Moments from a vibrant testimony and jazz by Simon Gronowski at the Saint-Sépulcre school in Liège, Belgium, 19 november 2013.
The Institut Saint-Sépulcre (now S2J School Center) hosted 3 sessions with Simon Gronowski that day for different age groups, including adults in the evening — and, in between, an intimate jazz moment was created in the surreal ambience of the school’s chapel.
Thanks to friends Philippe Renette (co-producer), Simon Gronowski, Koenraad Tinel (Photo Dieter Telemans featured in Die Welt , Saturday 16th Nov 2013 – Feinde wie wir, by Felix Stephan) and Patrick (assisting with sound), staff Marc Belleflamme and André Hérin, and teachers Christine Marchal, Ingrid Lothe, others, and the Saint-Sépulcre students. Special thanks to the students Hélène, Charline, Tristan, Kimberley, Elodie, Farah, Esther, Estelle, Laetitia, Catherine, Tracy, and Pauline for making possible the unique events that month in 2013 for this Miracles film project.
Filmed by Michel van der Burg at the Station Liège-Guillemins, and Institut Saint-Sépulcre , Liège, Belgium, 19 november 2013.
French talks with English subtitles in open captions (OC).
Miracles Docs #8 :
The first French edition was published in 2022 as Simon Stompin’ at the Saint Sépulcre | Miracles•Media | 20221119 | ISAN 0000-0007-329C-0008-C-0000-0001-0 .
The here presented, second, edition is titled ‘Saint Sepulcre Moments’ and has open captions (burned in) showing English subtitles.
Citation info : Saint Sepulcre Moments | Miracles Docs #8 | Miracles•Media | 20250918 | ISAN 0000-0007-329C-0008-C-0000-0000-1 | TakeNode 3cb541dc-0806-4a0e-bafb-7cbf4387f6ca
Kuttekoven (Borgloon), Belgium. Sunday, January 26th, 2014. At nightfall, Simon Gronowski recounts to people of Kuttekoven, his daring escape – helped by his mother Chana Kaplan that rainy night of April 19, 1943 – from the 20th deportation train to Auschwitz, at this very spot on the railway track bed (of the so-called ‘Fruitspoor’) where it enters the village of Kuttekoven.
Aftermovie of that swinging Saturday night June 22th 2019 when Woody Allen invites the Brussels Jazzman – holocaust survivor – Simon Gronowski to play with him and The Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band in the Bozar theater in front of some 2200 people in Brussels, Belgium.
Simon Gronowski was only 11 years old when he jumped from the XXth death train to Auschwitz , and an orphan after the war … jazz helped Simon find his way – watch Simon’s story in the documentary film “Transport XX to Auschwitz” – online here http://bit.ly/1fqFdOb
Many thanks to Woody Allen & The Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band | Simon Gronowski | Sarah Ehrlich | BOZAR | Greenhouse Talent. Film JAZZMAN (20190715) Michel van der Burg | Miracles.Media
FROM BUCHENWALD TO HOLLYWOOD, THE ROBERT CLARY STORY
A truly inspiring film about a Hollywood legend by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg .
World Premiere on November 13, 2018 at Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) , in Cinema Paradiso , Hollywood, Florida , USA .
Trailer
The producers of Transport XX to Auschwitz and Defending Holocaust History are proudly bringing to the screen, the inspirational film, From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story, about a Hollywood legend, an internationally known actor, Broadway star, singer, artist, author and Holocaust lecturer.
Mr. Clary is widely known for his role as Corporal Lebeau on the long running TV series Hogan’s Heroes. What is little known by the public is that Robert’s real last name is Widerman, and in 1942 at the age of 16, he and thirteen members of his family were rounded up in Paris, France and deported by the Nazis to concentration camps. He was the only one to survive, having endured 31 months in four Nazi camps and a death march until his liberation from Buchenwald by the U.S. Army on April 11, 1945. He was discovered singing in a Paris nightclub in 1947, signed to a recording contract and brought to the United States in 1949 where he met Merv Griffin, who introduced him to Eddie and Ida Cantor and their daughter, Natalie, who he would later marry.
The Robert Clary Story – World Premiere – Cinema Paradiso Hollywood , Tuesday , Nov 13, 2018
I have some wonderful news to share today.
Our documentary “From Buchenwald to Hollywood – The Robert Clary Story” will have its world premiere at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF).
This year the 33rd Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival will take place November 2 -18.
The festival screens films in Fort Lauderdale, Sunrise, Hollywood, St Augustine, and the Bahamas and is considered one of the most important regional film festivals in the U.S.
So once we have more information regarding screenings I will post it on my website.
A truly inspiring film about a Hollywood legend :
From Buchenwald to Hollywood , The Robert Clary Story
A film by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg
Richard Bloom Productions produced a new documentary about legendary actor, Broadway star, singer, artist, author and Holocaust lecturer, Robert Clary.
Mr. Clary is widely known for his role as Corporal Lebeau on the long running TV series Hogan’s Heroes.
What is little known by the public is that Robert’s real last name is Widerman, and in 1942 at the age of 16, he and thirteen members of his family were rounded up in Paris, France and deported by the Nazis to concentration camps. He was the only one of 14 immediate family members to survive, having endured 31 months in four Nazi camps and a death march until his liberation from Buchenwald by the U.S. Army on April 11, 1945.
He was discovered singing in a Paris nightclub in 1947, signed to a recording contract and brought to the United States in 1949 where he met Merv Griffin, who introduced him to Eddie and Ida Cantor and their daughter, Natalie, who he would later marry.
His inspiring story will be shared with the world in Richard Bloom Productions’ documentary : From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story . More at Richard Bloom Productions http://richardbloomproductions.com
20180919 ~ Robert Clary Story at Fort Lauderdale Int’l Film Festival .
① memo 20180419 ~ Full of Life … Escape from Transport XX ~ Today 75 years ago , that night of April 19th, 1943 in Belgium , Elias Gnazik helped jump the pregnant Isabella Weinreb from the fast moving 20th train heading for Auschwitz. Viviane – meaning ‘full of life’ – was born 6 months later.
Discussion – moderated by Ingrid Vander Veken – of Simone Korkus’ dutch book “Het dienstmeisje van Degrelle” on 15 oktober 2017 in Kazerne Dossin , Mechelen , Belgium.
This new short film (with english captions / partly english spoken) highlights our discussion in that ‘Literary Cafe’ on Oct. 15, 2017 in Kazerne Dossin, of Elias’ rescue of Isabella and Vivian ; it continues with our visit later to the Kazerne Dossin portrait wall (portrait’s of deported people) with Simone Korkus and Jan Maes (the first to point Simone to Hannah’s story) ; and ends with me having a short improvised talk in english with a visitor’s couple .
Film ① memo 20180419 ~ Full of Life ~ Michel van der Burg | michelvanderburg.com | 1-memo.com | miracles.media
Isabella Weinreb Castegnier was three-months pregnant that night – 75 years ago – on April 19th, 1943 in Belgium – when she froze the moment she had to jump from the fast moving 20th train heading for Auschwitz ( Transport XX to Auschwitz ). The man waiting in line behind her , did not hesitate for a moment , and embracing her from behind , pushed her out – jumping together they both landed in a ditch.
Isabella escaped with a broken wrist and bruises all over her body, but otherwise without major injuries. Her daughter Viviane – meaning “full of life”, and named so for her will to live and hold tight in her mother’s womb – was born six months later on October 30, 1943.
