SURVIVORS is an hour-long, educational, and inspiring docudrama with a young and diverse cast, who enact the history of the Holocaust through the eyewitness accounts of ten survivors.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
~Nelson Mandela

SURVIVORS is suitable for middle school through adult audiences, and serves to:
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‍Teach the history of the Holocaust through enacted eyewitness accounts
‍Warn of today’s parallels to the past when hatred was normalized
‍Provide hope and life lessons on surviving present day prejudice and trauma
‍Encourage being an Upstander to today’s antisemitism, identity hatred and bullying

We teach the Holocaust to NEVER FORGET the genocide of six million Jews.
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We must also never forget the brutal murder of five millionof Hitler’s other “undesirables” including people of color, gay people, thementally and physically challenged, priests, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the Romaand Sinti people.

‍We teach theHolocaust because NEVER AGAIN can hatred become normalized!

With the continued frightening rise of antisemitism, identity and religious hate, homophobia and hate crimes, we can’t silently stand by and allow selected groups to be singled out and marginalized.

We teach the Holocaust because NEVER IS NOW.

WHY THIS WEST COAST TOUR?

Genie Benson began this collaboration with her long-time friend Wendy Kout as a special tribute to her parents, Sidonia and Lewis Lax, both of whom were Holocaust survivors.  Lewis fought with the Partisans saving many lives and Sidonia survived several concentration camps with her strength and perseverance. She spent decades of her later life dedicated to Holocaust Education, including attending March of the Living ten times accompanied by three generations of her family.  Her grandson was the first to attend without her last year.  Sidonia’s greatest impact was as a Survivor Speaker in schools, inspiring thousands of students and she met all with “I’m not a survivor, I’m a thriver!”  To carry on Sidonia and Lewis’ legacy, their daughter, Genie will continue to keep this play running and reaching generations of students with its powerful message.

Lewis Lax and Sidonia Lewin during WWII

Lewis and Sidonia Lax in America

QUOTES FROM SURVIVORS WHO ATTENDED OUR PLAY

"I'm a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor and frequent speaker on the subject, impacting thousands. I must tell you that your powerful play indeed fills a dire need to enlighten the vast ignorance in the larger public. For this noble effort I salute you and applaud your so impactful play, SURVIVORS."

-David Lenga Z"L, Holocaust Survivor
From the talkback at the Los Angeles public premiere of SURVIVORS at the Museum of Tolerance.

"SURVIVORS is an amazing, insightful and unrivaled, one-hour Holocaust play.  The young and talented cast portrays Holocaust Survivors, who educate and move audiences of all ages."

-Henry Slucki, Child Holocaust Survivor

“I would like to express my appreciation for the amazing/Inspirational performance of the play SURVIVORS. For me (personally) this performance/writing/production and direction was the most insightful and emotional piece of Theatre Art, I have ever attended.”

-Lya Frank, Child Holocaust Survivor

SURVIVORS is a beautiful and timely play by a gifted and talented writer with marvelous and enthusiastic actors who will leave you uplifted and inspired.  

-Joe Alexander, Holocaust Survivor

QUOTES FROM SPECIAL GUESTS

"As a grandson of Holocaust survivors, I found this play to be a very accurate re-telling of the experiences my grandparents went through. In one hour, the play illustrated their stories of hope and loss, of hiding and surviving, and the ultimate sacrifices they made for their families. watching this was one of the most moving and impactful hours of my life."
-Barak Raviv

"A very moving and effective production, made accessible and relatable to new generations by its focus on the comparable young lives and aspirations uprootedand ended by hatred and prejudice."
-Dan Opatoshu
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 "A powerful plea for tolerance.  Successfully and engagingly educates about the now diminishing memory of the holocaust while also awakening the young audience to the continuing threats society faces."
-Anne Spielberg

"SURVIVORS enacts Holocaust history providing remembrance, warning and a critical cultural understanding of what is happening in present day America.  Germany, the most liberal country of its time, was destroyed in the 1930’s is an illuminating example of the destruction of freedom which occurred there by destroying free speech.  This play educates and encourages our children to appreciate and fight for our freedoms."
-Jack Lin

"The responsibility of art is honored so beautifully in such an important, well-written and performed piece of theatre. What SURVIVORS brings to contemporary audiences is a moving portrayal of a devastating time in history that can never be ignored. Brava to this team of artists led by Wendy and Genie, I encourage every person, both young and old, to witness and never forget."
_Todd Felderstein

NEVER FORGET!   NEVER AGAIN!   NEVER IS NOW!