‘SURVIVOR’S STORY’ COMPLETES ITS TOUR. The cast and crew of ‘A Comb and a Prayer Book: A Holocaust Survivor’s Story’ at Facing History and Ourselves High School in New York. Rebecca Schoffer, 3rd from left, Melissa Schoffer, top row 4th from right, and Gail Rosenthal, Stockton Holocaust Resource Center Director, joined the group at the performance. They are the daughters of Leo and Patti Schoffer. Facing History and Ourselves delivers classroom strategies, resources and lessons created to inspire young people to take responsibility for their world. It partners with school systems, universities – such as The Stockton School of Arts and Humanities and the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton – and ministries of education worldwide. (See Story on Page 6.) The Stockton’s School of Arts and Humanities and the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton are pleased to announce that the play, A COMB AND A PRAYER BOOK: A SURVIVOR’S STORY, has just completed a limited tour.

The Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival chose a small number of plays to highlight at their annual regional festival. The goal of this organization is to recognize and elevate the quality of academic theater. Stockton College is a member of Region 2 which consists of colleges and universities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and New York.

The annual festival began on January 12, 2010, and nine plays were recognized as outstanding. A COMB AND A PRAYER BOOK was one of the nine outstanding plays, and it was performed at the regional festival at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In addition, the following three individuals received certificates of merit from The Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival : Stockton professor Pam Hendrick, Stockton graduate Shana Fogarty who had earned a minor in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and Elizabeth Blum Goldstein (Shana’s grandmother, a Holocaust survivor).

On January 4, the cast and crew, went to New York City. Funding for this trip was provided by Stockton’s School of Arts and Humanities and the members of Stockton’s Holocaust Resource Center. They visited the Museum of Jewish Heritage to enrich their historical background about the Holocaust. The tour guide at the museum was a Stockton graduate who earned the minor in Holocaust and Genocide studies, Joe Camporeale, a trained docent for the museum.

On January 5, 2010, the play was performed and showcased at the Facing History and Ourselves High School, a NYC public school funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Stockton student actors and crew also presented a master class at the school. The students also performed on January 7, 2010, at the Woodstown, NJ High School.

The play began in 2004 when Shana Fogarty, a Stockton student needed additional credits to earn her minor in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Dr. Carol Rittner, the coordinator of Stockton’s undergraduate Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program, suggested that Shana interview her grandmother, Elizabeth Blum Goldstein from Cherry Hill, who is a Holocaust survivor. Initially her grandmother said no but Shana convinced her just to answer questions. So they met four times and she completed her project and earned the minor in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. After she completed the project, Carol suggested that Shana meet with Dr. Maryann McLoughlin. They met and decided to publish the interviews as a memoir. It was published by ComteQ in 2006, Of a Comb, a Prayer Book, Sugar Cubes, and Lice: survivor of six concentration camps, Elizabeth Blum Goldstein—A-20737.

In 2005, Professor Pamela Hendrick read the manuscript and asked Shana Fogarty if she could adapt the memoir for the stage. Shana was enthusiastic and has been an active consultant for the play. In January 2005, Gail Rosenthal accompanied several faculty members to Arad, Israel. The purpose of the trip was to give of service to the Arad-Tamar community. After the visit to Arad, Gail took the group to Yad Vashem. There Pamela Hendrick, Stockton theatre arts professor, was moved and impressed by the experience. She also collected valuable documentation about the Holocaust during her journey to Israel.