Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman to speak at JCC on Wednesday

May 4—KINGSTON — Tova Friedman is among the youngest people to survive the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp.

More than 150 members of Mrs. Friedman's family were murdered in the Holocaust — and that's just on her mother's side.

Her memoir — "The Daughter of Auschwitz" — was a New York Times bestseller, spending several weeks at number one.

To commemorate Yom HaShoah on Wednesday, May 8, at 7 p.m., the Friedman JCC will conduct a short service, followed by Tova Friedman telling her story.

And what a story Tova has to tell.

Tova Friedman was born on Sept. 7, 1938, in Gdynia, Poland, a suburb of Danzig.

Her family came from Tomaszow Mazowiecki, a small town near Lodz, Poland, and returned there as soon as the war broke out.

After spending several years in a German sanatorium for tuberculosis and Displaced Persons camps, Friedman and her parents arrived in the U.S. when she was 12 years old.

They lived in Brooklyn, where Tova met and married her husband of 60 years, Maier Friedman.

Tova received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Brooklyn College and a Master of Arts in Black Literature from City College of New York.

Together she and her husband immigrated to Israel and lived there for over 10 years, where she taught at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

After returning to the U.S., Tova earned her Master of Arts in Social Work from Rutgers University and became the director of Jewish Family Service of Somerset and Warren Counties. Tova has four children and eight grandchildren.

Tova continues to share her story with students and audiences at public and private schools, at colleges and places of worship all over the country.

Tova was driving on Friday, she had just left one meeting and was heading to another, when she answered a call from a Times Leader reporter. Tova pulled over and parked her car to answer the reporter's questions.

As busy has she has been over the years, her schedule has gotten even busier as she sees the discourse in the U.S. and worldwide concerning the Israel-Hamas war.

"Yes, I feel speaking out especially now is extraordinarily important," Tova said. "What's been going on is very upsetting. I can't just sit back. This is a very disappointing time in America for me."

Tova, as one might expect, has strong opinions about the situation. She drew many parallels between the world of 2024 and the world pre-World War II in Europe.

"I want to point out, this hatred and these terrible demonstrations are not protests — they are inciting people," Tova said. "That's what happened before World War II in Germany. It's very reminiscent — the hatred, the fury, the prejudice, the meanness. I just can't sit back and not do what I can."

Tova said the level of anti-Semitism in the world today is frightening.

"It's so filled with venom and hatred," she said. "It is a reminder of the Holocaust where millions of people were murdered because of their religious beliefs. This is not a repetition of that, but these are very dangerous times for Jews and all people."

Tova was 5 1/2 when she was in Auschwitz. Her and her parents and two aunts managed to survive the ordeal.

"When I was at Auschwitz, I was 5 almost 6," Tova said. "I was there for six months. We all were totally aware of what was going on there — every child was aware. I didn't know anything else."

Tova said she is determined to send out a warning.

"Look what happened to me and my family and so many others when hatred and anti-Semitism was rampant," Tova said. "Today, we are living in a very dangerous time. We could lose Democracy. People want to kill people who are different."

Tova Friedman's appearance at the Friedman JCC is free, but reservations are requested. Call 570-824-4646, or email — Barbara Sugarman at — b.sugarman@nepajca.org — to make your reservation.

Media are encouraged to cover the event. Any questions, please call Barbara .

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.