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Diamonds in the rough

Holocaust survivor Meyer Hack kept a special collection of jewelry secret for 60 years
By IAN SANDS  |  January 17, 2008

IMG100002inside

In 1941, 27-year-old Polish Jew Meyer Hack was deported to Auschwitz along with his mother, two sisters, and brother. Upon arrival, his family was split in two. The men were sent off to labor at Birkenau, a satellite camp of Auschwitz. The women died in the gas chamber.

Hack’s brother, Gershon, was beaten to death by supervising Nazis, including an SS officer, with a two-by-four. Hack saw the whole thing.

He was the only one of his family to survive. His secret weapon? A piece of string that he tied around his neck and pulled in order to bring "the blood from my toes to my face,” explains Hack, now 92, from the living room couch of his Brighton home. “If you have a yellow face, out you went into the gas chambers. I knew about this. This piece of string saved my life." As he talks, I notice his eyes. If the rest of his face has grown stiff with age, his eyes remain animated.

Under the impression there'd be a photographer with me, Hack is wearing a suit. But apart from this one miscalculation, his mind, or “computer” as he likes to call it, is pretty sharp. Sharp enough to read his own press and take issue with it.

In profiles, he’s been categorized as a “laundry worker” or as part of a “laundry crew” at the concentration camp. But neither of these are accurate terms, he explains. Instead, he worked in a section of the camp called the bekleidungskammer, where stacks of discarded clothing belonging to incoming prisoners were stored. Hack worked with these bundles and distributed striped uniforms to prisoners.

One day, as he was going about his business in the bekleidungskammer, he made a discovery. “I was sitting like you’re sitting here. Something pinched my back. I take out the bundle. I take out the jacket. I take a knife. I cut it out, and American gold piece came down,” says Hack, his gray hair slicked back well beyond his deeply lined forehead. For the next few years, Hack fished out jewelry and other treasures from the stacks in this way, keeping what he found in a stocking.

“My sense is that these pieces represented a certain part of his survival, that the idea that somehow he could continue to exist as a person in an absolutely horrific environment where essentially any kind of personal existence is wiped to nothing,” says Dr. Dean Solomon, a longtime friend and one of the few people Hack told about the jewels later in his life.

Hack was forced to part with his collection in early 1945, when he and some 18,000 other prisoners made the Death March toward concentration camps still under Nazi control. Upon entering a camp at Dachau, Germany, Hack and the other prisoners were lined up to undergo the disinfection process (typhus and other diseases were running rampant in the camps). Knowing that he would have to part with his stocking or face the consequences —“they would have killed me,” he says — he handed over the jewelry to a childhood friend, Avram Guttman. Hack would later sneak into Guttman's barracks at night, only to discover that much of his collection was missing.

Hack was eventually liberated, and in 1950, he left Europe for Boston on a supply ship with his wife Sylvia (also an Auschwitz survivor). In his new home, he found work at a department store, then went on to own a bargain jewelry store. He raised two sons — “both doctors,” he boasts. As for the Holocaust-era jewelry: it's been in his possession for the last 60 years, hidden away in his attic.

"Meyer had kept the existence of these artifacts quiet for a long time…He felt that they weren't his. He had always imagined they'd be in a museum or on display somewhere. But he never really wanted to bring it out. He basically didn't know what to do with it," says his friend Solomon.

Now, with some help from Solomon and local writer Susie Davidson (who devoted a chapter of her 2005 book about Boston-based Holocaust survivors, I Refused To Die to Hack's ordeal), Hack will be getting his wish. On January 20, the collection will be featured alongside an Armenian Genocide exhibit at the Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown.

"The only way to deal with continuing global genocide is to stand together," says Davidson, the event's organizer, regarding the exhibit. The next and final stop for the jewelry, according to Hack, is Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, where it will eventually be on display.

