In collaboration with the nonprofit Anne Frank L.A., Mayfield Senior School recently hosted South Pasadena’s Trudie Strobel, a Holocaust survivor, to speak at the school’s “Anne Frank – A History for Today” community event in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day in January.
“Strobel’s life and work stand as a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of expression, and she left an indelible mark on the Mayfield Senior School community after speaking during the assembly,” the school said.
In addition, 10 Mayfield Senior School students completed a two-day workshop which prepared them to guide their peers through the “Anne Frank – A History for Today” exhibit, which was on display at Mayfield from mid-to-late January.
Interest in the program was sparked during Mayfield Senior School’s fall theater production of “The Diary of Anne Frank.” Representatives from both Anne Frank L.A. and the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam attended the performance and met with the student performers and tech crew.
Strobel, a renown textile artist, has retold her story about her experiences during World War II and how she has healed from the trauma through her artwork. Originally from Poland, Strobel survived the Holocaust with her mother after they were imprisoned in the Jewish ghetto in Lodz, and then moved through a series of concentration camps. After they were liberated at the end of the war, they lived for a time in a resettlement camp in Germany before moving to the United States.
Strobel creates intricate embroidery artworks with religious, cultural and historical themes. Her work is exhibited in venues such as the Museum of Tolerance as well as in synagogues.
First published in the February 16 print issue of the South Pasadena Review.
