eighteen for Life: surviving the Holocaust [Aotearoa Family History Month]

“There are secrets I will take to my grave,” Martha Ash told her daughters. “I don’t want you to think I am a hero,” declared their father Feliks. Join Helen Schamroth as she talks about her new book and family memoir. Learn how she and her sister, Eve, unraveled fragments of their parents’ harrowing Holocaust experiences. Helen’s eighteen connected stories tell of unspeakable loss, cultural dislocation, chutzpah, hope, creativity, deception and love. Includes a six-minute launch video from Eve Ash in Melbourne.

Image: [Author image]. (n.d.). Helen Schamroth, [Photograph]. Supplied
Book cover: Schamroth, H. (2025). eighteen for Life: surviving the Holocaust. Amsterdam Publishers. Supplied

When

DATES

Friday, August 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Where

LOCATION

Central Library

Second Floor - Heritage

4 The Square, Palmerston North, Manawatū-Whanganui 4410

What's on at Central Library

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Sun 3 Aug 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Recycle-A-Device RAD Club

In partnership with Recycle-A-Device (RAD), these monthly sessions are for 13-19yr olds to learn how to refurbish laptops that are then donated to the community.

Tue 5 Aug 9:00am - 12:00pm

Pop Up Open Play

Come and play with our interactive kit in our First Floor Parenting area.

Tue 5 Aug 12:00pm - 12:30pm

Manu Hāpai Waiata Group

Learning Te Reo Māori through waiata.

Tue 5 Aug 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Operation Wrapped in Remembrance Crafting Group

Would you like to knit, weave or crochet for a veteran? In acknowledgment of 2025 being 80 years since the end of World War Two, 75 years since the beginning of the Korean War, 65 years since the end of the Malay Emergency and 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War, we invite you to knit, weave or crochet a scarf for a veteran.

Wed 6 Aug 10:00am - 11:00am

Jumping Jellybeans @ Central

Come along and pack in as much fun as you can in our free sessions of stories, songs, activities and crafts! No booking required.

Wed 6 Aug 10:00am - 11:00am

Kōrero Kawhe

Do you need a place to practice speaking te reo Māori? Come along for a kawhe to build your kōrero skills in a relaxed environment.

Wed 6 Aug 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Reading Unleashed @ Central Library

Would your school age child like to read to one of our cute and friendly Canine Friends dogs? These dogs are super friendly, well behaved and have lovely handlers to help guide your child's session.

Publish Your Family History close up image

Wed 6 Aug 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Publishing Your Family History [Aotearoa Family History Month]

Nick Watson, Tania Kopytko and Margaret Riordan from the Palmerston North Branch of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists will be sharing advice and information about publishing your family history.

Thu 7 Aug 10:00am - 10:45am

Baby Bop

Join us for a fun session designed for baby's brain development through nursery rhymes, activities, songs and having FUN.

Thu 7 Aug 3:45pm - 4:45pm

LibLab - Stupendous Slimy Monster Mess!

LibLab - Library fun with a touch of laboratory madness and book experimentation.