Movie Matinee: A Promise to My Father

Movie Matinee: A Promise to My Father
Tuesday, January 27th, 1:00 p.m.

Holocaust survivor Israel “Izzy” Arbeiter undertakes one final, profoundly personal journey to Poland and Germany, retracing the painful path of his wartime experience. In his hometown of Płock, he searches for cherished family possessions hidden beneath the basement floor in 1939, just as the German army approached. His journey continues to Treblinka, where his parents and younger brother were murdered, and to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where he endured years of brutality, holding fast to his father’s last words urging him to survive.

Along the way, Izzy reunites with individuals who risked their lives to help him—powerful reminders of humanity and courage amid unimaginable cruelty. A tense and unexpected meeting with a former German soldier forces him to confront the enduring weight of trauma, memory, and forgiveness.

Narrated by Tom Kane, this deeply moving documentary follows Izzy as he revisits the places of his greatest suffering and survival—a poignant farewell that transforms history into living memory. The film runs approximately 55 minutes, is not rated, free and open to the public, and is made possible through the World War II Foundation.