Lest We Forget: Near Normal Man - Q&A with Director Charline Stern and Ben

Join us for the screening of Near Normal Man, a half-hour documentary film, told in a first-hand account by Ben Stern, a Polish Jew, who survives 2 ghettos, 9 concentration camps and 2 death marches. Q&A with Filmmaker Charlene Stern and Holocaust survivor Ben Stern to follow. About: By the age of 24, Ben Stern survived 2 ghettos, 9 concentration camps and 2 death marches. Liberation is just the beginning. Ben lives beyond the terror and is unbelievably tested again. 30 years later he again faced the Nazis, this time in Skokie, Illinois. One man, Ben Stern, stands up, speaks out and sparks a fierce public battle against the Nazis and the 1st Amendment - building nationwide support. 'Near Normal Man' is much more than one man’s story. It is purposefully created for young people between the ages of 16 to 24 who are coming of age in a world still plagued by prejudice and malicious extremism. Ben Stern’s example demands that we provide ourselves the tools and courage to do what he did when the time comes to act against hatred. Near Normal Man does that. Featuring unique archival material, composed music and original art, this award-winning film examines the lessons the Holocaust teaches about confronting evil at its most personal level and how to prevail over hate not with more violence, but with wisdom, courage, kindness and reason. This is a personal journey of one man and a universal story in the power of resilience of the human spirit. The exhibit Lest We Forget is presented by the Goethe-Institut San Francisco and the German Consulate General San Francisco, with heartfelt gratitude to Barbro and Bernard Osher for their generosity. With appreciation for the support of the Consulate General of Israel, the Consulate General of Italy, and the Italian Cultural Center. Special thanks to the San Francisco Arts Commission and San Francisco Recreation and Parks and numerous community partners. In cooperation with the San Francisco Public Library.