Coastal Repertory Theatre Presents Strength in Words: Oral History and the Holocaust

Coastal Repertory Theatre is honored to announce an evening event with guest speaker Jack Adler on AUGUST 31, 2013, 6:30 PM. Mr. Adler will share the story of his internment and liberation from the Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camps during WWII. His moving story is a testament to the indomitability of the human spirit, mirroring the transcendent story in Coastal Rep’s upcoming production, The Diary of Anne Frank. Attendees will be the first to tour Anne Frank:  A History for Today. This remarkable exhibit is on loan to Coastal Rep from the Anne Frank Center, USA.

Jack Adler was born in Pabianice, Poland on February 1, 1929. His very religious family owned and operated a successful textile business in the larger nearby city of Lodz. Everything changed during the first week of September, 1939 when Nazi soldiers marched into and occupied his hometown. The Jewish residents were forced to move into a section designated as the "Jewish Quarter", or ghetto. All freedoms were removed. Many died or became ill. His older brother, Chaim, and his mother perished here.

The Pabianice Ghetto was soon liquidated and those who survived were sent to the larger Lodz Ghetto, until 1944 when the Lodz Ghetto was liquidated. Jack and his remaining family members (his father and two sisters) were sent to Auschwitz/Birkenau. Jack was the only member of his immediate family to survive the camps. He was liberated on May 1, 1945 at the age of 16. He moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1946 as a war orphan, learned English, graduated high school, and went to college. He met his future wife in 1952, married her in 1953 and fathered two children. Jack graduated from Chicago's Central YMCA High School in 1950. He attended Roosevelt University and graduated from Walton School of Commerce in accounting and business administration in 1953. He also served in the US Army during the Korean Conflict.The pain from his years in the ghettos and concentration camps was often times unbearable. He associated with a small group of Jewish refugees in his new home of Skokie, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), but rarely discussed his experiences with anyone else, including his children. It wasn't until his children had grown and had children of their own that he began to open up about his past. Upon moving to Denver in 1985 he met some people who encouraged him to take his story to the classroom and began lecturing in the Denver metropolitan area. Although still painful, he became aware of how his stories had impacted many of the students he lectured to. Today his lectures are in great demand. His story reaches more than 45,000 people each year throughout the country.

Dr. Robert Levin is Director of Education at Anne Frank Center, USA and a graduate of Brandeis, Brown, and Carnegie Mellon universities. Dr. Levin creates and oversees educational content for the Center including: on and off-site curricula; student, adult, and educator tours; programs for schools, libraries, religious institutions, and community centers; and all curricula-based material. He develops educator resources, classroom guides, and our online learning materials; and chairs the process of selecting Spirit of Anne Frank award winners. Robert has taught English and History in the classroom; been a school principal, curriculum designer, and staff developer; and named a University Distinguished Professor in Teaching.

Anne Frank: A History for Today Exhibit Travels to the Coastal Repertory Theatre.The life story of Anne Frank is the centerpiece of this exhibition. The exhibit juxtaposes photographs of the Frank family with images of historical events at the time to show how persecuted people such as the Franks were affected by political decisions and the actions of individuals. Visitors learn about the history of the Holocaust through the perspective of Anne Frank and her family. The exhibit illustrates how certain historical events governed the lives of the Franks, thereby demonstrating the effects of National Socialism on a German-Jewish  family. Additionally, the importance of individual action then and now is a key component of the exhibit. Emphasis is placed on the distinction between individuals who chose to join the Nazi Party and become perpetrators, those who remained bystanders, and the select few who resisted Nazi tyranny.Moreover, the exhibit challenges the viewer to learn about international human rights laws and standards as defined by such documents as the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights and Convention on the Rights of Children.”More than 60 years after the Holocaust, hate and hate crimes remain all too present within the world—with violent and devastating consequences. In the United States, alone, about 250,000 victims suffer each year from hate crimes, with offences stemming from religious hatred having doubled in recent years. Together with you, The Anne Frank Center USA hopes to contribute to this dialogue in our community and “make this world a better place. 

Tickets are $25 and $15 for students and educators. Appetizers will be served. Tickets to this extraordinary event are limited, so please make your reservation today. 

Anne Frank: A History for Today:  Opens August 31st, 2013.  Theatre patrons with tickets to The Diary of Anne Frank may tour the exhibit before the play; the exhibit opens 1 hour before curtain.  Group tours and school tours may make reservations to tour the exhibit by contacting Lene Whitley-Putz at lene@coastside.net (650) 787-4452. 

For more information and to purchase tickets: (650) 569-3266 or www.coastalrep.com. Coastal Repertory Theatre is located at 1167 Main Street in Half Moon Bay, California