Senator Boucher Invites Capitol Staff, Public to Screening of Documentary by Local, Award-Winning Director

Hartford – State Senator Toni Boucher today issued an open invitation to legislators, staff, the media, and the public to attend the screening of a Holocaust documentary on May 4, 2018, in the Old Judiciary Room of the State Capitol. Etched in Glass: The Legacy of Steve Ross will be shown at 10:15 a.m., followed by a discussion with the director.

“This film tells such an amazing story of survival, of resilience, and the important role education can play in changing a person’s life. It’s about someone who has seen the worst of humanity, but dedicated his life to educating and helping others,” Sen. Boucher said. “I invited director Roger Lyons to showcase this amazing film as part of our efforts to show the importance of educating students about the Holocaust. We have had too many incidents of racism and anti-Semitism that I believe are a direct result of not educating our young people about the Holocaust and genocides. This film will open your eyes to the way that racism, when allowed to fester and poison people’s minds, can lead to unimaginable atrocities. But you will leave this film with a sense of hope and a belief in the innate goodness that lies within every person.”

Roger Lyons, an award-winning writer/director/producer and veteran of New England television spent more than a decade creating the film that tells Ross’s story. As a child in Poland, Ross spent five years in ten concentration camps where he was starved, tortured, and eventually lead with his fellow prisoners to what would have been their death. At the last minute, they were saved by American soldiers and the experience left such an impression on Ross that he immigrated to the US. Starting as a poor orphan, he would eventually earn three college degrees, mentor and help countless at-risk youth, and play a pivotal role in founding the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston.

“I hope people will take the opportunity to view this inspiring story,” Sen. Boucher said. “Each year there are fewer and fewer Holocaust survivors. We must record and tell their story through films like Etched in Glass to ensure that such brutal, vicious atrocities never happen again.”

Sen. Boucher is Co-Chair of the legislature’s Education Committee. Her Holocaust education bill, SB 452, An Act Concerning The Inclusion Of Holocaust And Genocide Education And Awareness In The Social Studies Curriculum, is on the House of Representatives calendar awaiting a vote. The Senate unanimously approved the bill.

Sen. Boucher represents the communities of Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport, and Wilton.