The event comprised an educational presentation by Mr. Roger Peltzman followed by a panel discussion, on the Holocaust and its enduring impact. Mr. Peltzman, a pianist, educator and son of a Holocaust survivor, presented a storytelling programme recounting the experience of his uncle, Norbert Stern, a young Belgian pianist murdered during the Holocaust. Inspired by his uncle’s personal history, Mr. Peltzman pursued music as a way of connecting with his family’s past and addressing the trauma experienced by second-generation survivors. As part of the performance, Mr. Peltzman also reflected on the experience of his mother, Beatrice Stern, the sole survivor of her family.
Marking Yom HaShoah, the event highlighted the courage and resilience of Holocaust victims and survivors, examined the challenges they faced in the aftermath of the Second World War, and explored how the Holocaust is understood and remembered by subsequent generations.
The event was hosted by Ms. Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, with welcoming remarks by Her Excellency Ms. Sophie Jang De Smedt, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations. Over 100 guests from United Nations offices, Permanent Missions and civil society attended the event.