User:Calmer92/Helen N. Fagin
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Helen N. Fagin
[edit]Doctor of Philosophy Helen N. Fagin | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 1, 1922 Radomsko, Poland |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Citizenship | Polish / American |
| Education | PhD |
| Alma mater | University of Miami |
| Occupation(s) | Professor of English and Judaic Studies |
| Spouse | Sid Fagin |
| Children | Judith; Gary |
Helen N Fagin was born on February 1, 1922 in Radomsko, Poland, to Ewa and Soloman Neimark. After high school, Helen attended the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
In September 1942, Helen’s parents were captured in a raid while Helen and her two sisters managed to hide.[1] Helen and her siblings never saw their parents again. Helen was just 21 when she and her sisters were imprisoned in the Warsaw ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland. While in the ghetto, Fagin taught literature and other subjects to Jewish children looking for a chance to learn. She focused on literary studies, reading books such as Gone with the Wind.[2]
After their liberation, Helen and her sister returned to Radomsko and eventually went to a displaced persons' camp in Bad Gastein, Austria. Helen and her sisters declared themselves stateless around this time.
Life in America
[edit]Helen arrived in America in 1946. She met her future husband, Sidney Fagin, in 1947. Together they moved to Miami, FL, where Helen studied English Literature and received a Ph. D. from the University of Miami. Helen taught literature and Judaic studies for over two decades at the University of Miami. Helen and her family later retired to Sarasota, FL.[3]
Honors
[edit]Helen Fagin received several invitations to serve in important posts during her career. For example, in 1979, Elie Wiesel invited Dr. Fagin to serve as an education advisor.[4] Dr. Fagin was also the Chairperson, Education Committee, for the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.[5] In 1993, President Clinton appointed Dr. Fagin to serve on the Presidential Commission for the building of the World War II Memorial on the mall in the nation’s capital.[6]
In 2008, the New College of Florida's Jane Cook Library opened the Helen N. Fagin Holocaust, Genocide and Humanitarian Collection in her honor. The special collection includes material, including books and movies pertaining to the Holocaust, as well as some of Fagin's own papers and collective writing.
In 2011, Fagin gave the commencement address at the graduation ceremonies of the class of 2011 at the New College of Florida.[7]
In 2019, the Helen N. Fagin Holocaust, Genocide and Humanitarian Collection was rededicated, renamed to the Helen N. Fagin Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Collection.[4]
Personal Life
[edit]After arriving to the United States, Helen married Sid Fagin in 1946. In 1951, they moved to Miami, FL where Sidney worked as a contractor. Together they had two children, Judith and Gary. Sid Fagin passed away at the age of 94 on October 27, 2016 in Sarasota, FL.[8]
Helen Fagin is Neil Gaiman's cousin.[2]
Writing
[edit]Helen Fagin has written extensively on the topic of the Holocaust, memory,
Citations
[edit]- ^ "Helen Fagin interview, 2/13/95" (PDF).
- ^ a b Popova, Maria (2018-12-18). "A 100-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor on How Books Save Lives". Brain Pickings. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
- ^ "Echoes and Reflections: A Multimedia Curriculum on the Holocaust" (PDF). Anti-Defamation League, USC Shoah Foundation Institute, Yad Vashem. Retrieved March 6 2019.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ a b "New College re-dedicates Dr. Helen Fagin Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Collection". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
- ^ National civic commemoration of the days of remembrance :Wednesday, April 6, 1994, noon, United States Capitol Rotunda, Washington, D.C. : dedicated to the Hungarian Jewish community decimated in the Holocaust, remembering the gypsy communities that were ravaged by Nazi Germany in 1944. [Washington, D.C.?]. [1994?]. hdl:2027/uc1.31210024824896.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton".
- ^ "Dr. Helen Fagin to speak at commencement". The Catalyst. 2011-05-09. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
- ^ "Sid Fagin obituary". Legacy.com.