SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — As Jewish Federation of San Diego County marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, it does so with an eye toward the future: The Federation is now partnering with San Diego’s local group of Holocaust Survivors, the New Life Club, on several exciting care and legacy initiatives.
The New Life Club started in the 1950’s as a way for Holocaust survivors to be together, share their experiences, and celebrate the lives they made in San Diego after the Holocaust. Members met at various synagogues, such as Congregation Beth Tifilah and Tifereth Israel Synagogue, where guest speakers discussed topics from the Holocaust to Jewish music and culture, and more.
“New Life Club is a treasure of our community, composed of people who have persevered through one of humanity’s greatest tragedies to build lives of meaning and purpose,” says Darren Schwartz, Chief Program Officer at Federation. “Establishing a public memorial is their vision as they think about their legacy and their desire to educate future generations.”
“The group has been a support system for all of us as we started new lives.” adds Vera Falus Lorell, President of New Life Club. “Now, after 70 years in the community, celebrating together and growing together, we are thinking about what comes next, what we must leave for others. For us, it’s about telling our story in ways that will live on forever so people know what occurred—and will do everything in their power to ensure it never happens again.”
Previously, New Life Club was an independent entity under its own operations. With this new partnership, New Life Club has moved under the auspices of Federation, a development welcomed by both organizations. Federation is now working with the New Life Club, along with County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and local community member Sandra Scheller, to establish a new public Holocaust exhibit, with plans to include pieces from the Chula Vista based exhibit RUTH Remember Us the Holocaust, an existing local exhibit that shares a Survivor’s story.
Over the years, New Life Club members have held dinner dances and picnics together, celebrated members’ life-cycle events and New Year’s Eve and held a community-wide Holocaust memorial service each year. Some members wrote about their Holocaust experiences and continue to speak about them in the community and around the country.
“We can really support New Life Club’s social gatherings and make sure they are woven into the fabric of the community,” adds Schwartz. “We’re now partners with them as they work to develop the memorial and preserve their stories.”
Eighty percent of these Survivors are from the Former Soviet Union; one-third of them live in poverty. This new partnership builds on Federation’s work supporting all of San Diego’s local Holocaust Survivors, which today number roughly 400, ensuring they live with dignity in their homes. Jewish Family Service of San Diego, another partner of Federation, plays an integral role in these efforts. Federation provides funds to Jewish Family Service to help Survivors with food, medical care, and other needs. Beyond providing them with resources for care, Federation is dedicated to raising awareness in the broader community about this population, their legacy, and their needs today.
New Life Club shares these goals as well. So, in addition to creating a generational legacy and developing a public monument and memorial, it is launching Friends of the New Life Club. Through this, community members will be able to volunteer and help a Survivor with day-to-day needs, such as grocery shopping or home maintenance.
To learn more about Friends of the New Life Club and about Federation’s work with survivors, please visit jewishinsandiego.org/holocaust-survivors.
Federation also will launch an awareness campaign in April coinciding with Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, known in Hebrew as Yom Ha’Shoah, to commemorate 70 years of Survivors in San Diego.
Adds Schwartz, “We are calling the campaign, “‘Exploring 70 years of Survivors in San Diego’ because this is about getting to know each of these individuals and showing them the dignity and respect they deeply deserve.”
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Preceding provided by Jewish Federation of San Diego County