Wendy Holden's book, Tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 21, Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) and the Cuyahoga County Public Library Foundation will present “The Youngest Holocaust Survivors: Stories of Survival and Resilience” at the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center.

Tonight’s sold-out program features three of the youngest Holocaust survivors—Eva Clarke, Hana Berger Moran, and Dr. Mark Olsky—and will be moderated by author Wendy Holden, who wrote “Born Survivors: Three Young Mothers and Their Story of Courage, Defiance, and Hope.”

Patricia Shlonsky, president of CCPL’s Board of Trustees, says the event is an opportunity to do what libraries do best: bring people together through stories that build understanding and empathy. She adds that the discussion will be a particularly meaningful example of CCPL’s mission to empower communities to learn and connect.

Three Holocause survivors: Eva Clarke, Hana Berger Moran, and Dr. Mark Olsky.“When you share stories like this—and I like to refer to a story like this as a sort of a boundary-crossing interaction—people can learn about history, learn about the lives of other people that are different from their lives,” Shlonsky says. “And you hope that by learning, people maybe learn to understand and feel a little more empathy towards each other.”

The program asks audience members to consider the Holocaust through the experiences of three people whose lives began during one of history’s darkest periods. Their mothers endured Nazi persecution and concentration camps, then gave birth to children who went on to become healthy adults and members of their communities.

“The story starts in the Holocaust during World War II, and it's a horrific part of history,” Shlonsky says. “At the same time, here are these three amazing people who were born at the end of it, and they, and their mothers, survived through the whole thing.”

Shlonsky says Clarke’s, Moran’s, and Olsky’s experiences ultimately carry a message that extends beyond the tragedy of their beginnings.

“The story starts at a horrible part of history, and it kind of ends on this great positive story of courage, perseverance, and hope,” she says. “And, you know, I think that that's a really positive message.”

CCPL board president Patricia ShlonskyHearing history firsthand
Shlonsky says hearing their stories directly is part of what makes tonight’s program so compelling.

“Their story is just so moving and compelling,” she says. “I'm looking forward to hearing it from them directly, hearing what they have to say, and getting to meet them.”

Shlonsky adds that she also looks forward to Holden’s role as moderator—bringing together the survivors’ firsthand accounts and the research behind the book.

“I just think it's going to be a fascinating opportunity for everybody to get to see these amazing people, live and in person,” she says.

Hearing directly from survivors makes history personal in a way that reading about it alone cannot always accomplish, she adds. “It's more personal when you hear it from the source—you can't take your eyes off of it.”

Author Wendy HoldenA story worth sharing
Shlonsky says she is curious about how Holden came to discover the three survivors’ stories and what led her to bring their experiences together in “Born Survivors,” adding that tonight’s discussion is another way CCPL connects the community with history, and connects audiences with people whose experiences may differ greatly from their own.

Shlonsky says she hopes those connections encourage people to listen, learn, and develop a deeper understanding of one another.

“Born Survivors” is also available through all Cuyahoga County Public Library branches.

The Cuyahoga County Public Library Foundation raises funds and awareness of CCPL’s programs and its critical role in the community.