It started with a series of cassette tapes…

A husband, father, and grandfather

A son and brother

A neighbor

A friend

A well-respected jeweler

A Holocaust survivor.

During the 1970s, Melvin Goldman quietly began recording his experiences, sharing extensive details with his tape recorder. His series of recorded cassette tapes sat, unheard, for nearly forty years until 2015, when his daughter, Lee, rediscovered them and finally listened to his testimony. He requested his story be transcribed into a book, and Lee honored his wishes, completing Perseverance: One Holocaust Survivor’s Journey From Poland to America in 2019. The book details his childhood in Łódź, the establishment of the ghetto, surviving Auschwitz and multiple other concentration camps, liberation and recuperation aided by the US Army and related physicians and nurses, traveling to the United States, and establishing a home and business in Pittsburgh.

Upon the release of her book, Lee began a series of speaking engagements in schools, historical societies, libraries, universities, prisons, and other venues.  Pittsburgh’s Prime Stage Theatre commissioned a theatrical adaptation of the memoir, Perseverance, which debuted in April 2023. Later, Lee sat down with the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School (PA Cyber) and participated in an interview telling her family’s story for their Moments in History series. The short documentary film, “Moments in History: Melvin Goldman” premiered in early 2025 and won an Emmy award from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

With the rise in antisemitism globally, and the decline in the number of living Holocaust survivors, Lee and her son, Jason noticed a need for expanding the conversation beyond their family’s story. After seeing Lee’s numerous successful experiences on university campuses, Jason proposed developing a lecture series focusing on the Holocaust and genocide around the world, as well as a celebration to recognize impactful educators focused on Holocaust, genocide, and human rights education in their classrooms on a daily basis.

We welcome you to The Goldman Memorial Holocaust & Genocide Institute.

Goldman Family Timeline

  • Early: The Goldman family inhabits Poland for hundreds of years, working in the sheet metal industry and contributing to the Jewish community.

  • 1898: Chaim Goldman is born in Puławy.

  • 1918: Chaim is recognized with the Polish Cross for his service in WWI.

  • 1923: Melvin Goldman is born in Łódź.

  • 1939: Germany Invades Poland and takes control of Łódź, later establishing the ghetto.

  • 1944: The Goldmans are moved from the Łódź Ghetto to Auschwitz.

  • 1945: Melvin is liberated from Wöbbelin by the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.

  • 1947: Melvin reunites with his brother, Aron.

  • 1950: Melvin emigrates from Europe, bound for the United States.

  • 1954: Melvin marries Mildred Zerelstein.

  • 1956: Melvin becomes a naturalized United States citizen.

  • 1963: Melvin and Mildred establish Lee Trading Company, a jewelry store, in Squirrel Hill.

  • 1970s: Melvin quietly records his life story with the intent of publishing a book, leaves the tapes for later.

  • 1992: Melvin & Mildred celebrate the birth of their grandson, Jason.

  • 1996: Melvin passes away at the age of 73.

  • 2012: Mildred passes away at the age of 83, leaving behind a box of her husband’s recorded cassette tapes.

  • 2015: Jason, now a graduate student at the University of New Mexico, is invited to participate in a study abroad program in Berlin, Germany. At Jason’s urging, Lee listens to her father’s story for the first time, learning of Melvin’s request to share his testimony in the form of a book.

  • 2019: Lee completes Perseverance: One Holocaust Survivor's Journey from Poland to America, Melvin is posthumously credited as co-author.

  • 2023: Pittsburgh’s Prime Stage Theatre premieres Perseverance, a theatrical stage adaptation by local playwright L.E. McCullough.

  • 2025: The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School premieres “Moments in History: Melvin Goldman” a short documentary film featuring Melvin’s audio recording and an interview with Lee. Later that same year, the film won an Emmy Award from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

  • 2026: Perseverance has its international premiere in Victoria, British Columbia.

  • 2026: Jason & Lee embark on a new journey together to memorialize the Goldman family with the establishment of the Goldman Memorial Holocaust & Genocide Institute.

Driven by curiosity and built on purpose, this is where bold thinking meets thoughtful execution.