Holocaust survivor Miriam Kelemen to speak at Mount Mercy University

Holocaust survivor Miriam Kelemen will make a special appearance at Mount Mercy University on Tuesday, April 17, at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Mercy, Busse Center. Kelemen is the author of Goldie's Story, in which she details her personal account of living through the Holocaust. The event is free and open to the public. Seating may be limited.

During this powerful lecture, Kelemen will share her emotional and physical experiences during her time as a prisoner in a Holocaust brick factory. Kelemen was born in Budapest, Hungary, and resided there for the first 16 years of her life. She recounts her childhood filled with happy memories until the divorce of her parents, after which she lived with her father and new stepmother.

As the power of Adolph Hitler grew, the family became concerned for their well-being and tried unsuccessfully to leave the country in 1939. Kelemen watched as her father was sent to a labor camp, and later she and her stepmother would be moved into a brick factory.

“Some members of my family survived the Holocaust, and some did not. I endured not only external persecution, but also inner turmoil caused by the divorce of my parents and the ensuing struggle within my family,” Kelemen writes in the book's preface.

Having survived the Holocaust, Kelemen's life would go on to serve as an inspiration to others. She studied at City College and later University of San Francisco for her bachelor and master degrees. She spent more than 30 years teaching in private and public schools, in addition to giving private piano and vocal lessons. Kelemen joined the San Francisco Municipal Chorus in 1959.

“Ultimately, Goldie's story fulfills the hope and promise of a universal ideal: the possibility that someday all peoples of different backgrounds and beliefs can live peacefully together, respecting each other,” Kelemen writes.

Upon her retirement, Kelemen became a docent at Muir Woods, the Academy of Sciences, Audubon Canyon Ranch, and the San Francisco Botanical Gardens. She has three children and four grandchildren, all of whom reside in San Francisco. At the age of 80 she was a member of three choruses, including the Jewish Folk Chorus and San Francisco City Chorus.

Mount Mercy's annual Holocaust speaker is sponsored by the Thaler Holocaust Memorial Fund.