By Eileen Wingard
SAN DIEGO — An amazing letter written by 21-year-old Gabriella Labson from Munkarcs, Czechoslovakia, to Lord Josiah Wedgewood in London, resulted in the rescue of Gabriella and her younger brother from the Nazi scourge.
Lord Wedgewood was a member of the British House of Lords, a gentile Zionist who had visited Munkarcs, 17 years earlier and remembered the shy six-year-old. She was to present him with a bouquet of flowers and say some words of greeting in English and, instead, broke out in tears. He picked up the pretty little child to comfort her and remembered her almost two decades later when he received her letter, addressed to him, in care of the British House of Parliament.
It is this remarkable story, of a kind and generous rescuer, which Gabriella relates in her 2004 book, My Righteous Gentile. Recently, she developed a documentary that includes interviews from Gabriella; her photos and memorabilia; footage from the archives of the documentarian, Yale Strom, who traveled extensively in Eastern Europe; and information from the Spielberg Archive at Yad Vashem, the US Holocaust Museum, and the Hungarian National Archive. The new documentary is entitled, Letter to Wedgewood.
What motivated Gabriella to write the book?
“I wanted to tell the story of my family while my memories were still fresh. I came from an accomplished family: my father, a renowned rabbi; my mother, a strong Zionist; my grandfather, the chief rabbi of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; and my beloved sister, Esther, an attorney, wife and mother. My parents and sister, her husband, and child all were put to death in Nazi gas chambers.”
Gabriella also wanted to tell about the vibrant Jewish life in her hometown of Munkarcs, the first All-Day Hebrew High School, the active Zionist movements, the ardent Chassidic houses. She painted a fascinating picture of her life in Munkarcs as well as her years in London under the patronage of Lord Wedgewood. The book also includes information on her activities in Philadelphia, and subsequently, in San Diego.
Gabriella first came to San Diego as assistant director to Dr. Yehudah Shabatay at what was then called the San Diego Bureau of Jewish Education. She continued as a force in Jewish education in the city, becoming particularly active with the Friendship Club at Tifereth Israel Synagogue.
A brilliant woman, at 98, whose background includes a Master’s degree from Gratz College in Philadelphia, where she specialized in the writings of the great Jewish poet, Chaim Nachman Bialik, her book, My Righteous Gentile, is in libraries throughout the world.
Dr. David Strom, retired Education Professor from San Diego State University, assisted Gabriella with organizing and typing her manuscript. It is from their conversations that the idea germinated for the documentary. Strom even had a suitable documentarian to suggest: his multi-talented son, Yale Strom, klezmer violinist, author, playwright, composer and documentarian.
The documentary has already been shown at film festivals in Romania, in May, 2012, and in Ashkelon, Israel, in June, 2012. It will be presented next month at Harvard University and at Wellesley College on April 19.
The response to the film has been very positive.
Sunday afternoon, March 10, at 4:00, there will be a screening of the documentary, Letter to Wedgewood, at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd. in the San Carlos area of San Diego.
Labson and Yale Strom, will be on hand afterwards for a question and answer period. The book, My Righteous Gentile, will also be available for purchase, with all proceeds going to Tifereth Israel Synagogue.
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Wingard is a freelance writer and retired San Diego Symphony violinist who may be contacted via eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com