Pictured Below: Dorothy Goldwin (L) Michelle Goldwin Kaufman (R)
Memphis Jewish Federation has announced that the mother-daughter team of Dorothy Goldwin and Michelle Goldwin Kaufman will chair its 61st Annual Yom HaShoah Commemoration, taking place this year on Monday, April 17 at 6:30 P.M. in the Belz Social Hall of the Memphis Jewish Community Center.
Dorothy is the daughter of Holocaust survivors Mayer and Paula Kelman, of blessed memory.
No stranger to the planning of Yom HaShoah, Dorothy has been an active member of Federation’s Holocaust Memorial Committee for decades including serving as chair of Yom HaShoah and as co-chair with her brother, Marty Kelman, in 2013 and 2014.
Dorothy is married to Dr. Robert Goldwin and has two daughters, Michelle Goldwin Kaufman, and Cara Goldwin Munekata along with four grandchildren, Max, Nora, Molly, and Parker. Dorothy is currently on the board of Kavod-Ensuring Dignity for Holocaust Survivors and a past board member of Plough Towers and Bornblum Jewish Community School. Dorothy frequently visits West Clinic with her therapy dog, Leo. “Serving as co- chair with my daughter Michelle is an honor and privilege,” said Dorothy. My mom and dad would be so proud knowing their legacy is being remembered. I have always felt so strongly about the need ‘To Remember’ and will always work to ensure that the memory of my family and the six million Jews who perished will be kept alive.”
Michelle moved back to Memphis in 2020 with her husband, Jay Kaufman, and two children, Max and Nora. A clinical psychologist, Michelle is an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Memphis and sees therapy clients in private practice. In 2021, Michelle joined the newly formed Education subcommittee of Federation’s Holocaust Memorial Committee in order to help provide Holocaust education in the broader Memphis community. “I can remember watching my mom and uncle co-chair when I was a child, and I’m so honored to now be serving as a co-chair for this important program,” said Michelle.
“We are thankful for Dorothy and Michelle’s leadership,” said Bluma Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein, Executive Vice President of Memphis Jewish Federation. “They are inspiring role models for their commitment to preserving the legacy of the Holocaust in our community.”
The Holocaust Memorial Committee has selected Tova Friedman to be this year’s keynote speaker. Tova is one of the youngest child survivors of Auschwitz and was liberated with her mother at the age of six.
Tova recently co-authored The Daughter of Auschwitz, a powerful memoir telling her story of living and surviving the notorious death camp.
“I had the privilege of meeting many survivors when I was a child and hearing their stories directly,” noted Michelle. I am excited for our youth to have the opportunity to hear a Holocaust survivor speak in-person, an opportunity that cannot be taken for granted as time passes.
“We know that Tova will educate and inspire attendees of all ages with her resilience and her commitment to ‘Never Forget.’”
A moving and inspiring book about courage and hope, The Daughter of Auschwitz is on special display and available for purchase at Novel bookstore, 387 Perkins Extended.