Among the 16 pieces to be displayed this weekend is an ornate Eastern European pin, a diamond ring, a jeweled watch, and a simple gold key with one end of it in the shape of a heart. Some of the pieces have dulled with age, but the diamonds still twinkle. As I’m examining the jewelry, Hack comes from another part of the house with a magnifying glass ― an instinct perhaps left over from his days in the jewelry business. He lifts a piece for me to inspect, telling me that something similar sold for many thousands of dollars. It's hard to know how to react to this information. "I'm not sure how exactly I'm supposed to be feeling about this…It's a nice collection, but…," I say to him. He nods in comprehension.

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Comments
Diamonds in the rough
The Ibbetson Street Press of Somerville, Mass. is proud to have published "I Refused to Die," as well as several other titles by Susie Davidson. Check out our site at //www.ibbetsonpress.com Best--Doug Holder/ Ibbetson Street Press
By DougHolder on 01/18/2008 at 8:49:59
Diamonds in the rough
Wow... Nice article, interesting story! Pretty incredible. I will see that exhibit.
By chowda on 01/18/2008 at 3:21:54
Diamonds in the rough
Full event information: I wish to invite you to the following event. We have a wonderful and meaningful program planned. It is free and open to the public. Here is full information including my own statement regarding the ADL issue which much of the press has focused on (we have tried to stay above and apart from it). Thank you, Susie Davidson event organizer SUNDAY, JAN. 20, 2-4 p.m.: Joint Holocaust - Armenian Genocide exhibit at the Armenian Library and Museum of America. Holocaust and Armenian Genocide survivor keynote speakers. Eight state representatives and four state senators to attend; WBZ's Jordan Rich hosts; music by Armenian and local Klezmer musicians and Cantor Robbie Solomon of Temple Isaiah, Lexington; poetry by an Armenian and a Jewish teenager, and prayers by Rabbi Moshe Waldoks and Armenian clergy. PRESS: Boston Globe, City & Region cover article by Erica Noonan, Jan. 13, 2008: //www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/13/tragic_bond/ Allston-Brighton and Watertown Tabs, cover article by Richard Cherecwich, Jan. 4, 2008: //www.wickedlocal.com/watertown/homepage/x531359092 Boston Phoenix article by Ian Sands, Jan. 17: //thephoenix.com/article_ektid54789.aspx Jewish Advocate article by Molly Ritvo, Jan. 17 Forward article forthcoming. JTA article forthcoming. Boston.com listing: //calendar.boston.com/watertown-ma/events/show/81062827-joint-holoc aust-armenian-genocide-exhibit-event Info on Jan. 20 Armenian Genocide-Holocaust exhibit For Immediate Release Contacts Holocaust exhibit questions: Susie Davidson, Journalist and Author Phone: (617) 566-7557 E-mail: Susie_d@yahoo.com Armenian Genocide Exhibit and event questions: Christie Hardiman, Public Relations Coordinator Armenian Library and Museum of America E-mail: Christie@almainc.org Phone: (617) 926-2562, ext. 4 Fax: (617) 926-0175 Website: www.almainc.org Watertown, MA--December 20, 2007- The Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) will be hosting a joint Holocaust - Armenian Genocide exhibit on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008 from 2-4 p.m. The goal of the event is to further enhance the bond between two peoples who have each suffered horrific crimes against humanity, as they continue to recognize common ground and share a hope for a better future. Mr. Meyer Hack, Holocaust survivor and resident of Brighton, MA, and Mr. Kevork Norian, an Armenian Genocide survivor and resident of Arlington, MA, will be the keynote speakers of the event. Introductions will be done by WBZ radio talk host Jordan Rich. In addition to the exhibit and Mr. Hack's and Mr. Norian's personal stories, the event will include ethnic music by Armenian and Jewish performers Martin Haroutunian and Ara Sarkissian, Cantor Robbie Solomon of Safam, Glenn Dickson of Shirim and Naftule's Dream on clarinet and Grant Smith of the Klezmer Conservatory Orchestra on hand drum, as well as a poetry recital by an Armenian and a Jewish teenager. The event will begin with religious invocations by Armenian clergy and Rabbi Moshe Waldoks from Temple Beth Zion in Brookline. Honored guests of the event thus far include: State Senator Susan C. Fargo, State Senator Anthony D. Galluccio, State Senator Steven A. Tolman, State Senator Marian Walsh, State Rep. Ruth B. Balser, State Rep. William N. Brownsberger, State Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry, State Rep. Peter J. Koutoujian, State Rep. Charles A. Murphy, State