Welcome to a deeply personal space where history and identity converge. This section of our website is dedicated to the stories of Holocaust survivors within our own community—an archive of resilience, remembrance, and the lasting influence of family legacies. Here, we share the profound ways our histories shape who we are, from the lessons passed down through generations to the strength that fuels our mission today. Through these narratives, we honor the past while illuminating the enduring impact of survival, hope, and the pursuit of justice.
John Gualtier of Cedar Rapids was a 19 year old combat medic with the 71st infantry when he entered the Gunskirchen Lager Concentration Camp in the spring of 1945. Gaultier spent a week in the camp, treating the mostly Hungarian Jews for dysentery and starvation. “We
Although Fred and Ann Gilbert are gone now, their daughter Lena Gilbert of Springville recounted their story to the Cedar Rapids Gazette in 2012. It’s one thing for me to talk about the Holocaust,” said Lena Gilbert. “It’s another thing for my father to sit