An Auschwitz Album Story

Followed by a panel discussion with Producer Mitchell Kreitenberg, Director Jeffery L. Gary,
Dr. Arthur Kreitenberg and Prof. Stefan Ionescu
In partnership with the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Studies, Chapman University

Monday, November 16, 7 P.M.

This moving documentary shares the extraordinary story of Holocaust survivors Mike and Joe Kreitenberg and their experiences during the Holocaust and after liberation. It explores the shocking and life-changing discovery that the historic Auschwitz Album contains the only known photographs of their relatives and neighbors taken moments before they were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The film weaves archival footage, re-enactments, and interviews chronicling the Kreitenberg family's journey from Czechoslovakia to the United States. Today, there are over 100 descendants of the three surviving brothers - Mike, Joe and Sam. Their legacy will live on for generations to come.

Mitchell Kreitenberg is the son of a Holocaust survivor and a docent at Holocaust Museum LA, where he speaks to students, donors and professional groups. He has presented around the world about his family's discovery in the Auschwitz Album. This films marks his debut in the world of film production.

Jeffery L. Gary is director and DP of the award-winning documentaries Letters From Brno and Creating Beauty. He is a graduate of the USC School of Cinema and Television and has worked in various capacities in the film industry for the past 15 years. He is currently in post-production on his latest project, Breakfast For Claire.

Dr. Arthur Kreitenberg is an orthopedic surgeon and a professor at the UCI School of Medicine. He holds 16 patents designed to prevent injuries, protect health, and make surgery safer. He is a member of the Merage JCC Board of Directors, and for the past 44 years has been dedicated to treating Veterans at the VA Medical Center in Long Beach, attempting to repay a debt to American soldiers he feels can never truly be repaid.

Archie’s wife, Melissa, is the former Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League and currently a U.S. Homeland Security Asylum officer, bringing her own deep understanding of the refugee's plight.

Stefan Cristian Ionescu is currently the Director of the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education, Stern Chair in Holocaust Education, and Associate Professor of History at Chapman University. Ionescu earned his doctoral degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies and European history at Clark University. He held teaching and research positions at several academic institutions, including Northwestern University and Uppsala University. He is the author of various book chapters and journal articles and of two books: “Jewish Resistance to ‘Romanianization,’ 1940-44” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015) and “Justice and Restitution in Post-Nazi Romania: Rebuilding Jewish Lives and Communities, 1944-1950” (Cambridge University Press, 2024).

Documentary, 64 minutes

Dessert reception following film screening is sponsored by Melissa Carr and Dr. Archie Kreitenberg and family.