The Berks History Center (BHC), in collaboration with the Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks and the Edwin & Alma N. ’51 Lakin Holocaust Library & Resource Center, are proud to present The Story of Sidney and Esther Bratt, Holocaust Survivors on Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 3 PM inside BHC’s Terrence E. Connor Auditorium located at 940 Centre Avenue, Reading, PA 19601.
Grandchildren Michele Leisawitz and Stacy Seltzer, President and Founder of 3G Philly, will lead this program highlighting the heartbreaking but important stories of survival of their grandparents, Sidney and Esther Bratt, who currently reside in Wyomissing, PA.
Esther was born in Vilna, Poland in 1929. She and her parents survived the horrors of the Vilna Ghetto and HaKapeh Labor Camp. They later escaped to a small cellar, where they lived for two weeks before being liberated.
Sidney was born in Guttstadt, Germany in 1928. He was the oldest of four children. Sidney’s mother made the unthinkable decision to send him to England as part of the famed Kindertransport when he was just ten years old. As Sidney boarded the train his mother told him, “You lead the way, we’ll follow you. We’ll see you in England.” In 1945, at the age of seventeen, Sidney was reunited with his father in London. They never learned what happened to his mother or siblings.
The cost of this program is $5 for BHC members and $8 for the general public. All proceeds will benefit the Edwin & Alma N. ’51 Lakin Holocaust Library & Resource Center.
The program fee includes admission to the BHC Historical Society Museum. Fees will be accepted at the door on the day of the event.
Pre-registration is required. Please reserve your space by calling the Berks History Center at 610-375-4375 from Wednesday to Saturday, 9AM – 3PM.
