NYMC Celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month
On May 15, members of the New York Medical College (NYMC) community came together to commemorate Jewish American Heritage Month.
The NYMC community reflected upon the complexity of the Jewish experience in America with a movie screening of the documentary Big Sonia. Hosted by the Health Sciences Library, the movie showcases the story of Sonia Warshawski, a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor, who uses her experiences of surviving the Holocaust as a teenager to inspire countless people who once felt their traumas would leave them broken.
“This film is about resiliency and making the best out of your life even when you've been handed the worst,” said Marie T. Ascher, M.S., M.P.H., The Lillian Hetrick Huber Endowed Director of the Health Sciences Library. “After hearing of neo-Nazi Holocaust deniers, Sonia was driven to speak for those who cannot speak. She speaks to school children, providing them with inspiration, and prisoners, to whom she gives hope. Sonia is an indomitable spirit who understands the healing power of forging human connections,” Ms. Ascher explained.
After the screening, Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., chancellor and chief executive officer, Rabbi Moshe D. Krupka, M.S., executive vice president of the Touro College and University System, and Abraham S. Bartell, M.D., M.B.A., clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, led the room in a dynamic discussion on what it means to be a survivor and how intergenerational trauma affects families and generations.
Members of the NYMC community who are interested in viewing Big Sonia may borrow it from the Health Sciences Library or view it through Amazon Prime.