The Miracle Child: A Conversation with Holocaust Survivor, Frances Malkin

Frances “Fran” Malkin was born in Sokal, Poland (now Ukraine) in 1938 to Eli and Lea Letzter (nee Maltz). Following the occupation of Sokal by the Germans, Fran, her mother, and other members of the Maltz family escaped the Sokal ghetto and went into hiding in the fall of 1942. Fran and her family found refuge in the secluded farm of Francisca Halamajowa, a Polish-Catholic woman. Francisca and her daughter Helena hid 16 Jews on their farm until the area was liberated by the Soviet Army in July 1944. After the Holocaust, Fran immigrated to the United States in January 1949. Of the estimated 6,000 Jews living in Sokal before the war, it is believed that only 30 survived the Holocaust. This number includes the 16 saved by Francisca and Helena, who were recognized by Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center, as Righteous Among the Nations in 1984. In 2007, filmmaker Judy Maltz developed a film of Fran and her family’s experiences surviving on the Halamajowa farm titled No. 4 Street of Our Lady. Join us for a powerful and unforgettable evening as we hear firsthand testimony from a child survivor of the Holocaust. Together, we can ensure the voices of Holocaust survivors are heard and that their testimony is never forgotten.