Portrait of the Month

Fryderyka Mangel

May's Portrait of the Month honors Fryderyka Mangel. Fryderyka and her husband Edmund Kessler survived the Holocaust by hiding, first in the attic of a sympathetic Polish family until a neighbor threatened to denounce them, and then with a kind couple named Kalwinski. The Kalwinskis were already hiding a few people in a tiny underground bunker. They agreed to let Fryderyka and her husband hide there, too. The Kalwinski family was later honored by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among Nations. The Righteous Among Nations are people recognized for their efforts in saving Jewish people during the Holocaust. Read more and be inspired by the brave souls that risked their lives for others.

This portrait was created by Evelin L., a middle school student in Omaha, Nebraska. Each year, the Institute for Holocaust Education in Nebraska (IHENE) works with schools around Omaha, bringing the students in to learn about the Holocaust through art and portrait-making. We are always impressed with the quality of work coming from the mostly middle-school-aged students who use our art lesson. We were particularly drawn to this beautiful portrait of Fryderyka.

Read Fryderyka’s story below and click here to view past Portrait of the Month selections