MILLSTONE — Marion Blumenthal Lazan, a survivor of the Holocaust, will share her firsthand account of the devastating years that shaped her childhood during a special presentation at the Millstone Performing Arts Center, 5 Dawson Court, at 1:30 p.m. March 18.
The event is open to the public.
Although Lazan has already told her story to more than a million people, she is driven to continue reaching as many people as possible during her travels throughout the United States, Germany, Israel, Holland and the United Kingdom.
“This is the last generation that will hear a firsthand Holocaust survival story,” Lazan said. “An important question young people have is whether I regret having been born Jewish. They hear the horrors of what was done. I am proud of my religion and heritage.”
Lazan suggested that before attending her presentation in Millstone Township, people may want to read the memoir she coauthored with the late Lila Perl, “Four Perfect Pebbles: A Holocaust Story.”
“My purpose is to address audiences of all ages to have them understand the dark lessons of our history,” Lazan said. “It is simple and straightforward. After hearing the story, they will understand and realize the importance of the messages about peace and tolerance. My messages pertain to world situations and our individual lives. It works in with character education, which is something we all need, not just the kids.”
Lazan said that following Hitler’s rise to power in Germany, she and her immediate family, including her father, mother and brother, were trapped in Nazi Germany. They eventually managed to get to Holland, but soon thereafter, that nation was occupied by the Nazis.
For the next six-and-a-half years the Blumenthals were forced to live in refugee, transit and prison camps that included Westerbork in Holland and Bergen-Belsen in Germany. The Blumenthals all survived, but shortly after their liberation, Lazan’s father, Walter, succumbed to typhus.
It took three more years of struggle and waiting before Lazan, her brother and their mother obtained the necessary papers and boarded a ship for the United States. Their story is one of horror and hardship, but it is also a story of courage, hope and the will to survive.
According to Lazan, “Four Perfect Pebbles” represented the magical idea that “if [I] could find four perfect pebbles of almost exactly the same size and shape, it meant that [my] family would remain whole. [We] would survive Bergen-Belsen. [We] might even survive the Nazis’ attempt to destroy every last Jew in Europe.”
Interestingly, Lazan believes her story is one that Anne Frank might have told had she lived.
“Anne Frank was in Westerbork where I was,” Lazan said. “Eventually, she came to Bergen-Belsen, where I was, and where tragically she died from typhus in March 1945. With God’s help, I was able to write about camp life, liberation, and finally, starting life anew; first in Holland, and later, in our blessed United States of America.”
Lazan treasures every letter she receives from people who have heard her story.
Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel wrote: “Personal memoirs have no equal in their weight of truth and memory — yours have educated so many. May you continue to tell and retell your story for years and years.”
John Cardinal O’Connor, the former Archbishop of New York, wrote: “Your work in our schools is deeply appreciated. May God bless you for your kindness.”
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg wrote: “I am [also] deeply grateful for your participation in the Shoah Foundation’s project. Your dedication to Holocaust awareness is incredibly important and is so meaningful to ensure that future generations will be able to learn about the Holocaust from those who survived.”
For more information about Lazan’s March 18 appearance in Millstone Township, contact the Millstone Performing Arts Center at 732-446-8480 or visit the website www.millstoneperformingarts.com.