Melton School Curriculum Encourages Young Author to Publish New Perspective on Life After the Holocaust
For Danna Pycher, a trip to Israel propelled her journey of Jewish discovery, fostering renewed interest in religious education at an adult level. Subsequent classes at the Florence Melton School of Jewish Learning opened her mind to deeper interpretations of life, based on her paternal grandparents’ dramatic experiences during the Holocaust.
The result of this intellectual and spiritual process is 3rd Generation and Beyond, Danna’s book of powerful life philosophies designed to make people — especially young people — think twice about who they are, what their role in society is, and how they can empower others.
A resident of Fort Lauderdale, Danna, 26, is a certified neuro-linguistic hypnotherapist, specializing in chronic illnesses and trauma. She hopes her book will be a catalyst for people to learn about the Holocaust and to be moved to action.
After returning from an educational Israel experience in 2011, Danna was encouraged to continue her Jewish education by taking courses offered by the Melton School, an international adult program administered in South Florida by the Center for Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE).
In her last semester of evening classes in North Miami Beach, she enrolled in a course, “The Holocaust as Reflected in Diaries and Memoirs,” which inspired her to complete an unfinished manuscript in her drawer, telling the story of her paternal grandparents and their Holocaust experiences.
“The Melton class changed everything for me,” Danna said. “I had had the idea of writing a book when I traveled through Germany in college, but hadn’t followed through. My Melton learning empowered and energized me to see how necessary and important this work really is.
“Reading memoirs and diaries made the enormity of the Shoah (the Hebrew word for Holocaust) more real, more human, more heroic. We learned about women and children who resisted and about the profound strength of the Jewish people, even when faced with an impossible situation.”
Danna was inspired to disseminate her grandparents’ life lessons in a unique form intended to encourage activism for humanity.
“I wanted to inspire kids to be good people because when you’re upset by the way you were treated, it’s easier to mistreat and bully others,” Danna said. “If I could show examples of people who overcame adversity, then maybe I could touch people and they would change for the better.
The result was 3rd Generation and Beyond.
“This book is so different from any other Holocaust-themed books I’ve ever read,” said Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar, CAJE’s Director of Adult Learning and Growth and a Regional Director of the Melton School. “The way Danna tells her and her grandparents’ stories keeps the Shoah relevant for young people, so they can be inspired to use the bad that happens in the world and turn it into doing something good.”
Rabbi Zarren-Zohar also encourages others to embark on their own personal journeys of discovery by enrolling in Melton’s program of morning and evening classes for adults taking place nationwide.
“The Greater Miami Jewish Federation is proud to support Melton, Taglit-Birthright Israel and all of CAJE’s vital education programs with funds raised through the annual Federation/UJA Campaign,” said Brian Bilzin, Federation’s Chair of the Board. “This support reflects our long-term commitment to Jewish education and its profound impact on Jewish continuity from generation to generation.”
Pycher will be speaking and signing books on April 11 at 8 p.m. at the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center, 18900 NE 25th Avenue, North Miami Beach.
For further information about the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning, as well as other adult education opportunities, call 305.776.7925 or visit www.caje-miami.org/melton.
