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As we enter the third millennium, eyewitness accounts by survivors of Hitler’s ruthless effort to exterminate Europe’s Jewish population are becoming increasingly rare. Suzanne Loebl, author of award-winning books, is visiting libraries and schools to talk about her memoir: At the Mercy of Strangers: Growing Up on the Edge of the Holocaust. Schools she visits find her presentation deeply meaningful for today’s young people.
Selected as Best Book for the Teen Age in 1998 by the New York Public Library, At the Mercy of Strangers vividly describes Suzanne’s experiences as the Bambergers moved to Belgium from Germany in 1938, when Hitler’s anti-Jewish agenda gained momentum. Separated from her father, Suzanne, her mom and sister, tried to outrun the German army. They could not, and Suzanne survived by working as a “mother’s helper” for Belgians willing to hide her.
Students today can identify with this “ordinary” young girl who faced the constant threat of capture while also struggling with the turmoil of adolescence. A diary Suzanne kept during those years of working hard is woven into the text of the book. The adolescent diary and the main text written by the adult author of today tell us of Suzanne’s fears, her hunger, her frustrations and homesickness, her fantasy love life. We read of conflicts with her mom, the pain of being an outsider, her defiance of danger in moments of youthful bravado, and of her stubborn belief in the future in the face of defeat.
Dr. Geraldine Nussbaum, Director of the John Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville Maryland, where Suzanne Loebl made a presentation to students in the Spring of 1999, commented:
“Suzanne Loebl’s visit to our school was memorable. The students responded warmly to her very personal story. They identified with the ordinary young girl who grew up under such unusual circumstances. It was most valuable for them to see how both positive and negative life experiences can be the source of excellent books. Her presentation was suited to students in grades 6 through 12. Our students in grades 2 through 5 enjoyed her reading of her picture book The Wish Ring, a prize winning folk tale.”
Suzanne Loebl is available for presentations to large and small groups; presentations to schools and in temples are free-of-charge. Contact her to make arrangements for a visit that will bring your students a unique lesson in the history of the 20th century.
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Around 1900, a few decades after America’s disastrous Civil War, America’s Art Museums started a growth spurt, which, with some interruptions, has not yet abated. Art treasures, acquired by captains of industry, robber barons, and discriminating collectors, migrated across the oceans. Eventually these were housed in splendid structures which more than any other group of buildings demonstrated the architectural history of America.
Suzanne Loebl’s illustrated lecture on The History of America’s Art Museums details the remarkable development of America’s art museums. Each lecture is adapted to the particular occasion and location, and includes facts about local art museums.
Suzanne Loebl is available for presentations to large and small groups. Contact her to make arrangements for a visit.
Note: Suzanne Loebl’s book America’s Art Museums: A Traveler’s Guide to Great Collections Large and Small provides a wealth of historical and practical information. In addition, she prepares a free email newsletter: Loebl Museum News.