Rep. Alice H. Peisch, State Rep. Frank I. Smizik, State Rep. Timothy J. Toomey, Jr., State Rep. Alice K. Wolf, and WWII veteran and Dachau liberator Cranston "Chan" Rogers. The event is sponsored by the following organizations: The Armenian Library and Museum of America The Armenian National Committee of America The Armenian Assembly of America Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives The Holocaust Center, Boston North, Inc., Peabody Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Clark University, Worcester Facing History and Ourselves, Brookline The Holocaust exhibit will include photos, video, and valuables formerly belonging to inmates at Auschwitz that have been recently unveiled by 92-year-old Holocaust survivor and Brighton resident Meyer Hack. As a laundry worker, Hack retrieved these pieces from inmates' clothing when the latter was removed from them. Miraculously, he hid them from the Nazis throughout his years in the camps. These artifacts have not been publicly displayed yet, and after this event, they will be installed at the Holocaust museum Yad Vashem in Jerusalem in a special ceremony. The Armenian Genocide exhibit "In Memoriam," the only permanent exhibit on Armenian Genocide in the United States, is a memorial to the most tragic of all events in Armenia's 3,000 year-old history. The exhibit pays tribute to more than 1.5 million victims of the first Genocide of the 20th century. ALMA's exhibit is intended to help the visitor "feel" the Genocide as well as "learn" about it by conveying the horror of those deaths along with statistics and other accounts in text and photographs. The Armenian Genocide exhibit will be accompanied by additional photographs from Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives. Among these will be photographs of concentration camps taken by an Armenian WWII photographer from Belmont. Story behind the Holocaust exhibit: Holocaust survivor and Brighton resident Meyer Hack lost his beloved family during WWII, but not his will to live. By exercising extreme ingenuity, he survived the horrors of the Auschwitz, Birkenau and Dachau concentration camps. His story is among the most harrowing and remarkable in Davidson's book, "I Refused to Die: Stories of Boston-Area Holocaust Survivors and Soldiers who Liberated the Concentration Camps of World War II" (Ibbetson Street Press, 2005). This summer, Hack, who worked in the laundry room at Auschwitz, uncovered a personal cache of valuables from his attic. They include gold watches, a diamond ring and other jewelry that he found inside the confiscated clothing of the doomed inmates shipped to the camp. Hack managed to hide these items from the Nazis throughout his ordeals at the camps and a 1945 "Death March". In the final chapter of this fascinating story, Hack arrived at Dachau shortly before his liberation. Just as he was to be decontaminated and stripped, he spotted Avram Guttman, a man from his former town in Poland who had already gone through decontamination, quickly passed him the sock with the valuables, and was able to retrieve them later. There are no monograms or insignias or any other identifying information on any of the pieces. Photos are available. Hack has decided to share his story and the items in an exhibit, and Yad Vashem in Jerusalem is preparing a 2008 event and installation of these relics. Armenian and Kosher refreshments will be served at the event, which is free and open to the public. It will be alcohol-free, all ages, and handicapped-accessible. There is on-street parking as well as a large parking lot behind the building. ALMA is very close to the Mass. Turnpike Exit 17 and is on the route of many MBTA buses (www.mbta.com). For more information please contact Susie Davidson (617) 566-7557 or Christie Hardiman at ALMA (617) 926-2562, ext. 4. ### Note on the ADL controversy: This event is not being held to affect resolution of this issue. If some healing can come about because of it, then that of course would be great, but this event is about Mr. Hack and Mr. Norian. It was conceived of after I attended an October 7 Dream for Darfur rally at City Hall Plaza, where representatives of five 20th century genocides spoke, and then met an elderly Armenian man at my Worcester book reading in December who approached me and told me about his mother. I realized the absolute similarity of suffering. It was besheart that Dean Solomon then called me with the news of Meyer's unveiled secret, and John McGinness of Watertown Cable Access TV suggested I offer the exhibit to the Armenian community. I understand the complexities on both sides of the ADL issue. The Armenian officials