Holocaust survivor to speak at Kirkwood April 16

Renee Firestone was 20 years old when she was imprisoned at Auschwitz-Berkenau, the infamous German death camp during World War II. Firestone, her father and her brother were her family's only survivors.

Firestone will speak at Kirkwood Community College as part of its annual Holocaust educational forums. She will speak at 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 16, in Iowa Halls A&B on the Kirkwood Cedar Rapids campus. It is free and open to the public.

The Czechoslovakia native spent 13 months at Auschwitz. Following liberation in 1945, she was reunited with her brother and soon-to-be husband Bernard. They emigrated to the United States just three years later.

“The devastating losses I experienced are with me every single day of my life,” said Firestone. “Because of what we experienced, I have devoted thousands and thousands of hours of my personal time to educating adults and students of all ages and all walks of life, throughout the U.S. and Europe, about my experiences as a Holocaust survivor.”

Firestone appeared in the 1998 Academy Award-winning documentary “The Last Days,” narrating the story of her Holocaust experiences.

This lecture is sponsored by the Thaler Holocaust Committee and Kirkwood's Social Sciences & Career Options department.