20 | OCTOBER 14 • 2021 

OUR COMMUNITY

T

hree generations gathered at the 
Berman Center for the Performing 
Arts on Oct. 3 for the filming of 
the final scene of Keith Famie’s Shoah 
Ambassadors Holocaust documentary. 
The closing scene in the Berman Center 
will see Shoah Ambassador Curtis Bates 
singing his song “Never Again” with nine 
Michigan-based Holocaust survivors, the 
Detroit Children’s Choir and ambassador 
Hailey Callahan on stage with him for a 
climactic final scene and message of soli-
darity together.
The song “Never Again” came to fru-
ition during production after Bates and 
Michigan-based Holocaust survivor and 
painter, Rene Lichtman, had a one-on-
one interview at Lichtman’s home. Since 
Lichtman has an artistic expression of his 
own, he decided to create a painting called 
Never Again.
The Michigan-based Holocaust sur-
vivors who participated in the filming 
were Edith Maniker, Elizabeth Silver, Fred 
Lessing, Katherine Sattler, Gita Griesdorf, 
Irene Miller, Rene Lichtman, Sabina Heller 

and Sheri Kohen. 
Throughout the day of filming, meld-
ing of the three generations took place, 
including Bates and Callahan telling the 
choir students about their journey and 
encouraging them to learn more about the 
Holocaust.And the Holocaust survivors 
and choir students connected as well. 
Bates, along with Callahan, has been 
filming for the project for just about two 
years now. Bates believes his song and the 
movie as a whole fulfills its task.
“It bridged the gap of the generations 
where we had young children, young 
adults and the survivors, and I feel like 
that’s a link that’s missing within com-
munities,” Bates said. “It’s been exciting 
getting to meet the survivors and make 
something they really connect to and feel 
strongly about. It’s really given me a new 
insight and perspective on life and how 
people really can make it through things 
you wouldn’t even be able to imagine.”
Gita Griesdorf, one of the survivors who 
participated in the filming, loved Bates’ 
song and requested to have it sent to her. 

“I think it’s the best experience I could 
ever expect,
” she said. “It was organized 
beautifully and had a very warm atmo-
sphere. I’m happy I was a participant today.
” 
 
Detroit Children’s Choir Executive 
Director Sandee Singer said it was an over-
whelming emotion seeing all the genera-
tions come together. 
“It was so great to bring these young 
people face-to-face with real Holocaust 
survivors that maybe they thought were 

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

It’s a Wrap!
It’s a Wrap!

Final fi
 lming for Shoah Ambassadors Holocaust 
documentary takes place at Berman Center.

Shoah Ambassadors Curtis Bates and Hailey Callahan, 
the Detroit Children’s Choir and Michigan-based 
Holocaust survivors gather for final filming.

Camera focuses on Holocaust survivor 
Fred Lessing, subject of award-winning 
short film Bear and Fred. 

