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Survivor Holograms
So, too, is Karen Jungblut. At the recep-
tion, she was stationed at a table with a
monitor and a laptop, waiting for people
to ask about the curious image of a
Holocaust survivor sitting inside what
appeared to be a geodesic dome.
Director of research and documenta-
tion at the Shoah Foundation, Jungblut
heads a project to record survivors holo-
graphically so they can "interact" with
students and others as if they are really
there, looking into their eyes and speak-
ing directly to them.
The geodesic dome is loaded with
cameras at all angles to create the
holograms. Only survivors with the
stamina to answer 1,200 questions over
six days of filming six hours a day will
be immortalized this way. Imagine that
process! When the project is complete,
people will be able to ask those ques-
tions and hear personal answers long
after this generation of survivors is
gone.
Jungblut is German and not Jewish.
She said her grandfathers served in the
German military during World War
II but never spoke about their service.
Her generation learned much about
the Holocaust in school, and now she's
preserving survivor history at the Shoah
Foundation.
Other celebrities that night were
Detroit and Livonia high school students
who are taking part in the IWitness
program, which honoree Bill Ford and
the Ford Motor Company Fund are help-
ing to expand in Michigan. About 450
teachers across Michigan use IWitness,
including about two dozen schools in
Steven Spielberg listens to !Witness students at Henry Ford Academy.
Metro Detroit.
Dinner patrons could watch a group
of students take part in an actual
IWitness session that resulted in creative
statements sparked by survivor testi-
mony.
Kelsi Fay, a senior at Churchill High
School in Livonia, participated in an
IWitness special session at her school at
the invitation of a teacher.
"We watched some films of Holocaust
survivors and how they showed grit,
determination and resilience Fay said.
In a video shown at the gala, she reads a
poem she wrote that was inspired by the
survivors. "I had no idea what IWitness
was going to be about beforehand, but it
was definitely worth it, and it will defi-
nitely have a lasting effect. I hope others
will learn, too:'
Powerful stuff.
HMC Lauded
Another star was the Zekelman
Holocaust Memorial Center in
Farmington Hills. Spielberg and his
father, Arnold, 98, toured the museum
at a fairly fast pace because of a busy
schedule, but told staff he'd like to
return with his wife and children to get
a better look.
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24 September 24 • 2015
At the Holocaust Memorial Center, Steven Spielberg sees the German boxcar
as a powerful educational tool. His father, Arnold, 98, and Stephen Goldman,
HMC executive director look on.
Spielberg gravitated toward personal
stories of survivors, lingering at the
Portraits of Honor exhibit featuring
stories of local survivors, according to
Cheryl Guyer, HMC director of develop-
ment. He also was drawn to the boxcar,
where students try to understand the
experience through photos and images.
And he enjoyed the Anne Frank Sapling
exhibit as well.
Spielberg and his father also toured
the Ford Rouge Factory, with Bill Ford
as their tour guide.
Ford, already a luminary in his own
right, was visibly moved by his honor as
an Ambassador for Humanity. He rec-
ognized the Holocaust survivors at the
dinner and said he was humbled to be
in their presence. He told them that his
efforts can't compare to their pain, and
that they inspired him to do more.
Quoting two words from Spielberg's
movie, Saving Private Ryan, Ford said
simply, "'Earn this' — that's what I'll do:'
Ford Motor Company Fund has
given $100,000 to expand IWitness in
Michigan, plus $80,000 to support the
IWitness video challenge for two years.
A final star of the evening was Mickey
Shapiro of Bloomfield Hills, a child
of Holocaust survivors who brought
the Shoah Foundation gala to Detroit
and suggested Ford as the honoree. He
serves on the foundation's executive
committee.
"This was the biggest fundraiser in
the Shoah Foundation's history — we
sold out the 700 seats in two weeks:'
Shapiro said. "I was thrilled that people
from out of state could see Detroit and
that people from Michigan could see a
Hollywood production.
"Steven Spielberg said [Detroit] is the
most heimish place he's been to; he felt
so good here. He loved all the people
and the whole experience. The whole
thing was amazing. This was a chance
for Detroiters to learn what the Shoah
Foundation really does — to feel it and
see it. I'm very happy. It couldn't have
been better:'
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