BETHLEHEM, PA—The community is invited to hear first-hand the stories of a survivor of the worst genocide in history as ArtsQuest welcomes Holocaust survivor David Tuck to speak at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, on April 12, 7 p.m. Tickets for the event, which includes a screening of the award-winning film BIG SONIA, are free and should be requested in advance by calling the ArtsQuest Center Box Office at 610-332-3378 or visiting the Box Office in person.
Born in Poland, David Tuck’s life change drastically when as a 10-year-old boy his country was invaded by Germany during World War II. By December of that year, he was forced to wear an armband and then a yellow Star of David. Within a few weeks, Tuck’s family was deported to the Lodz ghetto, and in spring 1941 Tuck was deported to Posen, a Labor Camp in Poland.
Arriving in Auschwitz in August of 1943, Tuck was then taken to a sub-camp called Eintrachthütte, and in January 1945 he was transported by train to Mauthausen, Austria during a brutal 370-mile trip over four days. He ultimately ended up in Güsen II, an underground factory, where he helped build German aircrafts.
On May 5, 1945 Tuck and his fellow Güsen II prisoners were liberated by the Americans. At the time, he weighed 78 pounds and it took him several months to recuperate from the horrific ordeal. Tuck then immigrated to the United States in 1950.
Following Tuck’s presentation and a Q&A session, ArtsQuest will screen BIG SONIA. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Barcelona International Film Festival and Best Film Grand Prize at 2017 Cleveland International Film Festival, this moving documentary tells the story of 91-year-old Sonia Warshawski, a great-grandmother, businesswoman and Holocaust survivor who has run a tailor shop for more than 30 years. When she’s served an eviction notice and is faced with retirement, Sonia revisits her harrowing past as a refugee and witness to genocide. A poignant story of generational trauma and healing, BIG SONIA also offers a laugh-out-loud-fun portrait of the power of love to triumph over bigotry, and the power of truth telling to heal us all.
The Holocaust Remembrance Day event at SteelStacks is made possible through the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center in Philadelphia. For more information on the museum and center, visit www.hamec.org. Additional details on the David Tuck presentation are available at www.steelstacks.org.
Information and image provided to TVL by:
Mark Demko, ArtsQuest
http://www.artsquest.org/