That man saving Isabella and Viviane was Elias Gnazik – we discovered recently in a joint effort – when Simone Korkus had almost finished her book about the life of Elias’ daughter Hannah Gnazik , and contacted me to find out who that woman was that Elias Gnazik helped jump and escape from that cattle car of Transport XX to Auschwitz. For Simone it was a great honor to bring Hannah and Viviane together – the child of the rescuer , and the child of the rescued pregnant woman.
This new story became the epilogue in Simone’s book , written in dutch , called ‘Het Dienstmeisje Van Degrelle’.
During the discussion at the presentation of Simone’s newest book – interviewed by Ingrid Vander Veken – in the Kazerne Dossin museum I asked Simone to tell us something about this spectacular story of the probably youngest that escaped that death train.
Background
Simone Korkus (author , reporter) contacted me via facebook messenger May 2016 asking for information about Mrs Lilly (Wolkenfeld) Schwartz , and telling me Mrs Schwartz had escaped from Transport XX from the same car as Elias Gnazik , the father of Hannah (Gnazik) Nadel.
Simone had actually finished the writing of the story of Hannah (Gnazik) Nadel for her new dutch book “Het dienstmeisje van Degrelle.” but felt she would like to get to know more about Hannah’s father Elias activities in the war.
Mrs Lilly (Wolkenfeld) Schwartz had helped me and Richard from 2011 with our documentary Transport XX to Auschwitz (published 2012, a film by Karen Lynne & Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg). Mrs Schwartz, unfortunately, had passed away in 2014 .
However , I could help Simone with the story of Mrs Schwartz’s friend Isabella – who had escaped too , right after Mrs Schwartz’s jumped from that car – while being pregnant – with a baby born 6 months after that escape, and named Viviane , meaning ‘full of life’ !
That miraculous story I had first worked on and published together with Viviane in 2014.
Further research by Simone , with the help of Viviane and the researchers of Kazerne Dossin, let Simone to the insight that Isabella had been that pregnant woman Elias Gnazik had helped jumping , and he thus , too had saved Viviane’s life !
Simone Korkus details this beautiful finding and miraculous story in a final chapter – the Epilogue – of her new book , the research , findings , conclusion and her witnessing the emotional meeting of the daughters of the rescuer and rescued in Ramat Gan , Israel.
Sources / links
Viviane Castegnier Yarom & Michel van der Burg (2014) Escape from Transport XX – to be born 6 months later – Viviane’s story.
Michel van der Burg online publication (michelvanderburg.com) link https://wp.me/p14gqN-nq
Book presentation – On Oct. 15th , 2017 , Simone Korkus presented her book in Kazerne Dossin , in a ‘Literary Cafe’ conversation with colleague author Ingrid Vander Veken. I published a full video report of that conversation Nov 4, 2017 . All in dutch. Het Dienstmeisje Van Degrelle – Presentatie – link https://wp.me/p14gqN-nhp
Documentary film “Transport XX to Auschwitz” (2012) A film by Karen Lynne & Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg https://wp.me/p14gqN-hA
A truly inspiring film about a Hollywood legend FROM BUCHENWALD TO HOLLYWOOD , THE ROBERT CLARY STORY
A film by Karen and Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg
Richard Bloom Productions is producing a new documentary about legendary actor, Broadway star, singer, artist, author and Holocaust lecturer, Robert Clary.
Mr. Clary is widely known for his role as Corporal Lebeau on the long running TV series Hogan’s Heroes.
What is little known by the public is that Robert’s real last name is Widerman, and in 1942 at the age of 16, he and twelve members of his family were rounded up in Paris, France and deported by the Nazis to concentration camps. He was the only one to survive, having endured 31 months in four Nazi camps and a death march until his liberation from Buchenwald by the U.S. Army on April 11, 1945.
He was discovered singing in a Paris nightclub in 1947, signed to a recording contract and brought to the United States in 1949 where he met Merv Griffin, who introduced him to Eddie and Ida Cantor and their daughter, Natalie, who he would later marry.
His inspiring story will be shared with the world in From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story, which is currently in post-production.
