3 minute read
Exploring Holocaust History
By Zoe Elrod, Internal Communications Coordinator
Join the Metropolitan Library System for a powerful series of events featuring the return of Holocaust educator, award-winning producer, activist, and Respect Diversity Foundation founder, Michael Korenblit. In conjunction with Yom Ha Shoah, an internationally recognized Holocaust remembrance day beginning at sundown April 23, Korenblit will present “Until We Meet Again: The Story of Oklahomans Who Survived the Holocaust,” based on his best-selling book, “Until We Meet Again: A True Story of Love and Survival.”
Raised in Ponca City by his parents who were Holocaust survivors, Korenblit offers a deeply personal perspective on history, resilience and human rights. His presentation transports audiences to Hrubieszow, Poland, in the late 1930s and 1940s, recounting the experiences of his parents, who were young sweethearts before the war. Separated in the camps, they promised to reunite if they survived—and against all odds, they did.
He shares the realities of the Holocaust, his family’s struggles, and what he calls the “three miracles” of their story: survival, reunion, and the discovery—39 years after liberation—that his mother’s brother was alive in England, despite the family believing he had perished. His story also details how, through an unexpected series of events, they found themselves in Ponca City, Oklahoma, where they built a life and remained for 63 years.
Through these presentations, Korenblit uses his parents’ story as a foundation for human rights education, connecting past events to current issues. He emphasized the importance of studying the Holocaust not only to understand its history but also to recognize its impact on other persecuted groups and to apply its lessons to modern challenges.
“It is so important that people study the Holocaust because it's got so many lessons dealing with the world around us today, whether it's dealing with bullying in schools and businesses or issues of genocide, even how we treat each other as human beings,” Korenblit said.
Upcoming Events
Until We Meet Again: The Story of Oklahomans Who Survived the Holocaust:
April 8, 6 p.m. at Southern Oaks Library
April 21, 6 p.m. at Northwest Library
May 17, 2 p.m. at Belle Isle Library
How We Learn From the Past So We Can Truly Say “Never Again,” an Afternoon with Michael Korenblit:
May 18, 2 p.m. at Downtown OKC Library
In addition to these talks, the Metropolitan Library System’s Holocaust Resource Collection, typically housed at the Downtown OKC Library, will travel throughout April and May. The collection, which has been part of the library for over twenty years, spent March at Southern Oaks Library, then moves to Northwest Library in April, Belle Isle Library in May, and then finally returns to Downtown OKC.
Korenblit recalls this collection’s introduction to the library system and stresses its importance in preserving Holocaust history.
“I think it's absolutely imperative that we have that resource, and that people know about the books they can go and read dealing with the Holocaust, with all kinds of books from fiction for kids to nonfiction for adults,” Korenblit said.
This event is free and open to all ages. Registration is recommended but not required. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with history and honor the stories of survival.
