When will we help someone? What are the circumstances that prompt people to help or not? Come to the Skokie Public Library on Monday, February 21 at 7:00 p.m. to hear the story of the Seebass family of Germany and how the act of saving the lives of two Jewish strangers affected the entire family forever.

In April 1945, Adolf Weissmark and his friend had fled the concentration camp of Lagenstein-Zwieberge, and managed to reach the nearby village of Bornecke. There, starving, covered in lice, and ill with typhus and dysentery, they collapsed on the doorstep of pastor Julius Seebass. The pastor's wife and daughters, Renate and Ricarda, bathed and clothed the two young men and nursed them back to health, and the two men were welcomed into the family. They remained with the Seebass family for several months until they could immigrate to America. Ricarda, who had contracted typhus while tending to the two men, died shortly after they left, while Renate moved to England a few years later, where she became an Anglican nun. Nearly sixty years have passed, but Sister Renate says she was so moved by the young men's rescue that it has affected her whole life. Sister Renate will discuss her experience and help us understand why some people retain their human compassion even as others have let theirs go.

This story was the moving force behind Dr. Mona Weissmark's popular book, Justice Matters, and is currently being documented in a film.

The public may call 847.673.7774 for further information about Library services and events. Skokie Public Library, located at 5215 Oakton Street, is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9am to 9pm, Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Access many of our resources 24 hours a day at the web address provided below.