SEELEY LAKE – The community is invited to “The Promise, A Hidden Child story from the Holocaust,” Oct. 24 at Seeley-Swan High School at 10:45 a.m. Holocaust survivor Leon Malmed presents his story from the Holocaust as documented in a film produced by a group of advanced animation students at College of the Canyons. The students spent the entire Spring 2017 semester bringing to life the memories of Malmed, resulting in the animated documentary, “The Promise.”
The Nazis occupied Northern France between the years of 1940 and 1945. Malmed’s father and mother were arrested in 1942. They were taken first to Drancy, then to Auschwitz-Birkenau. They never returned.
Malmed’s French neighbors Henri and Suzanne Ribouleau voluntarily gave him and his sister a home and family and protected them through subsequent roundups, threats, air raids, and the war’s famine. The courage, sympathy, and dedication of the Ribouleaus stood in strong contrast to the collaboration and moral weakness of many of the French authorities.
“Papa Henri and Maman Suzanne” were honored as “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem in 1977.
“The Promise” is a narrative of love, joy and courage, set against a backdrop of tragedy, fear, injustice, prejudice and the greatest moral outrage of the modern era. It is a story of goodness triumphing once more over evil.
“Education is a liberation of any problems that you will have in the future. So be influential in what is right, what is correct. Be righteous, be correct,” said Malmed. “If you think as an individual you can not influence, then think again.”
Malmed published “We Survived…At Last I Speak” in 2010. The profits of all book sales go to help Holocaust survivors in need. This event is free and open to the public.
For more information watch Malmed’s interview on https://www.pbs.org/video/-conversation-holocaust-survivor-leon-malmed/
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