Holocaust survivor Manny Gabler will speak at 2 p.m. in St. Cloud State University’s Atwood Theatre on Feb. 12. The event is free and open to the public.
SCSU’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Education (CHGE) has organized the event as part of its annual Bryce Lecture Series, which is celebrating its 10th year in 2025.
Gabler was born in Milan, Italy in 1938 after his parents had fled Nazi Germany. His family eventually sought refuge in Shanghai, China, where more than 18,000 undocumented Jews settled in the Hongkou area of the city.
“People may think the Holocaust was too long ago to be relevant today or to impact them; the truth is the Holocaust wasn’t created by the Jewish people of Europe, it was perpetrated by an entire society and fueled by antisemitic stereotypes,” said CHGE Interim Director Emil Towner. “By listening to Manny’s story, we discover the roles of bias, fear, and antisemitism—not only in the past but also today.”
Gabler lived in China for nine years, where living conditions were harsh for Jewish refugees and local Chinese citizens. Hunger, poverty and death were part of his childhood, where it wasn’t unusual to see bodies of Chinese babies who had died during the night lining the street as he walked to school.
“I think you get a really deep sense of who you are,” Gabler said in his Transfer of Memory profile, which is a touring exhibition of portraits and accompanying stories of Minnesota Holocaust survivors. “There is a satisfaction in just knowing that I have survived and done okay.”
The Transfer of Memory was curated by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, who also helped arrange Gabler’s visit to SCSU.
The CHGE at St. Cloud State seeks to educate students, faculty, staff and the community about the Holocaust and other genocides. Visit their website to learn more.
