November 11, 2008
Meet a Schindler's List survivor
This page, from the original "Schindler's List," found in a suitcase in 1999, contains the names of the Polish Jews saved by German industrialist Oskar Schindler during World War II. If you click on the image and take a close look, you'll spot the name of the man scheduled to speak at the Westlake Hyatt next week.
The Conejo Jewish Academy is sponsoring a lecture by one of the Polish Jews saved by German war profiteer Oskar Schindler, the man made world famous by Steven Spielberg's 1993 film, Schindler's List.
Leon Eyson -- born Leib Lejzon in Poland in 1929 -- was ten years old when the Germans invaded Poland in the fall of 1939; soon, the Lejzon family joined thousands of other Polish jews, imprisoned in the Krakow Ghetto.
By 1942, the boy was working alongside his father in Schindler's factory, so short he had to stand on a box to reach the equipment on the assembly line.
He caught the eye of Oskar Schindler, who became fond of the skinny Jewish kid. The factory owner called him “Little Leyson” and showed him many kindnesses such as providing extra rations of food and excusing him from the night shift when his vision began to fail.
His two eldest brothers did not survive the war, but he, his parents and brother and sister were [amongst] those on Schindler’s List who survived the Holocaust.
The centenary of Oskar Schindler’s birth was in April, spurring the youngest of the Schindler Juden to break his half-century of silence about his family's salvation, thanks to the Nazi Party member whose conscience led him to save his workers from the crematoria.
Schindler's List was a stunning movie experience, one that moved me to tears several times; if you've never seen it, please do yourself a favor and do so. But you can rent the film anytime; how often can you meet one of the people who escaped the Holocaust thanks to the efforts of the enigmatic hero at the center of the story?
The program will begin Monday at 8 p.m., in the Hyatt Westlake Plaza Hotel Grand Ballroom, located at
880 South Westlake Blvd., Thousand Oaks, Calif. Admission is $15 ($20 at the door).
Visit the Conejo Jewish Academy's site to make a reservation.
Posted by Mike Lief at November 11, 2008 08:08 PM
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Comments
The movie Schindler's List is not just a movie. It is a perspective changing experience. I am a white, protestant male with German ancestry and I was completely taken aback by the horror and violence inflicted on these people. I am not sure how I will ever explain it to my children.
I truly believe that every human being should be required to watch it. There are truly some evils that cannot be explained.
Posted by: RW at November 12, 2008 08:21 PM