Len Newman shares the Holocaust experiences of his parents, David and Nina Newman, who survived ghettos, forced labor, and concentration camps before rebuilding their lives in the United States. Through their story, students learn about Jewish life in prewar Poland, the Łódź Ghetto, forced labor, concentration camps, survival, escape, and the challenges of rebuilding after the Holocaust. Len also explores the responsibility of bearing witness, the impact of the Holocaust on second-generation families, and the importance of preserving survivors’ stories to combat antisemitism, prejudice, and hatred.
About Len
Len Newman is the son of Holocaust survivors David and Nina Newman and has continued his parents’ mission by sharing their stories with students and community groups for more than fifteen years through the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center.
An internationally recognized educator, Len has consulted with schools throughout the United States and abroad on meeting the needs of multilingual learners and students with diverse learning needs. He served as a mentor teacher at Brown Summer High School, worked with Brown University’s ArtsLiteracy Project, was a Fulbright Scholar in Brazil, and continues to teach and lead workshops internationally.
Len believes deeply in the responsibility to bear witness to the six million Jews who were murdered and the millions who survived, inspiring audiences to confront hatred, value human dignity, and recognize the power of every individual to make a difference.
Parents: David Newman and Nina Newman
Before the War
David Newman grew up in Sieradz, Poland, and Nina Newman grew up in Łódź, Poland. Both came from close-knit Jewish families and enjoyed happy childhoods before their lives were forever changed by World War II.
Their Holocaust Story
David was 18 years old when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. During the Holocaust, he survived six years of forced labor in ghettos and concentration camps before escaping during a transport near the end of the war. Nina survived the Łódź Ghetto and endured forced labor in concentration camps in Poland and Germany before liberation. Together, their stories bear witness to unimaginable loss, resilience, and the determination to survive.
After the War
David and Nina met after the war in Germany, married, and eventually immigrated to the United States to rebuild their lives. They settled in Rhode Island, raised their family, and dedicated themselves to ensuring that future generations would remember the Holocaust. David became a tireless Holocaust educator, speaking in schools, churches, synagogues, and community organizations after discovering his voice as a survivor.