In 2006 a center for Holocaust and Genocide education was opened in Oslo, Norway.
In addition the construction of a Jewish Museum in Oslo was initiated. This museum was to be located in a small, now defunct
synagogue which had been an active place of worship in the early part of the twentieth century until the beginning of the
war. I felt that I wanted to be a part of these two events in my city of origin, and began to think how best I could be of
assistance.
www.hlsenteret.no www.jodiskmuseumoslo.no
About one year ago I sent out a letter to our friends here in the U.S. telling them for the first time about
the fate of the 1,500 Jews of Norway and the specific story of my own family. My parents, brother and I were among the fortunate
persons able to escape to neighboring neutral Sweden. 770 Norwegian Jews were not as fortunate, and were deported to Auschwitz
in 1942. Of my father’s family, 7 members never returned.
Through internet research, I subsequently contacted
the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, a faculty of the University of Minnesota and asked them if they would be willing
to serve as a “conduit” for any funds that were received to pass on to Norway to make donations tax deductible,
which I know was the custom in the US. I was extremely fortunate to reach the director of HCCS, Dr. Steve Feinstein, who was
very responsive and immediately agreed to help us.
http://chgs.umn.edu/news/pdf/newsFallWinter2007.pdf
I explained in the letter that we intended to give a family gift to the two institutions
and asked if they wished to participate.
The reaction to the letter was overwhelming. In addition to our family
gift, we received many letters with donations thanking us for the information as described in the letter, and once again our
friends expressed interest in the subject matter.
Subsequently Dr. Feinstein suggested the possibility of a conference
on this subject, and I contacted the Norwegian consul in Minnesota, Rolf Wiggo Hansen, who immediately exhibited great interest.
Hence the wheels started turning and the idea crystallized. The conference was sponsored by the Center for Holocaust and Genocide
Studies at the University of Minnesota and was in part hosted by the Norwegian Consulate in Minneapolis, Minnesota on
April 19 and 20, 2007.
Five distinguished scholars from Norway and Sweden involved in the subject were invited
to participate. As the initiator of the project, I, Irene Berman, was given the title of “catalyst”, and was invited
to deliver a story of my family experience during the war which had been written the previous year. In addition a number of
other scholars from the faculty of the University of Minnesota participated.
A second seminar was held in Duluth,
Minnesota the following week.
Subsequently a third seminar was held at the American Scandinavian Foundation, at
Scandinavia House, in New York, New York on April 26, 2007.
http://www.amscan.org
The seminars were received with great enthusiasm and interest. Mr. Arnfinn Moland, the
President of Norway’s Resistance Museum in Oslo who was one of the participants suggested that the entire seminar be
presented in Oslo. This took place this past September and was housed at Akershus Festning, the old and historic fort outside
the harbor of Oslo. Several of the same individuals participated, among them myself.
Before returning to Norway
in April, Arnfinn Moland asked me, as the “catalyst” to participate in the Norwegian seminar and also to consider
developing my brief story about my family’s experiences into a full book, both in Norwegian and English. He
made arrangements with a highly respected publishing company in Oslo to back the publication and the rest is history. The
book is planned to be launched in September 2008, and will most likely coincide with the official opening of the Oslo Jewish
Museum.
http://www.mil.no/felles/nhm/start/eng/
http://www.mil.no/museer/start/article.jhtml?articleID=144607
Irene Levin Berman
