The Jewish Federation Connecting with Community program welcomes presenter Peter Filkins, an award winning poet and translator of three novels by H.G. Adler. Filkins will speak about poet, novelist and author of two Holocaust studies, one of the earliest historians of Auschwitz, a last representative of Kafka's Prague, and expert for the Eichmann trial, H.G. Adler (1910-1988). Adler survived Theresienstadt, Auschwitz and two other camps. With friends Elias Canetti and Heinrich Bollm he forged a deeper understanding of the Shoah, engaging Leo Baeck, Hannah Arendt and Gershom Scholem in critical questions facing modern societies to this day.
Peter Filkins graduated from Williams College and from Columbia University with a Master of Fine Arts degree. Filkins has taught literature and writing at Bard College at Simon's Rock since 1988 and translation at the main campus of Bard College since 2006.
Hans Günther Adler (July 2, 1910, in Prague–August 21, 1988, in London), was a German language poet, novelist, scholar and Holocaust survivor.
This free program is part of the Federation’s Connecting With Community Series and will be followed by a kosher hot lunch. Lunch is a $2 suggested donation for adults over 60 years of age or $7 for all others. Advance reservations are required for lunch and can be made by calling (413) 442-2200 before 9 a.m. on the day of the program.