Eastern CT Chapter: 4th Annual Henny Simon Remembrance: Seeking Refuge: Shanghai and Beyond, Journeys from Peril to Freedom

Eastern CT Chapter of HADASSAH Announces

4th Annual HENNY SIMON REMEMBRANCE

Special Guest LAURENCE TRIBE

Carl M. Loeb Professor of Constitutional Law Emeritus, Harvard Law School

Featuring HELEN ELPERINA, noted teacher who has spoken to many groups in our Jewish and secular communities.

"I fought for Germany in World War I, I received the Iron Cross. What can the Nazis do to us? We may have to work a bit harder or not have a nice apartment." These are the words of Henny Simon's father, Ludwig Rosenbaum, musing on the fate of the Jews of Hanover, Germany as the Nazis marched to power and doom was approaching. Like many German Jews, he was loyal to Germany, assimilated and relatively prosperous. Henny's father had a house painting business with two apprentices and four associates. The family had season tickets for the opera and enjoyed a rich cultural life in Hanover. In the summer of 1938, after the anti-semitic Nuremberg laws were passed restricting Jewish life, and on the eve of November 9 Kristallnacht, Ludwig Rosenbaum was arrested and jailed. What was to be his fate?

This program will explore the desperate search for refuge from persecution and impending death faced by Jews - by hearing the personal stories of those rescued at crucial times in our history.

The stories of Ludwig Rosenbaum, Professor Laurence Tribe and Helen Elperina converge in 1941.

Henny Simon was a life-member of Hadassah, a Holocaust survivor, and a beloved Holocaust educator in our community. The Eastern Connecticut chapter of Hadassah established the Henny Simon Remembrance four years ago, in her memory, to highlight the values she championed by her courage and example. Each year, the program strives to enlighten and educate on issues of history, culture, and diversity, and to continue her legacy of advocacy for peace, tolerance and justice in a troubled world.

Professor Tribe is one of the most renowned and respected constitutional law experts in America. Among his students are Barack Obama, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Supreme Court Justice Elana Kagan, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Senator Ted Cruz, Congressmen Adam Schiff and Jamie Raskin. He has written important treatises on consitutional law and other books on important issues including impeachment, abortion and the environment. He has advocated for clients in the Supreme Court in over 30 cases and has been an advisor to Democratic candidates and presidents on election and constitutional issues. He credits his Jewish roots and values for the causes he champions. He says: "I developed a sense of the enormous, great luck in managing to survive, giving me a strong feeling that I had an obligation to pay it forward." He remains a sought-after expert in the media and the press, writing articles and appearing often to discuss the burning constitutional and election issues of our day.

Helen Elperina comes from a family of teachers in theformer Soviet Union. Her parents and grandparents were all teachers. She studied to become an engineer and then turned to teaching in her home city of Minsk. When she arrived in New London in 1990 through the efforts of the Jewish Federation and the Refugee Resettlement Program, she immediately worked toward language proficiency and a teaching certificate. Since 1994, she has been a celebrated physics teacher at Branford High School where she expanded the department, developed innovative programs and is recognized as a leader in her field. In 2007-2008, she was chosen as Branford's "Teacher of the Year". Helen received an Immigrant Award from the State of Connecticut for her contributions to her community and profession. She considers herself an ambassador of goodwill as a refugee and believes in giving back to her community. Helen serves as Vice-President for Community Programs for the Jewish Federation of Eastern CT.

The Rose & Sigmund Strochlitz Holocaust Resource Center of the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut is a supporter and sponsor of this program.