28 | JANUARY 21 • 2021

ARTS&LIFE

DOCUMENTARY

COURTESY OF VERONICA SELVER

S

usan Fanshel always will
remember one import-
ant characteristic of the
late mother of her best friend,
Veronica Selver. When the two
friends were teens and summer-
ing near the Atlantic Ocean, Irmi
Selver invariably would walk
along the coastline as they swam,
watching them with a compelling
intensity.
Fanshel could sense anx-
iety in the woman’s expres-

sion, but she did not understand
fully until decades later, after
reading Irmi’s memoir meant for
those who knew her well.
Irmi described growing up
in Germany, moving to other
countries in escape of the Nazi
onslaught and settling in America
with a husband and two daugh-
ters. Most heart-wrenching was
the part about traveling from
Europe to Chile on a boat that
hit Nazi explosives; Irmi was the
only survivor of her earlier family,
which had included a beloved
husband, young son and younger
daughter.
Fanshel, who settled in New
York, and Veronica Selver, who
moved to California, came to
share career goals that recently
joined them in letting others
know about Irmi’s fortitude,
which could not be squelched.

My
Mother’s
Pain,
My Mother’s
Resilience

Documentary explores Holocaust
survivor’s grief — and love of life.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

DETAILS
Irmi can be seen beginning
Tuesday Jan. 26, as part of
the New York Jewish Film
Festival. The festival, running
Jan. 13-26, features each film
beginning at noon on the
specified date and holding for
72 hours. $12 each. Listings
and reservation information
are available by accessing
filmlinc.org or calling
(212) 875-5367.

Veronica Selver and Irmi Selver, c. 1991. BOTTOM: Susan Fanshel and Irmi Selver

also taken in 1991.