Wednesday, 29 January 2025, 7:00 p.m. EST
Center for Jewish History, 15 W 16th Street, New York, NY 10011
The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme together with the Center for Jewish History, will host the screening of the documentary UnBroken, followed by a panel discussion with the film's director, producer, and writer Beth Lane and her mother, Holocaust survivor, Ginger Lane, whose story of survival is featured in the film. In the film, Beth Lane embarks on an international quest to uncover answers about the plight of her mother and her mother¡¯s six siblings who, as mere children, escaped Nazi Germany relying solely on their own youthful bravado and the kindness of German strangers.
The screening of UnBroken is part of the 's programming series Anne Frank in History and Memory and film series Holocaust History on Film: Anne Frank and Beyond in connection with . This screening is made possible by .
Speakers
Ginger Lane was born Bela Weber in Berlin, Germany, in 1939. She was the youngest of seven children of a Hungarian Jewish mother, Lina, and a German father, Alexander. When the Gestapo arrested Lina, Alexander realized that he needed help to keep his family safe. A friend of his, Arthur Schmidt, offered sanctuary for the children. For two years, the Weber children lived in a laundry shed on the Schmidt farm. Though their mother died in a concentration camp, the six girls and one boy survived the war. Afterwards, the children were separated from their father and sent to the United States as refugees. Soon after arriving in the United States, the Weber siblings went to live with different families across the country. Bela was adopted by I. Joshua and Rosalynde Speigel, and her name was changed to Ginger. A gifted dancer, Ginger earned a degree in theatre and communication at Northwestern University. She married, taking on the name of Lane. While caring for a son and two daughters, she continued to work in the dance world. In 1984, Ms. Lane suffered a skiing accident which put her in a wheelchair. She kept dancing and collaborated with high-profile organizations like the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. She performed and choreographed and became an outspoken advocate for dancers with disabilities. Her daughter, Beth Lane, has written, directed and produced a documentary film UnBroken which tells the story of the siblings¡¯ survival during the Holocaust.
Beth Lane is an award-winning filmmaker, actress, and storyteller. Her mission is to bridge empathy and combat hate through the arts. Beth is the daughter of Holocaust survivor and dancer Ginger Lane. Beth trained as a dancer with the Ruth Page Center and Hubbard Street Dancers. Her journey led her to New York City, where she performed with the Metropolitan Opera House and released her jazz album, Lies of Handsome Men. Beth earned her MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she began creating UnBroken - a deeply personal and acclaimed documentary about her family¡¯s survival during the Holocaust. The film won Best Documentary Feature Premiere at the 2023 Heartland International Film Festival and continues to garner great praise. As the founder of the Weber Family Arts Foundation, Beth channels her creativity into combating antisemitism and fostering hope through storytelling.