Dramatic Reading of the “Gerda” Letters

In 1939, twelve year old Gerda Nothmann Luner was sent by her German family to live with a foster family in Holland. Capturing the family’s hope, faith and desire to be together, Gerda’s mother and father wrote her letters. Before her death in 1999, for her children, Gerda captured the letters in “Gerda’s Story: Memoirs of a Holocaust Survivor.” On Sunday May 4^th, Boulder resident, and friend of Gerda, JoAn Segal will stage a dramatic reading of the letters that bound Gerta to her family before they were all killed by the Nazis in 1943; Gerda was subsequently imprisoned in six camps before being liberated in 1945.

Joining the dramatic reading will be Gerda’s husband Charles Luner and Boulder resident Anita Budding. Anita, who attended the same school as Anne Frank, is a Holocaust survivor who was hidden in a home during the war. After the reading, Charles and Anita will host a panel discussion.

The dramatic reading will feature acclaimed thespian JoAn Segal who was both friends with Gerda and helped translate the letters to English.

The free, May 4^th dramatic reading, which is brought together through efforts of the UU Forum Series and The Boulder Chorale, will take place at 4:00 pm at The Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, 5001 Pennsylvania Ave in Boulder. In advance of their May 10^th Anneliese concert, the Chorale is hosting this event to give the Boulder community an opportunity to learn and experience events related to the Holocaust; Annelies is an oratorio based on “The Diary of Anne Frank” and information on the event can be found at www.boulderchorale.org.