Daughter of Holocaust survivor prepares to share father's story in Westchester
Helayne Scheier, of Ossining, says that when she was growing up, she didn't know that her father was a Holocaust survivor.
Yom HaShoah, also known Holocaust Remembrance Day, begins Wednesday night, and one woman in Westchester is sharing how she's keeping her dad's journey as a Holocaust survivor alive.
Helayne Scheier, of Ossining, says that when she was growing up, she didn't know that her father was a Holocaust survivor.
"He never ever spoke about his experiences. I had no idea," Scheier said.
Scheier said she didn't find out about this part of his journey until he moved to Florida, later on her life.
"He found this organization called Child Survivors/ Hidden Children of the Holocaust and he joined the organization. He actually went on to become the president. He was the key speaker," Scheier said.
Although her dad died last year, Scheier said she still wanted to find a way to continue his education work.
She's slated to share her dad's story of survival at an event at Waterstone of Westchester's senior living community on April 30 at 3 p.m.
Her dad was just 14 years old when he entered his first concentration camp.
Although he survived, Scheier said some of his relatives did not.
"It's such a moving story," Scheier said. "Especially now, there's so much antisemitism."
Scheier's event also follows the release of a shocking new report from the Anti-Defamation League that details that New York now leads the nation in antisemitic incidents.
According to the report, there were more than 1,400 incidents in the state alone last year.
"That is a very frightening thing," Scheier said.
As Scheier looks forward to her event next week, she said she hopes her guests can learn from her dad's resilience and courage.
"I know that this is something that was very, very important to him," Scheier said.
The event is open to the public. RSVP is required at hscheier@waterstonesl.com.