have always made it very clear that Jews have been their strongest allies, and that all Jewish groups, including the ADL, are cordially invited to attend like anyone else as private citizens. No organizers have spoken to the press or have included anything in our publicity about the ADL. If the press has written about it, that has been the reporter's own decision. Susie Davidson About the Organizers and Sponsors Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) Founded in 1971, ALMA's mission is to present and preserve the culture, history, art and contributions of the Armenian people to Americans and Armenians alike. Since its inception, ALMA's collection has grown to over 26,000 books and 20,000 artifacts, making it perhaps the largest and most diverse holding of Armenian cultural artifacts outside of Armenia. As a repository for heirlooms, the collection now represents a major resource not only for Armenian studies research, but as well as for preservation and illustration of the Armenian heritage. In 1988, ALMA acquired a 30,000 square foot facility in Watertown, MA - one of North America's oldest and most active Armenian communities. The facility includes exhibition galleries, Library, administrative offices, function hall, climate-controlled vaults and conservation lab. ALMA is the only independent Armenian Museum in the Diaspora funded solely through contributions of individual supporters. An active Board of Trustees and volunteer base augments the museum's staff. Museum's active schedule of changing exhibits includes the use of the library primarily by researchers and interested general public seeking research materials on Armenians. In addition, the museum sponsors lecture and presentation program on related topics. Hours: Friday and Sunday 1-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and Thursday evenings from 6-9 p.m. Admission: Free admission for ALMA Members; $2 for students; $5 for non-members; Children 12 and under are free. Driving Directions: Take route 95 to 128 to 90 (Mass Pike East) towards Watertown. Take exit 17-Watertown/Newton. Go North 1 mile towards Watertown Square. As you cross the small bridge, get into the 2 left lanes. Turn left onto Main Street. Turn right onto Church Street, and then turn right into the municipal parking lot. MBTA Buses: 71, 70/70A, 57, 52, 59, 502, 504. Please visit www.mbta.com for schedules and maps. Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives Founded in 1975 by Ruth Thomasian, Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives is dedicated to saving the photographic heritage of the worldwide Armenian community. The Archives collects, documents, and preserves photographs of all subjects and time periods relating to Armenian people, their culture, and their country. Documenting the work of Armenian photographers is of special interest. With collections of more than 25,000 images, Project SAVE Archives promotes Armenian culture and history by making its photographs available for public use. Learn more about the archives at www.projectsave.org or call 617-923-4542. Armenian National Committee of America Armenian National Committee of America The Armenian National Committee is a grassroots Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANC actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues Armenian Assembly of America The Armenian Assembly, established in 1972, is a Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization. The Holocaust Center, Boston North Inc., Peabody The Holocaust Center, Boston North Inc. is part of the Peabody Institute Library's Center for the Study of Human Rights. The Center commemorates historical events through our programming and unique collection of books, videos, and archives. The Center's goals are: to document and to preserve history; to reduce hatred, prejudice, ignorance and indifference through education; to prevent future tragedies through the study of the universal lessons of this period. Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Clark University, Worcester The Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University is a thriving and an intellectually dynamic forum for education and scholarship about the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, and other genocides around the world. This is the only program in the country that offers a Ph.D. in Holocaust History ad Genocide Studies. The mission of the Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies reaches beyond the boundaries of the University: to educate professionals of many fields about genocide and the Holocaust; to provide a lecture series free of charge and open to the public; to use scholarship to address current problems stemming from the murderous past; and to participate in the public discussion about a host of issues ranging from the importance of intervention in genocidal situations today to the significance of state-sponsored denial of the Armenian genocide and the well-funded denial of the Holocaust. Dedicated to teaching, research, and public service, the Center trains the next cadre of Holocaust historians and genocide studies scholars of the future, teachers, Holocaust museum directors and curators, and experts in non-governmental organizations and government agencies. The establishment of this Ph.D. program has been acclaimed by experts in the field as the most decisive step to date in furthering Holocaust scholarship. The Center provides a successful model for academic institutions and organizations both nationally and internationally. This program has an important intellectual presence on the Clark campus, and it sends a clear signal to colleges across the country about the significance of this subject for students. Facing History and Ourselves, Brookline Since 1976, Facing History has been engaging students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. By studying the historical development and lessons of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide, students make the essential connection between history and the choices they confront in their own lives. Event organizer Susie Davidson is a Boston-based journalist who has written regularly for the Jewish Advocate and the weekly Tabs and has contributed to the Boston Globe City Weekly and the Forward. She has authored three books: "I Refused to Die: Stories of Boston-Area Holocaust Survivors and Soldiers who Liberated the Concentration Camps of World War II", "Jewish Life in Germany - Past, Present and Future: Our Ten-Day Seminar", and "Selected Poetry of Susie D" (all Ibbetson Street Press, Somerville). She has 150 poetry publications to date. Davidson, who gives regular book readings and talks on genocide awareness based on her book with WWII veteran Chan Rogers, conceived of this event following a suggestion by Watertown Access TV volunteer John McGinness to offer Hack's exhibit to the Armenian community. This spring, she will be teaching a course for Newton Community Education entitled "What Can the Stories of Holocaust Survivors and Liberating Soldiers Teach Us in the Face of Continuing Global Genocide?" Davidson is a co-coordinator of the Boston chapter of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, and a board member of the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow.
By Susie_d on 01/18/2008 at 6:58:29
Diamonds in the rough
OK let's try it again with html language.... <br> Susie Davidson<br><br> I wish to invite you to the following event. We have a wonderful and meaningful program planned. It is free and open to the public.<br> <br> Here is full information including my own statement regarding the ADL issue, since much of the press coverage has focused on that, and we have tried to stay above it.<br> Thank you,<br> Susie Davidson event organizer<br><br> SUNDAY, JAN. 20, 2-4 p.m.: Joint Holocaust - Armenian Genocide exhibit at the Armenian Library and Museum of America. Holocaust and Armenian Genocide survivor keynote speakers. Eight state representatives and four state senators to attend; Jordan Rich hosts; music by Armenian and local klezmer musicians and Cantor Robbie Solomon of Temple Isaiah in Lexington; poetry by an Armenian and a Jewish teenager; and prayers by Rabbi Moshe Waldoks and Armenian clergy.<br><br> PRESS:<br> Boston Globe, City & Region cover article by Erica Noonan, Jan. 13, 2008:<br> //www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/13/tragic_bond/<br><br> Allston-Brighton and Watertown Tabs, cover article by Richard Cherecwich, Jan. 4, 2008:<br> //www.wickedlocal.com/watertown/homepage/x531359092<br><br> Boston Phoenix article by Ian Sands, Jan. 17:<br> //thephoenix.com/article_ektid54789.aspx<br><br> Jewish Advocate article by Molly Ritvo, Jan. 17<br><br> Boston.com listing:<br> //calendar.boston.com/watertown-ma/events/show/81062827-joint-holoc aust-armenian-genocide-exhibit-event<br><br> Info on Jan. 20 Armenian Genocide-Holocaust exhibit<br><br> For Immediate Release <br><br>Contacts<br> Holocaust exhibit questions:<br> Susie Davidson, Journalist and Author<br> Phone: (617) 566-7557<br> E-mail: Susie_d@yahoo.com<br><br> Armenian Genocide Exhibit and event questions:<br> Christie Hardiman, Public Relations Coordinator<br> Armenian Library and Museum of America<br> E-mail: Christie@almainc.org<br> Phone: (617) 926-2562, ext. 4<br> Fax: (617) 926-0175<br> Website: www.almainc.org<br><br> Watertown, MA--December 20, 2007- The Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) will be hosting a joint Holocaust - Armenian Genocide exhibit on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008 from 2-4 p.m. The goal of the event is to further enhance the bond between two peoples who have each suffered horrific crimes against humanity, as they continue to recognize common ground and share a hope for a better future.