Hedy Epstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hedy Epstein
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Hedy Wachenheimer Epstein in 2010
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Hedy Wachenheimer
August 15, 1924 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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| Died | May 26, 2016 (aged 91) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
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| Occupation | Activist |
Hedy Epstein (born Hedy Wachenheimer; August 15, 1924 – May 26, 2016) was a Jewish-American activist who was born in Germany. She was a survivor of the Holocaust. Hedy was known for supporting the rights of Palestinians through groups like the International Solidarity Movement.
She was born in Freiburg, Germany. In 1939, she was saved from the Nazis by the Kindertransport. This was a special rescue effort for Jewish children. Hedy moved to the United States in 1948. She lived in St. Louis, Missouri, for many years.
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Hedy Epstein's Early Life
Hedy Wachenheimer was born into a Jewish family in Freiburg. In 1939, she escaped Nazi persecution. She traveled to England as part of the Kindertransport program. Sadly, almost all of her family were killed during the Holocaust at Auschwitz concentration camp.
During World War II, Hedy worked in factories making supplies for the war. She also joined a group of German Jewish refugees. They wanted to bring democracy back to their home country. Hedy said this time helped her learn about politics. Later, her story was shared in a film called Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport.
After the war, Hedy worked with the Allied forces in Germany. She helped with the Doctors' trial in Nuremberg. This trial brought doctors to justice for terrible crimes. In 1948, she moved to New York City. Later, she lived in Minneapolis and then St. Louis, Missouri.
Becoming an Activist
In 1982, Hedy learned about terrible events in the 1982 Lebanon War. This changed her view on the Arab–Israeli conflict. She began to speak out against some of Israel's military actions.
In 2001, she started a local group of Women in Black in St. Louis. This is an anti-war group. It first focused on Israel's control over certain areas. In 2003, Hedy traveled to the West Bank. There, she worked with the International Solidarity Movement. She visited once a year. She said that in 2004, she faced very strict security checks at Ben Gurion International Airport.
Hedy's Activism for Gaza
In August 2008, Hedy planned to join a ship. This ship was part of the Free Gaza Movement. It aimed to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. But she had to cancel because she was not well.
In 2010, she again planned to join a ship carrying aid to Gaza. She decided not to go on the trip while in Cyprus. She also planned to join a similar group in 2011. She was on a ship called "The Audacity of Hope." But the Greek Coast Guard stopped them. They were turned back.
Hedy Epstein also supported the Black Lives Matter movement. On August 18, 2014, she was arrested. This happened during a protest in St. Louis. The protest was against the killing of Michael Brown.
Later Life and Death
Hedy Epstein passed away at her home in St. Louis. She died on May 26, 2016, at the age of 91. She had cancer. Hedy was survived by her son, Howard Epstein. She also had two granddaughters, Courtney and Kelly.
See also
In Spanish: Hedy Epstein para niños
- List of peace activists
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Norman Finkelstein
