Baldwin Marks Holocaust Remembrance With Guest Speaker

On April 12, Baldwin’s Middle and Upper School students heard from Cara Wilson-Granat in a special assembly to remember the Holocaust. Maren Cohen '24 and Ashley Brodsky '23, student leaders of the Jewish Cultural Alliance, introduced Ms. Wilson-Granat, who is a professional author and inspirational speaker. Ms. Wilson-Granat chronicles her extraordinary 20-year friendship with Otto Frank, father of Anne Frank (The Diary of Anne Frank) in her book Tree of Hope — Anne Frank’s Father Shares his Wisdom with an American Teen and the World.

Ms. Wilson-Granat discussed the story of the Frank family and reflected on her conversations with Otto through letters sent to each other during her teenage years in the turbulent and oftentimes violent 1960s and 1970s. Otto became her mentor and wise “grandfather,” as he was for many others worldwide. Her correspondence with Otto culminated in a memorable meeting shortly before his death, the impact of which continues to influence her life even today.

In her inspirational memoir, Tree of Hope, Ms. Wilson-Granat invites readers into her personal and loving friendship with Otto. Her book is a personal reflection on the man and how he influenced, mentored, guided and gave hope to young people of all races, religions and cultures, the entire world over. Her talk was an uplifting perspective on what is really important in our lives.