Riva's Reality Free Virtual Event
A Student Led Holocaust Remembrance
Keynote Speaker Anna Vorozhtsova
April 25, 2023 12 Noon - 1:00 CDT
Young Riva and her sister Inna were awakened and told they must leave immediately. The killing of innocent Jews had begun in their homeland so they left their comfortable home in Romania to a land far away where they would be safe.
Meet Anna
In the Spring of 2022, worlds collided when a teenage girl in Ukraine began writing the story of a Jewish Holocaust survivor from Israel. An 18 year-old girl named Anna was experiencing anxiety about the war in her country. She learned the story of Riva Barenboim just weeks after the war in her country started. Then Anna's parents grew concerned about her safety so she wrote this story in four different countries (Ukraine, Poland, Germany and Belgium) as she fled her homeland. She wrote about Riva, a little girl whose family moved from danger through various countries (including Ukraine) to find a safe place to live. Ironically Riva’s safe place was Russia, the very country who is trying to destroy Ukraine right now.
Meet Kids in Iowa
Riva's book project was written and needed to be illustrated. An education leader from Iowa reached out to A BOOK by ME about the situation in Ukraine. These teachers wanted an experience for their 6th grade class who were meeting with leaders in the comic book industry. As they learned about Anna's writing experience, they felt it was perfect for their project based learning effort. This is how nineteen students from Forest Grove Elementary School created the art for Riva's book after learning about her WWII story.
Program will open with comments from
Author Speaker Marion Blumenthal Lazan
Jewish Holocaust Survivor Marion Blumenthal Lazan will greet guests with a video emphasizing the importance of Holocaust education.
For those who would like to help us put book sets in the hands of children...
email jeanieabbm@gmail.com
"Click to see our sets."
Happy Hour - Wine Up Wednesday: A small group discussion to learn more about the project is happening on 4/26/2023 and 5/03/2023 at 4PM CDT. Sign up here