Holocaust Survivor To Share Her Life And Death Story At Bucks Program

NEWTOWN, PA — What’s in a name? For Ruth Kapp Hartz, it was a matter of life and death during World War II.

The subject of the book, “Your Name is Renée: Ruth Kapp Hartz’s Story as a Hidden Child in Nazi-Occupied France,” by Stacy Cretzmeyer, will speak at Bucks County Community College at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13.

The free event takes place in person in the Gallagher Room on the Newtown campus and will also be streamed live online. It’s presented by the School of Social and Behavioral Science and the Holocaust and Genocide Studies certificate program, in collaboration with the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center.

As it was dangerous to use her real name, Hartz’s family changed her name to Renée, and she learned at a young age how to conceal her identity so she would be safe from the Nazis. Her family fled from one place to another and were forced to separate, sending young Ruth to an orphanage. She did not know during the war what had happened to her family until France was liberated.

Hartz will be joined in-person by co-writers David and Jenny Heitler-Klevans, who will perform some excerpts from their musical “Hidden” based on Hartz’s story.

“We’re so grateful to welcome Ruth Hartz and the creators of ‘Hidden’ to share this moving story with our college community,” said Paula Raimondo, professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies. “Hearing directly from a survivor helps us deepen our understanding of humanity and justice today.”

Raimondo added that the College’ s Holocaust and Genocide Studies program — the only certificate of its kind offered at a community college in the state — “reflects our commitment to making this critical learning accessible to all and to empowering our community to stand against prejudice, indifference, and hate.”

The program is presented thanks to a generous donation in memory of Charles and Janet Stern.

The Gallagher Room is located inside the Rollins Center building on the Newtown Campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown 18940, where there is free parking. For directions and a campus map, visit bucks.edu/newtown. To register to watch the event live online via Zoom, visit https://tinyurl.com/fu4n674k .

For those interested in a deeper dive into the subject, the course Rescue and Resistance (course code HGNS 140) will be offered online this spring semester starting February 9, Raimondo noted.

“Students will explore why some people help while others ‘stand by’ as well as the varied forms that resistance can take, and how these powerful responses to genocide and human suffering can help us better understand both our past and present,” said Raimondo.

For more information about the Holocaust and Genocide Studies Certificate program at Bucks County Community College, including current course offerings, contact the School of Social and Behavioral Science at sb@bucks.edu or 215-968-8270.