Holocaust Memorial Center Honors Weisbergs During 28th Annual Dinner

The Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus will honor Henrietta and Alvin Weisberg, donors who funded construction of a World War II boxcar exhibit, during its 28th Anniversary Dinner, Nov. 11 at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell Rd., in Southfield.  

Father Patrick Desbois, a Catholic priest who has devoted his life to confronting antisemitism and furthering Catholic-Jewish understanding, as well as taking on the monumental task of uncovering mass gravesites in Eastern Europe where Jews were killed during the Holocaust, will deliver the keynote address.

The Weisbergs are longtime benefactors to the Holocaust Memorial Center, as well as Congregation Shaarey Zedek, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and Beaumont Hospital, among many other organizations throughout the community. Their recent gift creates a permanent home for an authentic World War II-era boxcar, used to transport Jews and other victims of the Holocaust to concentration camps. 

Henrietta Weisberg and her family were transported on boxcars, very much like the one on display in the gallery, taking them to various concentration camps where most of her family perished. Only Henrietta and her sister Rachel survived. Having survived three concentration camps, Henrietta is passionate about educatingtoday’s children about tolerance, the need to stand up for others, as well as the importance of never forgetting those who perished and survived the Holocaust. 

Father Patrick Desbois and his organization Yahad-in Unum have received international acclaim for locating mass gravesites in Eastern Europe so that countless Jews killed during the Holocaust will no longer beforgotten.  To date,Yahad-In Unum has identified more than 800 mass killing sites with more than 2,000 mass graves. 

Father Desbois also is the author of the award-winning bookThe Holocaust by Bullets, which chronicles the discovery of these mass killing sites. 

The Chairpersons for the 28th Anniversary Dinner are Karen and Joel Kahn.

The event will begin with hors d’oeuvres at 5:00 p.m. At this time, there will be a preview of Light from the Ashes, a unique and important exhibit of pre-war photos opening in November at the Holocaust Memorial Center.  

Reservations for the dinner are required and complimentary valet parking will be provided. For tickets or more information, contact Jackie Schwartz at 248-553-2400 (ext. 29), or jackie.schwartz@holocaustcenter.org. 

Source: Holocaust Memorial Center press release