<br><br> Mr. Meyer Hack, Holocaust survivor and resident of Brighton, MA, and Mr. Kevork Norian, an Armenian Genocide survivor and resident of Arlington, MA, will be the keynote speakers of the event.<br><br> Introductions will be done by WBZ radio talk host Jordan Rich. In addition to the exhibit and Mr. Hack's and Mr. Norian's personal stories, the event will include ethnic music by Armenian and Jewish performers Martin Haroutunian and Ara Sarkissian, Cantor Robbie Solomon of Safam, Glenn Dickson of Shirim and Naftule's Dream on clarinet and Grant Smith of the Klezmer Conservatory Orchestra on hand drum, as well as a poetry recital by an Armenian and a Jewish teenager. <br><br> The event will begin with religious invocations by Armenian clergy and Rabbi Moshe Waldoks from Temple Beth Zion in Brookline. <br><br> Honored guests of the event thus far include: State Senator Susan C. Fargo, State Senator Anthony D. Galluccio, State Senator Steven A. Tolman, State Senator Marian Walsh, State Rep. Ruth B. Balser, State Rep. William N. Brownsberger, State Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry, State Rep. Rachel Kaprielian, State Rep. Peter J. Koutoujian, State Rep. Charles A. Murphy, State Rep. Alice H. Peisch, State Rep. Frank I. Smizik, State Rep. Timothy J. Toomey, Jr., State Rep. Alice K. Wolf, and WWII veteran and Dachau liberator Cranston "Chan" Rogers.<br><br> The event is sponsored by the following organizations:<br><br> The Armenian Library and Museum of America<br> The Armenian National Committee of America<br> The Armenian Assembly of America Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives<br> The Holocaust Center, Boston North, Inc., Peabody<br> Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Clark University, Worcester<br> Facing History and Ourselves, Brookline<br><br> The Holocaust exhibit will include photos, video, and valuables formerly belonging to inmates at Auschwitz that have been recently unveiled by 92-year-old Holocaust survivor and Brighton resident Meyer Hack. As a laundry worker, Hack retrieved these pieces from inmates' clothing when the latter was removed from them. Miraculously, he hid them from the Nazis throughout his years in the camps. These artifacts have not been publicly displayed yet, and after this event, they will be installed at the Holocaust museum Yad Vashem in Jerusalem in a special ceremony.<br><br> The Armenian Genocide exhibit "In Memoriam," the only permanent exhibit on Armenian Genocide in the United States, is a memorial to the most tragic of all events in Armenia's 3,000 year-old history. The exhibit pays tribute to more than 1.5 million victims of the first Genocide of the 20th century. ALMA's exhibit is intended to help the visitor "feel" the Genocide as well as "learn" about it by conveying the horror of those deaths along with statistics and other accounts in text and photographs. The Armenian Genocide exhibit will be accompanied by additional photographs from Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives. Among these will be photographs of concentration camps taken by an Armenian WWII photographer from Belmont.<br><br> Story behind the Holocaust exhibit:<br> Holocaust survivor and Brighton resident Meyer Hack lost his beloved family during WWII, but not his will to live. By exercising extreme ingenuity, he survived the horrors of the Auschwitz, Birkenau and Dachau concentration camps. His story is among the most harrowing and remarkable in Davidson's book, "I Refused to Die: Stories of Boston-Area Holocaust Survivors and Soldiers who Liberated the Concentration Camps of World War II" (Ibbetson Street Press, 2005). This summer, Hack, who worked in the laundry room at Auschwitz, uncovered a personal cache of valuables from his attic. They include gold watches, a diamond ring and other jewelry that he found inside the confiscated clothing of the doomed inmates shipped to the camp. Hack managed to hide these items from the Nazis throughout his ordeals at the camps and a 1945 "Death March". In the final chapter of this fascinating story, Hack arrived at Dachau shortly before his liberation. Just as he was to be decontaminated and stripped, he spotted Avram Guttman, a man from his former town in Poland who had already gone through decontamination, quickly passed him the sock with the valuables, and was able to retrieve them later. There are no monograms or insignias or any other identifying information on any of the pieces. Photos are available.