Charlotte Jewish News, January 2025

As first announced in the December Charlotte Jewish News, the Stan Greenspon Holocaust and Social Justice Education Center will host rock legend Geddy Lee for a community commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, 2025. Best known as the lead vocalist and bassist of the iconic rock band Rush, Geddy brings a deeply personal perspective to this remembrance: his parents, Mary and Morris Weinrib, were Holocaust survivors who endured and survived Auschwitz.

The Greenspon Center, dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust while fostering dialogue on social justice and combating antisemitism, chose this date for its annual marquee event. International Holocaust Remembrance Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2005 and is observed on Jan. 27, marking the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. This observance emphasizes the global responsibility to remember the Holocaust, educate about its causes and consequences, and combat rising antisemitism and hate worldwide.

The Greenspon Center also participates in the Jewish community’s commemoration of Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Memorial Day, observed on the 27th of Nisan in the Jewish calendar, typically in April or May. Established by the Israeli Knesset in 1951, Yom HaShoah serves as a day of remembrance specifically for Jewish victims of the Holocaust, emphasizing the unique Jewish experience of this atrocity and the profound loss to the Jewish world.

“Our decision to focus on International Holocaust Remembrance Day reflects our mission to reach a broader audience,” said Judy LaPietra, director of the Greenspon Center. “By commemorating this day, the Center aligns itself with global initiatives to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust transcend borders and resonate with people of all backgrounds. It recognizes that the horrors of the Holocaust serve as a warning not just for Jewish communities but for humanity as a whole.”

Featuring Geddy Lee for the 2025 event is consistent with the Greenspon Center’s mission to engage a broader audience, given his profound personal connection to the Holocaust and his widespread influence as a renowned musician and author.

“I had also read Geddy Lee’s memoir, “My Effin’ Life,” which showcases not only his passion for music but also his skill as a storyteller,” said LaPietra. “In it, he recounts his parents’ experiences as Holocaust survivors and how their resilience and trauma they endured shaped his upbringing and worldview.”

“My Effin’ Life” is an enjoyable read that makes one feel they know Geddy Lee as a friend. It is also a period piece set in Canada, including Geddy’s early years in the 1950s and ‘60s. He relays memories of the ice-skating culture, hockey, baseball, and baseball cards. He also shares his experiences with antisemitism, which he refrained from sharing with his parents, as they had gone through so much in the Holocaust.

Geddy included an entire chapter on his parents’ experience in the Holocaust, saying he felt duty-bound to tell their story because “I feel we’re living in an era that seems to have forgotten what can and will happen when fascism rears its head. I think we all need reminding of it in the face of those who either deny the past or never knew about it in the first place.”

Chapter Three pieces together his parents’ experiences based on information shared, especially by his mother, who talked to her children about it a lot. He shares stories about the small Polish town where his mother lived and the impact of the Nazis’ arrival with harsh rules for Jews, and the destruction of the community’s synagogue.

Geddy acknowledges that the history imparted in those pages is harrowing and painful for readers and him. He writes about the atrocities of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen and includes the story of how his parents met in the camp. He writes of the guilt felt by children of survivors, who know their parents experienced unimaginable horrors and made tremendous sacrifices so their children could survive.

Later in the book, he describes how being with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the band KISS, both of whom are Jewish, gave him an opportunity to reevaluate his tribal roots. While he had moved away from the religiosity of Judaism, he wanted to celebrate the talented, the successful, and the humorous in Jewish culture. He reflected that in his early teens, he would deny his Jewish identity and remembers being introduced as “Geddy — he’s a Jew, but he’s okay.” He realized later that by not standing up to those making antisemitic remarks, he was helping to perpetuate a stereotype and even being complicit in fomenting hatred for his own people.

As a rock icon with a global following, Geddy Lee brings unparalleled visibility to this year’s Holocaust remembrance event. His influence extends far beyond music, inspiring fans with his intellect, humility, and advocacy. Featuring Geddy ensures that the event resonates with a wide demographic, including younger audiences and individuals who may not traditionally engage with Holocaust education. His presence also highlights the responsibility of future generations to remember and educate, ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust remain relevant in combating antisemitism, hate, and intolerance today. As denial and revisionism grow, the commitment to teaching this history accurately and effectively becomes more urgent to prevent such atrocities from being repeated. The opportunity to see and hear from Geddy has been met with great enthusiasm. “For those who know him, the reaction has been one of disbelief,” said LaPietra. “Seeing him in person provides a rare opportunity to connect with a rock icon. His live speaking engagements are relatively rare, making this event a truly special occasion. Fans are eager for the chance to hear from him directly and to ask questions. I am so very honored and grateful that he is supporting the mission of the Greenspon Center.”

For more information about sponsorship or advertising, contact Judy LaPietra at [email protected]. For tickets to A Conversation with Geddy Lee, visit https://www.stangreensponcenter.org/events/or scan the QR code below.