Holocaust survivor to speak next week in area cities

By The Montana Standard Staff - 10/11/2008

ANACONDA — People throughout southwest Montana will have opportunities to hear a Holocaust survivor's story this week.

Nate Leipciger, now of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, will speak in Dillon, Anaconda, Butte, Missoula and Helena between Monday and Friday.

The project, partially funded by Humanities Montana, is organized by the Anaconda Coalition for Tolerance Education.

"Nothing is as powerful as a first-person account," said Anne Dobney, the group's organizer. "Anytime you're fortunate enough to hear a first-person account of the Holocaust it sparks discussions about other events in recent history, or current events such as the genocide in Darfur. It speaks not only to international events but to interpersonal events." Leipciger, 80, was born in Chorzow, Poland, and spent time in Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Fuenfteichen concentration camp during World War II. He and his father were liberated by the U.S. Army on May 2, 1945.

An engineer by trade, Leipciger has dedicated 45 years to educating people about the Holocaust and the impact of hatred on society.

"The message is that hatred begets hatred," Leipciger said in a recent phone interview. "The only way that we can stop hatred, racism and discrimination ... is by education. That's the only weapon we have as to convince those who would listen, and are not too far gone on the unfortunate path of hating everybody and everyone who is not like them." Leipciger's speaking schedule is as follows: