Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

The following virtual programs will be hosted by the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center.

The first on Sunday, June 27 at 3 p.m. is with Holocaust survivor Claire Soria.

Hear Soria's story as she remembers vividly, the tanks going down her street as the Nazis invaded Brussels. She recalls the armed soldiers marching into every government building to take down their precious Belgian flags and replacing them with flags with the swastika.

Soon after, Jewish children of every age were forbidden to go to school.  Every Jewish family was told to sew a yellow star on their clothes.  Restrictions such as walking on sidewalks, shopping after a dark, or participating in any kind of activity were violations of the law and punishable.  People living in Brussels were told to report anyone they knew to the authorities or they would be punished as well.

Soria's father was a tailor and self-employed.  He worked until he was arrested and deported to Auschwitz.  He had gone to deliver important papers to a client who was trying to leave the country.  Sadly, her father was tortured and killed in Auschwitz.  He had taken part in the Belgium underground until his arrest.  He received a post-mortem award from the kingdom of Belgium after the war.

Soria's mother, on the other hand, asked their neighbor if they would be willing to hide Claire in their apartment while she went into hiding with an aunt and uncle - only to be discovered by the gestapo and deported to Auschwitz. The wonderful Christian couple, Lea and Lambert Sabaux had been musicians and although Soria was forbidden to get an education, they took the time to teach her how to play the piano, something she enjoys to this day. The Sabaux cherished Soria and raised her as their own.  After the war, the law required Soria to live with her aunt who would not allow her to see the "grandma and grandpa" she loved. Her aunt sent her away to summer camp to spend time with children her age, and then, at age 13, to the U.S. She didn't speak English and was several years behind in school. Soria recalls those as some of her darkest days.

Soria eventually married and had three children. She has six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.  Grandma's piano lessons paid off. Soria followed in her footsteps and became a piano teacher.

The second program on Wednesday, June 30, noon, features Barbara Winton, daughter of Sir Nicholas Winton. Barbara Winton will join viewers live from England to share her father's fascinating story in this live virtual event June 30.

There are around 6000 people in the world today who owe their lives to Nicholas Winton. They are the descendants of a group of refugee children rescued by him from the Nazi threat in 1939.

One of those people is Kim Masters, editor-at-large of The Hollywood Reporter and host of KCRW's The Business. Her parents were rescued by Sir Nicholas Winton.

Join us as these two daughters, Barbara and Kim share an incredible story of heroism and gratitude for the good deeds of an incredible man. The discussion will be facilitated by Tamara Meyer. Tamara is an author, lecturer and media consultant and is a child of German Jewish parents who escaped Nazi Germany at the brink of World War ll. For the past two decades she has been lecturing and writing about her family legacy.

To register for these programs, please visit holocaustedu.org.