This episode of Hear My Story features Bob Mermelstein, the son of Holocaust survivors, as he shares the powerful legacy of his mother, Joan Mermelstein. Joan, a survivor of multiple concentration camps including Auschwitz, documented her harrowing experiences in her book Out of the Ashes.
“It would have been easy to despair, but instead of succumbing to bitterness and hatred, we survivors in this nation created a record of determination and accomplishment.” — Bob’s mother, Joan Mermelstein, on the resilience and strength of Holocaust survivors
Bob joined the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center’s Director of Holocaust Programs & Museum Experiences, Trinity Johnson, for this moving episode. In it, he reflects on Joan’s early life in a small farming village in modern-day Ukraine, the devastation brought by the Holocaust, her survival against incredible odds, and her eventual recovery and immigration to the United States.
Joan’s journey from enduring unimaginable loss to rebuilding her life in America is a testament to her resilience and hope. Her commitment to Holocaust education began as a response to denial and grew into a lifelong mission to share her story. Bob honors her legacy by participating in the Holocaust & Humanity Center’s Coppel Speakers Bureau, where he shares her story with students and community members.
This episode is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling. Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity
Our gratitude to Margaret & Michael Valentine for their ongoing support of this series.
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Episode Resources
Invite Bob or another speaker from our Coppel Speakers Bureau to share their story with your group
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/programs-and-events/book-a-speaker-coppel-speakers-bureau/
Read Joan’s memoir for free in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
https://archive.org/details/outfromashesmyli01merm
Access her full testimony
https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn507970
Learn more about the atrocities perpetrated by Dr. Josef Mengele, including the selection of Bob’s grandmother to be one of the thousands murdered at Auschwitz
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/josef-mengele
British troops liberated Bergen Belsen on April 15, 1945. Among those still alive was Joan Mermelstein. Read about what they encountered.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-liberation-of-bergen-belsen
