Strawberry- Alfred Bromberg, whose Polish parents were survivors of the Nazi Holocaust during World War II, will speak to 9th-12th Graders at Hillcrest High School about his family’s struggle to survive a dark period in world history on Monday, January 27 as part of Arkansas Holocaust Education Week.
Currently a resident of Paragould, Arkansas, Bromberg was born in Torino, Italy at a displaced persons camp in 1946. Although his parents survived Nazi concentration and death camps, most of his extended family (numbering more than 200 people on his father’s side) were murdered during the Holocaust, or Shoah. As the horrors of World War II concluded, two of Bromberg’s paternal uncles and two cousins had also survived, but were lost to their family for many years. Bromberg’s mother, however, was the sole survivor of her entire family.
Bromberg has travelled extensively in Eastern Europe and undertaken extensive research, allowing him to become a self-taught scholar on the Holocaust as well as a sought-after speaker. He founded and administers a Holocaust remembrance site called Heritage of the Holocaust with over 5000 members. In May of 2024, Thomas Bieber of B&B Productions produced Dignity, a documentary about Bromberg’s family from prior to World War II until now. The film will premiere in Arkansas in early 2025.
Bromberg grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia, attended Frederick Military Academy and later the University of Maryland during and after his service in the United States Air Force from 1963-1967. After his tenure in the military, he began a successful career in the sales and management. Now retired, Bromberg writes articles about the loss of society and culture through the Holocaust and authoring a book about his father, who endured nine different work camps, death camps and concentration camps and who was a documented hero. According to Bromberg, the motivation for his work is to counteract the growing number of history revisionists and Holocaust deniers while telling true stories about those who endured the terrors of the Holocaust. In Bromberg’s own words, “Decency and truth are always worth fighting for.”
Alfred Bromberg will be presenting his story to Hillcrest students at 1:00 PM in the Hillcrest High School cafeteria and the public is invited. Event organizers wish to remind community visitors that seating will be limited for this special event so it is suggested they arrive by 12:50 PM. Admission is free.