<br><br> Hack has decided to share his story and the items in an exhibit, and Yad Vashem in Jerusalem is preparing a 2008 event and installation of these relics.<br><br> Armenian and Kosher refreshments will be served at the event, which is free and open to the public. It will be alcohol-free, all ages, and handicapped-accessible. There is on-street parking as well as a large parking lot behind the building. ALMA is very close to the Mass. Turnpike Exit 17 and is on the route of many MBTA buses (www.mbta.com). For more information please contact Susie Davidson (617) 566-7557 or Christie Hardiman at ALMA (617) 926-2562, ext. 4.<br><br> ###<br><br> About the Organizers and Sponsors<br><br> Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) Founded in 1971, ALMA's mission is to present and preserve the culture, history, art and contributions of the Armenian people to Americans and Armenians alike. Since its inception, ALMA's collection has grown to over 26,000 books and 20,000 artifacts, making it perhaps the largest and most diverse holding of Armenian cultural artifacts outside of Armenia. As a repository for heirlooms, the collection now represents a major resource not only for Armenian studies research, but as well as for preservation and illustration of the Armenian heritage. In 1988, ALMA acquired a 30,000 square foot facility in Watertown, MA - one of North America's oldest and most active Armenian communities. The facility includes exhibition galleries, Library, administrative offices, function hall, climate-controlled vaults and conservation lab. ALMA is the only independent Armenian Museum in the Diaspora funded solely through contributions of individual supporters. An active Board of Trustees and volunteer base augments the museum's staff. Museum's active schedule of changing exhibits includes the use of the library primarily by researchers and interested general public seeking research materials on Armenians. In addition, the museum sponsors lecture and presentation program on related topics. Hours: Friday and Sunday 1-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and Thursday evenings from 6-9 p.m. Admission: Free admission for ALMA Members; $2 for students; $5 for non-members; Children 12 and under are free.<br> Driving Directions: Take route 95 to 128 to 90 (Mass Pike East) towards Watertown. Take exit 17-Watertown/Newton. Go North 1 mile towards Watertown Square. As you cross the small bridge, get into the 2 left lanes. Turn left onto Main Street. Turn right onto Church Street, and then turn right into the municipal parking lot.<br> MBTA Buses: 71, 70/70A, 57, 52, 59, 502, 504. Please visit www.mbta.com for schedules and maps.<br><br> Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives<br> Founded in 1975 by Ruth Thomasian, Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives is dedicated to saving the photographic heritage of the worldwide Armenian community. The Archives collects, documents, and preserves photographs of all subjects and time periods relating to Armenian people, their culture, and their country. Documenting the work of Armenian photographers is of special interest. With collections of more than 25,000 images, Project SAVE Archives promotes Armenian culture and history by making its photographs available for public use. <br><br>Learn more about the archives at www.projectsave.org or call 617-923-4542.<br><br> Armenian National Committee of America<br> Armenian National Committee of America The Armenian National Committee is a grassroots Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANC actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.<br><br> Armenian Assembly of America<br><br> The Armenian Assembly, established in 1972, is a Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization. <br><br> The Holocaust Center, Boston North Inc., Peabody The Holocaust Center, Boston North Inc. is part of the Peabody Institute Library's Center for the Study of Human Rights. The Center commemorates historical events through our programming and unique collection of books, videos, and archives.<br> The Center's goals are: to document and to preserve history; to reduce hatred, prejudice, ignorance and indifference through education; to prevent future tragedies through the study of the universal lessons of this period.