a new opportunity to provide valuable educational resources to Oregon students
By Debra Shein
Leigh, Bob, and Rick Schwarz, three siblings from New Jersey who all later decided to make their homes in Oregon, have recently launched a new fund at OJMCHE. It will be known as the Walter Pick Holocaust and Genocide Book Box Fund, in honor of their cousin Walter Pick, who in 1940 helped their father, aunt, and grandparents escape to safety in the United States from Nazi-annexed Austria. The book boxes, conceived by OJMCHE Director of Education Amanda Coven, will be distributed to K-12 classrooms across Oregon, and all are invited to donate to the fund and participate in the effort.
As Coven enthusiastically explains, “Since OJMCHE has expanded connections to schools and educators across Oregon, we’ve received emails asking if we have a lending library of books about the Holocaust and/or Jewish history, life, and culture. Understanding this need, we brainstormed the idea of book boxes. Rather than lending books to one educator at a time for a short amount of time, we thought it would be more beneficial to donate a box of curated books to the teacher to keep in their class library. Knowing that different grade bands have different needs, we’ve decided to create four book boxes: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each box will include a set of 5-8 books, depending on grade level, and an accompanying guide explaining our rationale for including each book, vocabulary lists, and suggested discussion questions or activities.”
The Schwarzes, who first became connected to OJMCHE in the 1990s when their mother Estelle served as a docent during the Anne Frank exhibition, wanted to do something to honor their cousin Walter Pick. After reading about OJMCHE’s statewide education work, they knew that contributing to this would be a meaningful way to remember their parents and cousin Walter, one that would also be of value to all of their children. Their hope is that “the book boxes will help teachers throughout Oregon to educate students about the Holocaust in particular, and more generally to reduce intolerance of people perceived as different. We also hope this will reduce the impact of Holocaust denial, which is an increasing challenge as victims and witnesses of the Holocaust pass away. These books can offer a window to allow students to see beyond themselves and appreciate similarities between us while appreciating our differences.” The Schwarz siblings are excited about the potential of this new effort and would like to encourage others to contribute to the fund and support their aim “to vanquish bigotry and hate through better understanding.”
Walter Pick (1912-1993), who served in US Army Intelligence during WWII, was born in Vienna, where his father and uncles owned and operated two sporting goods stores. After the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938, Walter, then 26, sought help to leave from his father’s first cousin, known in the family as “Aunt Nellie,” who lived in Orange, New Jersey. Her father, Walter’s great-uncle Philip Schwarz, had immigrated there in the mid-19th century and had become a successful dry goods merchant. Upon his death, he left Nellie the large family home and the means to provide an Affidavit of Support and serve as sponsor for Walter and his brother Rudi, who died early due to heart problems. After their arrival in New Jersey, Walter appealed to Nellie to also provide affidavits for his parents, his uncle and aunt Leopold and Irma Schwarz, and their children, Arthur (later the father of Leigh, Bob, and Rick) and Herta. According to Arthur, “Walter must have poured on all his charm and persuasiveness because we very soon heard from him that Aunt Nellie had agreed to give affidavits to us all.” The Leopold Schwarz family was able to successfully immigrate in 1940, but tragically, Walter’s parents, Karl and Bertha Schwarz, were stopped by the Nazis when attempting to leave.
In America, Walter pursued the family line of business, first working for a firm that manufactured sleeping bags and other outdoor equipment, which brought him to Los Angeles, and then later starting his own successful sleeping bag company. Leigh recalls that when she was married in 1975, “Walter sent a pair of lofty down sleeping bags as a wedding gift. They are still regularly used and appreciated.” Inspired by her father’s longtime fascination with the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, which he instilled in his children, Leigh moved to Oregon in 1978. She remembers that soon after this she “received a phone call from Walter welcoming her to the West Coast, and particularly to Oregon. He was genuinely excited and especially interested to know if she had visited Mt. Hood and to share how beautiful the Cascades are and what a special place Oregon is.” In time, Leigh’s brothers and parents, Arthur and Estelle, also succumbed to the lure of the Northwest and relocated to Oregon.
The Schwarzes would be extremely gratified if others were to be moved by the memory of Walter Pick and his kindhearted and generous Aunt Nellie to join them “in helping bring these books, these windows on the wider world, to children throughout Oregon.” They reflect that “It is vital for all of us to expand our perceptions, and to think broadly and with empathy. The hate the Nazis perpetuated is still occurring. Diversity should be embraced at the same time we celebrate that we are all part of humanity.”