Capital District Council for the Social Studies (Albany, NY)
Capital District Premiere of The Light of Hope
Tuesday, November 12, 2019, 7:00 PM
Page Hall, University at Albany downtown campus 135 Western Avenue, Albany, New York
The Light of Hope is based on the true story of Elisabeth Eidenbenz (1913-2011) and her female co-workers who saved the lives of almost 600 infants in World War II. In the early 1940s, refugees from all over Europe seek shelter in South Western France escaping persecution from the Nazis, some accompanied by their little children. Eidenbenz breathes new life into an old villa, transforming it into a birth clinic. She saved the lives of mothers and children from certain death, making a safe haven resounding with the children’s laughter. But soon threats take shape. Authorities in Nazi-occupied France demand that she hand over all Jewish refugees and their children. Elisabeth and her staff must risk their lives to keep the maternity home alive. This is a remarkable story of heroism and humanity.
The program is sponsored by Holocaust Survivors & Friends Education Center, Community Relations Council of Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York, and the Judaic Studies program of the University at Albany. Barclay Damon LLP is the corporate sponsor.
The Kristallnacht commemoration features Holocaust survivors and members of the community representing faith groups of the entire Capital Region.