Len Newman (center), son of Holocaust survivor David Newman,
relates his family’s story of courage and survival to Paul Cuffee Middleschoolers.
As part of their unit on the Holocaust, 8th graders had the opportunity to hear from the son of an Auschwitz survivor.
Len Newman visited Paul Cuffee Middle School to talk about his late father, David Newman, who survived the most notorious death camp in Europe. David was on a transport train when allies shot the train. The Nazis fled. David was able to escape with a few others and eventually found American soldiers who helped them.
Upon immigrating to the United States in 1949, David Newman left a lasting impact in Providence also. He was key to creating the Holocaust Memorial next to the WWI and WWII memorial downtown. As a builder of many of the houses in Pawtucket, they named Newman Street after David.
Len talked about his father’s journey from silence and fear of discussing his past to becoming a leader of survivor speakers in New England. Len’s father and mother were born in Poland and do not have any immediate family or relatives who survived the Holocaust. Len’s goal is to help students understand how the Holocaust relates to their lives and the importance of bearing witness to current and future tragedies.