"Surviving Surviving"

An eighth grader from Long Island has made a remarkable documentary focusing on survivor poverty. The video, "Surviving Surviving" can be viewed here. As part of a thesis project, Joe Klein interviewed survivors and staff from several New York-area agencies providing services to survivors living in poverty.

The video is also the focus of a feature article in the Jewish Star (Long Island, NY).

"Surviving Surviving" is honest and outspoken, a call to conscience. Elie Rubenstein, the Executive Director of Blue Card, Inc. (a non-profit social agency serving survivors), boils it down to the basics:

"If we allow...Holocaust survivors to live in poverty, I think it tells something about us as a community...people would like to ignore and not talk about it."

In thirty short minutes, Joe Klein's film gives voice to survivors and raises more awareness about their plight than practically all Jewish media coverage on the issue over the past few years.

It's worth a look.