Thanks for joining me in the first of a two-part mini series exploring the legacy of Jacob Zylberstein and Sara Szor Zylberstein, who survived the horrors of the Holocaust while the majority of their families devastatingly did not. To help us bear witness to their lives and to share in the continuation of their stories unbroken, I am joined in conversation with their daughter, Deborah Zylberstein Reed, who has had an amazing life in her own right. I will also be speaking to her son, John, in the next release of the podcast. 
In Part 1 of the podcast, Deb reflects on her formative years and how her early identity was shaped by two worlds - that of Melbourne’s idyllic South Eastern Suburbs with a loving family contrasted by revelations of her parents' history that merged through Deb's early life. 
In Part 2, Deb shares her Fathers story of survival during the Shoah. Jacob’s story is one of incredible resilience and twists and turns that are equally horrific and heartbreaking but also highlight the limitlessness of the human spirit.
Part 3 of the podcast details Deb’s mother Sara’s story of life before, during and after te Holocaust. Sara’s story is equally incredible with not only her survival to 1945 but the way she lived her life to its fullest for her entire life.
In Part 4, Deb discusses her adult life and how the choices she made and continues to make lead to a difficult balancing act between bearing the responsibility and weight of her family history while also forging a new and independent path.
Deb currently works as Head of Student Services at Bialik College and is the Chair of the Special Education Network of Jewish Schools in Melbourne. She is the proud and dedicated mother of John and Sara who are forging wonderful careers in performing arts spaces in Australia and abroad. This love of the arts and performing surely stemmed from Deb’s work as a drama teacher and community theatre director. Deb has a rich and varied life that spans continents.
Episode Timestamps
Introduction – 0:00 - 2:56
Part 1 – 2:57 - 26:54
Part 2 – 26:55 - 54:57
Part 3 – 54:58 - 72:29
Part 4 – 72:30 - 96:12
Outro – 96:13 - 98:07
 
Special thanks to:
Bialik College - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/
Bialik College Parents Association - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/community/parents-association
Bialik College Foundation - https://foundation.bialik.vic.edu.au/
Yad Vashem - https://www.yadvashem.org/
Gandel Foundation - https://gandelfoundation.org.au/
Adam Starr - https://www.starrmusic.com.au/
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Podcast by Matthew Sortino
Music by Adam Starr

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