PHOENIX — Two Holocaust survivors in Arizona got their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Rise Stillman and Frieda Allweiss are among 40 survivors in the Valley that have been vaccinated, thanks in part to the president of the Phoenix Holocaust Association, Sheryl Bronkesh.
“They are among the last remaining witnesses to the horrors of the Holocaust,” Bronkesh said in a press conference.
Bronkesh, a daughter of Holocaust survivors, said it was a priority to get all survivors in the Valley registered for vaccinations.
“I was desperate to not lose a survivor to COVID.”
She reached out to state leaders and the Arizona Department of Health Services. Together, they were able to register nearly 40 survivors and their caregivers for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Cara Christ, who administered the final doses for both Stillman and Allweiss at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, considers every Arizonan important when it comes to administering the vaccine.
“…but we also know that these individuals are survivors of a very tragic situation,” she stated.
Stillman was happy to get the second shot and now feels safe. Allweiss believes it’s important to get the vaccine.
Bronkesh is thankful that the final survivors have been taken care of, so they can continue educating the youth about the atrocities they faced.
“We feel that every student in the state of Arizona needs to learn the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides,” she said.
