The Community Synagogue is hosting a unique program, “Hidden in Holland, An Iconic Victim and a Fortunate Survivor.”
The holocaust program includes an informational presentation about Anne Frank, with excerpts from her diary presented by Gloria Glantz, who was a Hidden Child in Poland. Leo Ullman, a fortunate holocaust survivor, speaker and author will share stories of how he and his family survived the increasingly harsh conditions under German occupation.
Ullman will offer firsthand accounts of courage and fear from his time living in secrecy and reflect on how his childhood in Nazi-occupied Holland shaped his life. He will explore the similarities and the differences between his story and that of Anne Frank and his connection to the diary, specifically the pages Anne’s father suppressed from the original version, which were later included in the definitive edition.
The program will be held Wednesday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. The Community Synagogue, 160 Middle Neck Rd. For more information contact Gloria Glantz, gglantz@optonline.net, 516-883-0815, or Evie Schonbrun, evieschonbrun@gmail.com, 516-767-0599.
About the Diary: The diary has had an unsettled and eventful life. It experienced several titles, from first publication in 1947 as Het Achterhuis, translated into English in 1952 as The Diary of a Young Girl, then as The Diary of Anne Frank.
The authenticity of the diary was questioned by Revisionists, and it was claimed by Neo-Nazis to be forged. Five diary pages, dealing with Anne’s impending sexuality, and the depiction of her poor relationship with her mother, were suppressed by Otto Frank, and given to his friend, Cor Sujik. Eventually these pages were made public and included in the definitive edition.
The diary has been adapted in several versions as a stage play, as recently as the new play, Anne which opened in Amsterdam in May.
There is still uncertainty about who betrayed the Franks. But there is one indisputable certainty—Ann left a precious gift to all of us.
About Leo Ullman: Leo Ullman, a Hidden Child in Holland, is a member of the Port Washington community. He is the author of From a Hidden Child in Occupied Amsterdam to a ‘Preppy’ at Andover—Surviving the Holocaust, a chronical of his family’s history during the Holocaust and their first days in America; and 796 Days. He has hosted Miep Gies, the Frank family’s helper and rescuer of Anne’s diary, in his home. A column on his early days in Port Washington appeared recently in the Port Washington News. He has had an impressive career in law and real estate. His educational background includes the Port Washington Public Schools, Harvard College and both Columbia Law and Business Schools. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Leo’s life and achievements, as well as those of other survivors, remind us all of the unrealized possibilities and accomplishments that were lost in the Holocaust.
His background and fluency in Dutch provided a foundation for Ullman to serve as Director of the Anne Frank Center USA for several decades and as its chairman for seven years. He is currently Chairman of the Foundation for the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam. Leo, and his wife, Kay, have co-sponsored with multi-year grants, the Exhibit, “State of Deception – The Power of Nazi Propaganda” at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum which, while on site, was visited by a record 1.7 million persons and is now a traveling exhibit. Ullman’s Aunt Juliemarthe Jacobs was one of the founding members of The Community Synagogue.
About Gloria Glantz: Gloria Glantz, a Hidden Child in Poland, holocaust educator and winner of the Anne Frank Outstanding Educator Award, will present an informational segment about Anne Frank. Her presentation includes meaningful excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank. Glantz often presents holocaust and tolerance courses to local and national school districts and has presented nationally and internationally, through video conferences, with students as distant as Australia. Glantz has been a member of The Community Synagogue since 1978.
About The Community Synagogue of Port Washington: The Community Synagogue describes itself as Port Washington’s largest reform congregation, yet a place of openness to all, where each person can connect, where comfort and caring matter.
‘Hidden in Holland’
