H EADLINES
Philly Faces: Sophie Don
P H I LLY FACES
JARRAD SAFFREN | JE STAFF
AT JUST 29, Sophie Don
manages one of the most promi-
nent Holocaust memorials in
the United States.
Don is the senior manager of
programs for the Philadelphia
Holocaust Remembrance
Foundation, which oversees the
Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust
Memorial Plaza in Center City.
For the Cheltenham native,
connecting students, politi-
cians and residents to that
important history is a passion.
But it’s also deeper than that.
Don’s grandparents,
Samuel and Shirley Don, were
Holocaust survivors who put
up some of the money for
the statue in the plaza. Upon
opening in 1964, the structure
became the fi rst Holocaust
memorial in the U.S.
Samuel Don died before
Sophie was born but wrote
a book about his Holocaust
experience. Shirley Don is
still alive and close with her
granddaughter. “My grandfather wrote
about the importance of telling
the story,” Don said. “Bubbie
said that’s what I’m doing.”
Tell us about your grandpar-
ents’ Holocaust experience.
Bubbie was from a tiny
town, Dorf. During Passover
of ’44, Hungarian soldiers told
them to prepare to go to the
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JEWISH EXPONENT
Sophie Don, right, with her bubbie, Shirley Don.
Courtesy of Sophie Don
We all need to be aware of what can happen
when people don’t stand up for each other.”
SOPHIE DON
ghetto. In May of 1944, she was
taken to Auschwitz.
She asked a woman, who
was directing people where
to go, where their family was
going. Th e woman pointed to
the smoke and the crematoria.
In April of ’45, she was on
a death march. Th en she was
liberated by English soldiers
on May 3.
We call that her second
birthday and we celebrate it
every year.
Zayde was in prison by
standards we wouldn’t consider
criminal. Disobeying Nazi law
about whatever he could or
couldn’t do in the ghetto.
He was transferred to
Birkenau in December of ’42
and then to Auschwitz. He was
there until he was liberated.
Th ey met at a displaced
persons camp in Germany.
He saw her being chased by
another boy, so he started
talking to her.
He wanted to go to Israel.
She was like, ‘I’ve got family
in Philly. If you wanna be with
me, we’re going to Philly.’
What was their life like in the
United States?
Th ey started a bakery.
But also coming here with
so little family, and all the
survivors that had come here
and had lost their families. A
community formed among
people who were having kids.
Luncheons. Figuring out
how to get jobs. Having the
kids hanging out.
Then, once they got
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Sophie Don, front, at podium, hosts a Kristallnacht remembrance event on Nov. 9 at the Holocaust Memorial
Plaza in Center City.
Photo by Joseph Bradley
approval for the statue, it was internships at museums.
After graduating (college),
those survivors who raised the
I worked
at the (Philadelphia)
money for it.
art museum. I was a museum
Did your grandma discuss this educator for family programs
and school groups.
history with you growing up?
Then I went to Brown
Little stories, whether about
(University) for a master’s in
her time in the Holocaust or
public humanities.
I realized
recounting times from before.
that my
joy was
being the
I feel like every time I see
connector. her, something comes up.
Teaching the lessons of
the Holocaust to build more
tolerant communities. There
are so many horrible things
that happened in the past, and
we see recurring themes.
We all need to be aware of
what can happen when people
don’t stand up for each other.
Where do you want to go in
your career?
This is a fantastic position at
this point. My boss is incred-
ible. There’s a lot of support for
me learning what leadership in
a nonprofit looks like.
Whatever comes next,
this position is preparing me
to have done something I’m
proud of and to go forward. l
Were you interested in
museums as a kid?
I would go to museums
with my parents all the time.
A lot of art museums. Plus the
Franklin Institute and science
museums. This is your first job since
getting your master’s. How did
you feel once you landed it?
I was pumped. This feels the
most in line with my identity
that any job could be.
My bubbie is very proud.
How did the interest grow
from there?
I found out public history
was a thing. I started doing
So far this year, the plaza has
hosted school trips, political
speeches and commemorations. jsaffren@jewishexponent.com;
How do you view its mission?
215-832-0740 JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
JEWISH EXPONENT
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