thank you. [ applause ] >> i now invite to the stage mark kalish, son of a holocaust surviv survivor,who is here with us this evening to read the story of her rescue by righteous among the nations from the united states of america, lois gunden. [ applause ] >> 1941. lois gunden, a 26-year-old teacher of french from goshen, indiana, volunteered to work for the mennonite central committee in southern france. she established a children's home which became a safe haven for a number of children, including jews whom she helped smuggle out of the nearby int internment camp. there lois pleaded with the parents to give the children to her in order to safe them from deportation and almost certain death. jeanette, my mother, who is with us tonight, is one of -- just one of the several children saved by lois. my mother said, at the time i was 12 years old and certainly scared. but lois gunden was kind and passionately determined to take me and other jewish children to protect us from harm. gunden fearlessly sheltered the children when the french police arrived and she ran the children's home even