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Conversation with Larry Gross on Yom HaShoah

For Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as Yom HaShoah, we had a Conversation with longtime friend of TCS, Larry Gross.  Larry is the Founder and Head of the Coalition for Economic Survival in Los Angeles. He is also the son of a Holocaust Survivor.

His Mom, Alice Sylvester, was taken as a teenager along with her Jewish family by Nazi soldiers from their home to Auschwitz in 1944. When she disembarked from the railcar, she was examined by the infamous so called angel of death, Dr. Mengele. Larry read his mothers own account of her story at the camp including the horrifying experience of his mom being stripped and in the gas chamber. The chamber malfunctioned and she was sent back.  As the liberating troops were getting closer to Auschwitz, the prisoners were rounded up into a death march to flee the camp.  Surviving all of this, Ms. Alice eventually was liberated. Her father and other relatives did not survive.

Larry spoke about his own experience retracing his mom’s journey.  He and his wife Mimi went back to the house in Mukachevo where the Nazi soldiers rounded up his mother and family.  Larry toured the city and saw the brick factory where his family was held before being taken by rail to the work and death camps. He then went to Auschwitz and saw the platform where his mom disembarked and then witnessed the barracks and ash pits in the vastness of this camp.  One of the most difficult parts of this retracing was when he arrived at the concrete stairs to the very gas chamber where his mom was taken to be murdered.

The students had many questions about this experience and the impact on Larry’s mom, family and his own life. They also were interested in the lessons of the Holocaust that we need to learn for today. This was a deeply meaningful and moving conversation.

Mr. Tom has known Larry for over 40 years and had the opportunity to meet Ms. Alice and hear her story directly. We were all thankful for Larry taking the time to share this important personal story with this class and he has for many classes at the school over the years. It is a day to remember the need to challenge antisemitism and all efforts to dehumanize any groups of people and to pledge to not allow this to happen again to any people.

Learn more about this story and hear Ms. Alice in her own words here: Interview with Alice Sylvester

Conversation with Lee Blinder

The students had a very informative and engaging Conversation with Lee Blinder.  Lee was recently honored by Governor Moore and is the policy chair for the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs as well as the founding Executive Director of Trans Maryland.

The students were able to learn first hand about the issues that trans individuals face especially as they have become a target for a lot of hatred during this time. We appreciate Lee’s open and honest sharing with us and look forward to a return visit because the students had so many questions left to ask.

Conversation with Joe Manko and Eryn Lessard

Long term friend of TCS, Joe Manko, came in for a Conversation with the students. Joe is the Program Officer for Education at The Abell Foundation but has also been a teacher and the former Principal at Liberty Elementary School in Baltimore City. He comes in every year to talk with the students, sharing his experiences and perspective while also learning more about the students and what’s important to them. Joe is always eager to learn about what’s new at the school and check in with our community.

Joe brought his friend Eryn Lessard with him to the Conversation. Eryn is the Director of Development and External Affairs at the KIPP school here in Baltimore. It was her first time visiting the school and she added a lot to the conversation sharing her experience as a teacher, librarian and school administrator.

It was a lively discussion especially when it came to education policy and practices. Thank you Joe and Eryn for sharing your time with us. We also want to express our deepest gratitude to The Abell Foundation for their consistent support since Foundation President Bob Embry visited us nearly two decades ago.

Last Seminar of the Year at The Lyric

Costumes were in abundance  at our last seminar at The Lyric for the year!  The students broke into groups and then each group went through the ample costume selection at The Lyric.  From there each group developed a theme and skit to perform. They also worked with musician Antonio Eyez to score their performance. The skits were all very entertaining and had meaning as well.

The students will miss this chance to unleash their creativity and collaborate with their classmates.  it’s been an amazing year full of activities.

Our deepest thanks goes to the education team at The Lyric – Denise Gantt and Ebony Evans – for inviting us into The Lyric and planning these monthly seminars.  We also appreciate all of folks who make The Lyric possible – staff, management and the Board.