Today we commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day by having a Conversation with Larry Gross. Larry shared the story of how his mom and family were rounded up and taken to Auschwitz. As they disembarked from the railcar, they were met with the evil presence of Dr. Mengele, called the angel of death, who made immediate decisions of who would be sent to work or death. Larry's mom survived the camp escaping near the end of the war, but even more horrific and miraculous, she survived a malfunction of the gas chamber itself. Larry also shared about his journey to retrace his mom's journey from her childhood home to Auschwitz itself. This was a most solemn conversation both as we sought to feel and understand the past and to heighten our awareness of how genocide and fascism are an ever-present threat. We embrace the important refrain Never Again.
Our deepest appreciation to Larry for sharing this difficult but critically important story....