by Joseph Zwilling and Mercedes Anderson
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 25, 2019
THE SHEEN CENTER PRESENTS “FINDING MY FATHER’S AUSCHWITZ FILES”
IN HONOR OF INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
New York, NY – The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture presents “Finding My Father’s Auschwitz Files” in commemoration of International Holocaust Day of Remembrance, this Sunday, January 27, 2019 at 3PM in the Loreto Theater. Based on Dr. Allen Hershkowitz’s indelible memoir recounting the search and retrieval of his father’s lost years at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp, this event invites audiences on the intimate journey undertaken by Dr. Hershkowitz as he charted his father’s footsteps.
The event will consist of a series of poignant readings from Finding My Father’s Auschwitz Files by the author Dr. Hershkowitz and his guests: Holocaust survivor Ann Jaffe, co-founder and former Guiding Teacher at the New York Insight Meditation Center Gina Sharpe, Senior Pastor of Mt. Sinai United Christian Church in Staten Island Bishop Victor A. Brown, and actress Zelda Adams. The readings will be followed by an interfaith panel discussion led by Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Executive Vice President of the New York Board of Rabbis, which will focus on the enduring significance of the Holocaust and the message for our world today.
“January 27th, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, offers a timely opportunity to gather and reflect on our common humanity, to emphasize that people of good will hear the cries of the world. My book documents the story of my parents’ persecution by Nazi murderers, the slaughter of their first three children, their first spouses, their parents and relatives, simply because they were Jewish. My story offers a uniquely powerful reminder of how poisonous hatred can be, and the miraculous strength inbred in those committed to survive.”
Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, author of Finding My Father’s Auschwitz Files
The panelists will include Dr. Hershkowitz, Ms. Jaffe, Ms. Sharpe, and Imam Dr. Tahir Kukaj, Vice President of the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center in Staten Island. Fr. Brian McWeeney, Director of the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs at the Archdiocese of New York, will open the program on behalf of The Sheen Center.
“International Holocaust Day of Remembrance marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps. This is a day when all people of all faiths reflect on one of the darkest chapters in human history, look to the future in our common hope to make the world a better place, and celebrate the human spirit of survival and perseverance. Allen’s remarkable and personal story of piecing together his parents’ history in the camps is something we are proud to share.”
William Spencer Reilly, Executive Director of The Sheen Center
Members of the press interested in covering this event are asked to kindly contact Mercedes Anderson at [email protected].
The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture is a New York City arts center located in NoHo that presents a vibrant mix of theater, film, music, art and talks. A project of the Archdiocese of New York, The Sheen Center serves all New Yorkers by presenting performances and artists that reflect the true, the good, and the beautiful. Named for the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, best remembered as an inspirational author, radio host and two-time Emmy Award-winning television personality, The Sheen Center reflects his modern-day approach to contemporary topics. The Sheen Center is a state-of-the-art theater complex that includes the 270-seat off-Broadway Loreto Theater, equipped with five-camera high-definition TV and live-stream capability and a multi-track recording studio; the 80-seat off-off-Broadway Black Box Theater; four rehearsal studios; and an art gallery.