OKDHS Lecture Series Presents True Story of Holocaust Survivors

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- A journey through time, back to the days of the Holocaust, will be the next topic in a series of lectures presented by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS).  Author Michael Korenblit will present his lecture Tuesday, November 8, from 12–1 PM in the Chesapeake Room of the Oklahoma History Center.

Korenblit co-authored “Until We Meet Again,” a true story of love and survival during the Holocaust.  In his presentation, Korenblit takes his audiences back to Hrubieszow, Poland, during the late 1930s and 1940s.  He relates the stories of two families and the impact of World War II on their lives.

The main characters in the book and presentation are his mother and father, Manya and Meyer.  Although they were only 17, their courage, faith and love for each other sustained them through the loss of their own parents and siblings.  They also survived constant fear and harsh living conditions, hiding from German soldiers, a two-year separation from each other, and 13 concentration and death camps.  Korenblit says their survival and finding each other again after liberation was a true miracle.

The author leads discussions on diversity and tolerance with a range of participants from fifth graders to high school students to community groups. For those trying to comprehend the impact of the Holocaust, Korenblit puts a human face on the numbers.  He tells of the bravery and courage and sacrifice of Jews and non-Jews, and he does so with the gratitude and respect and humility of a loving son. Other topics center on school shootings and bullying, and a comparison of the genocides in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Nigeria to more recent ones in the Congo and the Sudan.

Korenblit is President and Co-Founder of the Respect Diversity Foundation, located in Edmond.  He previously worked for 19 years with the Close Up Foundation, an educational organization in Washington, D. C.   He held a number of positions, including Program Instructor, where he led students and teachers in examining the government process and domestic and foreign policy issues.  He also directed Close Up’s television and video department, where he produced programs that aired on the Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network.  Korenblit is a former producer of an Ace Award-winning public affairs series, as well as numerous award-winning documentaries.

He was graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1973 with a B.S. in education and a teaching certificate in social studies.

The Practice and Policy Lecture Series has been developed to provide thought-provoking presentations on Oklahoma's emerging policy issues, trends and best practices. The series is sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services Office of Planning, Research and Statistics and the University of Oklahoma Center for Public Management. The goal is to provide the best educational opportunities available in a forum that offers participants an opportunity to question, share and learn from each other.

All lectures are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Office of Planning, Research and Statistics at (405) 521-3552.

###