<br><br> Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Clark University, Worcester<br> The Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University is a thriving and an intellectually dynamic forum for education and scholarship about the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, and other genocides around the world. This is the only program in the country that offers a Ph.D. in Holocaust History ad Genocide Studies.<br> The mission of the Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies reaches beyond the boundaries of the University: to educate professionals of many fields about genocide and the Holocaust; to provide a lecture series free of charge and open to the public; to use scholarship to address current problems stemming from the murderous past; and to participate in the public discussion about a host of issues ranging from the importance of intervention in genocidal situations today to the significance of state-sponsored denial of the Armenian genocide and the well-funded denial of the Holocaust.<br> Dedicated to teaching, research, and public service, the Center trains the next cadre of Holocaust historians and genocide studies scholars of the future, teachers, Holocaust museum directors and curators, and experts in non-governmental organizations and government agencies. The establishment of this Ph.D. program has been acclaimed by experts in the field as the most decisive step to date in furthering Holocaust scholarship.<br> The Center provides a successful model for academic institutions and organizations both nationally and internationally. This program has an important intellectual presence on the Clark campus, and it sends a clear signal to colleges across the country about the significance of this subject for students.<br><br> Facing History and Ourselves, Brookline Since 1976, Facing History has been engaging students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. By studying the historical development and lessons of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide, students make the essential connection between history and the choices they confront in their own lives.<br><br> Note on the ADL controversy: This event is not being held to affect resolution of this issue. If some healing can come about because of it, then that of course would be great, but this event is about Mr. Hack and Mr. Norian. It was conceived of after I attended an October 7 Dream for Darfur rally at City Hall Plaza, where representatives of five 20th century genocides spoke, and then met an elderly Armenian man at my Worcester book reading in December who approached me and told me about his mother. I realized the absolute similarity of suffering. It was besheart that Dean Solomon then called me with the news of Meyer's unveiled secret, and John McGinness of Watertown Cable Access TV suggested I offer the exhibit to the Armenian community.<br> I understand the complexities on both sides of the ADL issue. The Armenian officials have always made it very clear that Jews have been their strongest allies, and that all Jewish groups, including the ADL, are cordially invited to attend like anyone else as private citizens. No organizers have spoken to the press or have included anything in our publicity about the ADL. If the press has written about it, that has been the reporter's own decision.<br> Susie Davidson <br><br>Event organizer<br><br> Susie Davidson is a Boston-based journalist who has written regularly for the Jewish Advocate and the weekly Tabs and has contributed to the Boston Globe City Weekly and the Forward. She has authored three books: "I Refused to Die: Stories of Boston-Area Holocaust Survivors and Soldiers who Liberated the Concentration Camps of World War II", "Jewish Life in Germany - Past, Present and Future: Our Ten-Day Seminar", and "Selected Poetry of Susie D" (all Ibbetson Street Press, Somerville).<br> She has 150 poetry publications to date. <br><br> Davidson, who gives regular book readings and talks on genocide awareness based on her book with WWII veteran Chan Rogers, conceived of this event following a suggestion by Watertown Access TV volunteer John McGinness to offer Hack's exhibit to the Armenian community. This spring, she will be teaching a course for Newton Community Education entitled "What Can the Stories of Holocaust Survivors and Liberating Soldiers Teach Us in the Face of Continuing Global Genocide?" <br><br> Davidson is a co-coordinator of the Boston chapter of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, and a board member of the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow.<br><br>
By Susie_d on 01/18/2008 at 7:11:37

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