Holocaust survivor will speak of loss, horror, atrocities
A Holocaust survivor will speak of his experiences during the Holocaust at 7 p.m. tonight in Pearce 127.
Sam Offen, originally from Poland and currently living in the Detroit area, lost 50 relatives in the Nazi concentration camps during the war and spent almost six years in various camps before his liberation by the U.S. Army, said Jason Levinson, New York graduate student and president of the Hillel Jewish Student Organization.
Levinson said Offen's presentation will focus on events leading to his capture by the Nazis and his subsequent experiences in various camps. Offen, 79, will talk a lot about the experience itself and the different things the Nazis would do to prisoners, Levinson said.
A poignant part of Offen's stories are his descriptions of how the experience affected his family and different family stories.
The goal of the Hillel Jewish Student Organization is to educate as many individuals as possible about the tragedies and atrocities of the Holocaust, Levinson said.
"The reason why the organization decided to bring Mr. Offen to the university is to help educate individuals about the holocaust. The essential goal is to prevent further tragedies like the Holocaust from happening again," Levinson said.
Hearing about the Holocaust first hand is an invaluable experience for everyone, Levinson said.
The opportunity for students to hear and learn from a survivor is wonderful.
"I think it provides students with a really incredible opportunity. Because we normally gain history through textbooks and media this is an incredible opportunity for individuals to hear from a person, face to face," Levinson said.
"It's so much more powerful than reading a textbook or watching it on TV," he said.
The event was amazing when Offen visited last year, Levinson said, and he hopes to offer the opportunity for as many people as possible to experience.
"Students have said this was a huge opportunity for them. I'm hoping that individuals have the same experience this year," he said.
Attendance at Offen's presentation last year was overwhelming, Levinson said, and they had to turn some people away because the Bovee University Center Auditorium was filled to capacity.
"The room we have in Pearce holds over 400 people. My goal is to fill the room," he said.
The experience is incredible, Levinson said.
"It's something you won't get in any classroom," he said.
