“Perseverance” Film Screening and Talkback

Join the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh for a 20 minute screening of “Perseverance,” the newest edition in PA Cyber’s Emmy-nominated Moments in History series that tells the story of local Holocaust survivor Melvin Goldman (z”l). The screening will be followed by a conversation Melvin’s daughter and author of Perseverance: One Holocaust Survivor's Journey from Poland to America, Lee Goldman Kikel, and filmmaker Scot Rutledge.

About the Film:

Melvin Goldman spent five years in the Jewish ghetto and concentration camps. He was 21 years old when Allied Forces liberated the concentration camps in 1945. He weighed 85 pounds and could not walk. He recovered for several years in Germany, and then a kind stranger sponsored his move to the United States where he eventually raised a family and owned a jewelry store in Squirrel Hill.

Goldman’s story is captured in the video “Perseverance,” the newest edition in PA Cyber’s Emmy-nominated Moments in History series, which captures first-hand accounts of chapters in time.

Goldman recorded his memories on cassette tapes in the late 1970s. In them, he had stated he wanted his story preserved in a book. His daughter honored his request, and she frequently tells his story at events. Her book was adapted into a play and performed at New Hazlett Theater Center for Performing Arts in Pittsburgh in 2023.

About Lee Goldman Kikel:

Lee Goldman Kikel grew up in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, where her early years revolved around school— Wightman School and Taylor Allderdice High School—and the family jewelry business.

Lee recalls her time in the store with great fondness, and she can measure her life’s prog­ress through those happy mem­ories. As a little girl she played jacks on the floor while her father crafted jewelry and waited on customers, and her mother han­dled the books, sold merchandise, and helped with day-to-day business operations. Soon she matured from play­ing to helping, then to a more regular job, continuing through her college years at the University of Pittsburgh. She remembers earning her father’s hard-won approval to wait on customers as an exciting milestone in her life. Even as an adult, she would help out after her day job or on weekends during the busiest times.

Lee earned a BS in psychology and a master’s degree in education, then worked in the mental health field as a rehabilitation counselor. Now retired from that career, she is involved in a variety of interests and activities. Lee is an avid traveler, gardener, and muscle car enthusiast. She is also a member of the Holocaust Center's Generations Speakers Bureau.