Thursday, October 1, 2026
More than 50 Holocaust survivors and their families gathered in Lawrence for a Holocaust Survivor Day luncheon hosted by The Marion & Aaron Gural JCC.
Recognized internationally on June 4, Holocaust Survivor Day focuses on survivors by fostering community and support. Opening the event, Stacy Feldman, the JCC’s director, said an estimated three million Americans are are descendants of Holocaust survivors.
“As we honor you, our beloved survivors, we express our deepest gratitude for your perseverance and for the invaluable lessons you continue to teach us through your lives,” Feldman said.
Next to speak was Gary Kennedy, a retired Geriatric Psychiatrist and guest speaker, who said he attributes his professional career to the resilience of holocaust survivors and their families. He cited his mentor, George Myers, who escaped to the United States with his parents and later became an academic psychiatrist.
“Despite the trauma, it’s an example of how resilient they were and how they were able to achieve and contribute to their community.” Kennedy said.
Among the Holocaust survivors was Regina Goodman. Born Sarah Rivkah Buterwaser in Warsaw, Poland, the Lawrence resident said she was exposed to the Nazi Regime at a young age. Her father Michoel Goodman, had his beard cut because he was Jewish, she recalls.
Goodman’s family — included her mother, brother and sister — spent time in several locations, including Siberia, Russia, Germany and later Israel. Knowing the realities of war, Goodman remained on the move well into her teens.
“We came to Israel in 1949, but when they started to take girls in the army, my mother sent me to Paris,” Goodman said. “I was already sixteen.”
After meeting her husband, Mendel Goodman, a Hungarian fashion designer, in Paris, the two moved to the United States in 1961.
When asked what it meant to uphold Jewish history, Regina Goodman emphasized the importance of passing on the legacy to future generation.
“We should keep up with the religion,” Goodman said. “You need to show the children that you are Jewish and proud.”
Goodman attends a JCC support group every Thursday, where survivors can interact with one another. Like Goodman, Valley Stream resident Suzanne Kucharz said she enjoys the camaraderie the group provides.
As a young girl, Kucharz, 83, grew up on a farm in Grenoble, France, as a hidden child. Her father, Albert Kucharz, was involved in the French Resistance. After spending time in Paris following the Second World War, she eventually found her way to the United States.
“After I graduated the French equivalent of college, my parents gifted me a trip to the us,” Kucharz said. “So, I came on vacation and stayed here.”
Looking back on more than a decade with the group, Kucharz said one of the most rewarding aspects has been connecting with fellow Europeans.
“The amazing thing is we quite often celebrate 100-year birthdays,” Kucharz said. “The resilience is unbelievable.”
