91-year-old first-time author discusses her survival and the specificity of women’s experiences during the Holocaust

September 10, 2020

Alone and vulnerable after being separated from her sisters, Judy met her “camp sisters,” Sári and Edit, in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

“We stuck together until the very end. A sense of belonging and knowing that someone cared whether I woke up in the morning or not was imperative for sustaining my hope and, ultimately, saving my life.”

The Azrieli Foundation, in partnership with the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre and Virtual J, is pleased to announce the virtual book launch of A Cry in Unison, a memoir by Holocaust survivor Judy Weissenberg Cohen.

On Monday, September 14th at 7:30 p.m. (EST) Judy joins Elin Beaumont, an Educator at the Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program, in a conversation about women’s experiences during the Holocaust, the process of memoir writing at age 90, and the challenges Judy faced as an immigrant in a new country.

Judy is a Holocaust and human rights educator who has spoken to numerous audiences across North America. She created the website “Women and the Holocaust,” which collects testimony, literature and scholarly material exploring the specific gender-based experiences of women in the Holocaust. Judy lives in Toronto.

Naomi Azrieli, Chair and CEO of the Azrieli Foundation says hearing survivors’ stories is an integral part of understanding the Holocaust. “It is the personal stories that brings history to life, allowing readers to grasp the enormity of what happened – one story at a time. The Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program encourages readers to engage thoughtfully and critically with the complexities of the Holocaust and to create meaningful connections with the lives of survivors.”

BOOK LAUNCH DETAILS:
Monday, September 14th at 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Registration required: virtualjcc.com/register
Live Stream available here: virtualjcc.com/watch/cryinunison

ABOUT THE AZRIELI FOUNDATION
For over 30 years, the Azrieli Foundation has funded institutions as well as operated programs in Canada and in Israel. It invests in multiple priority areas, with the common thread of education running throughout its funding. The Foundation supports Holocaust education, scientific and medical research, higher education, youth empowerment and school perseverance, music and the arts, architecture and quality of life initiatives for people with developmental disabilities. www.azrielifoundation.org

For more information please contact Abby Robins at 416-322-5928 or abby@azrielifoundation.org

Posted in Press Release