Monday, May 23, 2011

Teens Link 1938 Friends-- Part 2

I had never heard of this One Thousand Children Program so definitely will be doing some more research on it. On the cruise ship was where Edith Westerfield (then Edith Schumer) met Gerda Frumkin (then Gerta Katz) met. They quickly became inseparable. For ten days on the ship and three days in New York, the two formed a bond to fill the void of their families left behind.

In New York, they saw the Rockettes and Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" at Radio City Music Hall.

They parted ways when Gerta headed to Seattle and Edith to Chicago, both to stay with family. They never met again, until now.

For 73 years, Edith Westerfield kept a photo of her friend she nicknamed Gertie. "21 Marz 1938. Zur Erinnerung Deine Freudin, Gertie Katz," theback of the photo read. "March 21, 1938. For remembrance. Your friend, Gertie Katx."

After Chapman's visit, Madison social sciences teacher Catie O'Boyle told her students that teaching the Holocaust always made her wish there was something she could do. Her students suggested they try to find Gerda.

Chapman had tried to do that as well but had been unsuccessful.

The students spent four days in the school's Learning Rsources Center using Google, Facebook and newspaper databases.

A clipping from a Seattle newspaper in the late 40s revealed that Gerda Katz was now Gerda Frumkin. An important find.

More to Come. --DaCoot

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