SURVIVOR TESTIMONIALS MARK YOM HASHOAH

THORNHILL – At a Holocaust memorial event held recently at Aish Thornhill Community Shul, freelance writer/editor Shlomit Kriger, a contributor to the Jewish Tribune, discussed Marking Humanity: Stories, Poems, & Essays by Holocaust Survivors, a recently published, acclaimed book of survivor testimonials, which she edited.

The event, in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and honouring those who survived, included presentations by three survivors who were featured in the book: Helen Drazek, George Scott, and Simcha Simchovitch.

An idealist who has participated in several philanthropic ventures, Kriger ran the 2005 Creative Writing Contest for the Homeless on behalf of Ve’ahavta, a local humanitarian organization.

Grand prize winner Theresa Schrader, who had been battling drug addiction and living at homeless shelters, has since turned her life around and recently launched the Ve’ahavta Street Academy, providing education and motivation for the homeless.

“She’s also coordinating the writing contest this year, this one being the 10th annual contest,” Kriger told the Jewish Tribune. “It’s pretty amazing to see how far she has come…. She has gone on to complete a social work diploma, live in subsidized housing, raise her now four-year-old son on her own, and speak to various communities about homelessness.”

To find out where Marking Humanity is available, visit www.soulinscriptionspress.com