Catholic school, Schwartz became a “hidden child,” living in the open but never knowing if her family would ever be reunited. Her father was saved by Raoul Wallenberg and hidden in one of his safe houses. Schwartz and her father would later reunite and move to the U.S. Her mother died at the Bergen Belsen concentration camp. Her grandparents, an aunt and an uncle also perished.

For those who are unable to attend the service, a live stream will be available at http://www.alverno.edu/holocaustremembrance/.

About Alverno College

Alverno College, a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college for women, exists to promote the personal and professional development of its students. The college has earned accolades and respect internationally for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, and has consulted with three U.S. presidential administrations on accountability and outcomes in higher education. For the last six years, Alverno College was ranked one of the top five schools in the Midwest doing “the best job of educating undergrads” by U.S. News & World Report. Educators from throughout the world visit Alverno to learn about its proven, student-centered teaching methods.

Alverno offers more than 60 major areas of study, including graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology and business that are open to women and men. For more information about Alverno, visit www.alverno.edu or call 414-382-6100.