WWU’s Ray Wolpow Institute co-hosting Marsha Lederman for “Kiss the Red Stairs: The Holocaust Once Removed” at Congregation Beth Israel Nov. 12
Journalist Marsha Lederman will be at Congregation Beth Israel for a special author presentation of her memoir, “Kiss the Red Stairs,” on Nov. 12 at 4 p.m.
“Kiss the Red Stairs” is a compelling memoir that delves into Marsha’s parents' Holocaust survival in the wake of her own divorce, investigating how trauma migrates through generations with empathy, humor and resilience.
WWU’s Ray Wolpow Institute for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity is co-sponsoring the event with Congregation Beth Israel and Village Books. Ticket prices are by donation and pre-registration is required for attendance.
Congregation Beth Israel is located at 751 San Juan Blvd. in Bellingham.
“We are honored to co-sponsor this community event on Holocaust literature with our friends at Congregation Beth Israel and Village Books,” said Sandra Alfers, director of the Ray Wolpow Institute at WWU. “In this deeply personal story, Marsha Lederman takes readers on a journey into her family history. She examines the memory of the Holocaust through the lens of intergenerational trauma, ultimately showing how the past continues to inform her present.”
Marsha Lederman is an award-winning journalist and the Western Arts Correspondent for the Globe and Mail. Before joining the Globe, Marsha worked for CBC Radio, mostly in Toronto, where she held a variety of positions, including National Arts Reporter. Marsha also worked in commercial radio as a reporter, newscaster and talk show host. Born in Toronto, she now lives in Vancouver.
About Western Washington University
Western Washington University offers more than 200 academic programs on its main campus located in Bellingham, and at additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master’s-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report. The report ranked WWU in the top 10 in the West (out of more than 500 public colleges and universities from Texas to the West Coast) and also spotlights Western as among the best colleges for veterans. WWU is identified as one of the most sustainable, green campuses in the nation by the Sierra Club, is known for being a top producer of prestigious National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hollings Scholars, Fulbright Scholars, and Peace Corps volunteers, and nationally ranked for graduates who go on to earn research doctorates. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Academic Workplace report named Western as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, winning honors in two categories: teaching environment and tenure clarity and process.
About the Ray Wolpow Institute
The Ray Wolpow Institute for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity (RWI) at Western Washington University was established in the summer of 2016. Home to a minor in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, the only such undergraduate program at a public university in Washington State, the institute is named after Western Professor Ray Wolpow, faculty emeritus at WWU’s Woodring College of Education and founder of the Northwest Center for Holocaust, Genocide, and Ethnocide Education (NWCHGEE).