Author Will Discuss Holocaust Memoir in Tucson
Evelyn Damashek Varady will share her parents' story of survival on October 18, 2026, at the Tucson Jewish Museum.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Judaism
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Author Evelyn Damashek Varady is set to discuss her new book, Two Cars and a Wagon, on October 18, 2026, at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center. The memoir details the harrowing survival of her parents, Hela and Janek Damashek, who lived under aliases in Warsaw during the Holocaust.
Why it matters
Varady wrote the book to reclaim the history of her parents, who both passed away when she was young. By documenting their experiences using letters, photos, and official Nazi questionnaires, she preserves the memory of how they navigated the dangers of the era.
Evelyn Damashek Varady was nine years old when her mother died and twenty-two when her father died, leaving significant gaps in her family history. The memoir covers the period surrounding April 1943, when her parents obtained false identity papers.
The players
Evelyn Damashek Varady
She is the author of the memoir and a dedicated docent at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center.
Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center
This institution serves as the site for the upcoming book discussion and a center for historical education.
Hela and Janek Damashek
They were the parents of the author who survived the Holocaust by living under aliases in Poland.
The details
Varady utilized archival documents, including a Nazi questionnaire from Stryi, Ukraine, to piece together her father Janek's time as a medical professional. The book also recounts his arrest in Warsaw in October 1944 and the broader efforts the couple made to stay hidden as they fled Krakow.
Timeline
1984: Varady participated in a Yom HaShoah commemoration in Tucson.
2010: Varady received a suitcase containing her father's papers.
October 18, 2026: Varady will discuss her book at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center.
Culture Shift
This memoir is part of a broader societal trend where descendants of Holocaust survivors work to document family history before primary sources are lost. It follows a pattern set by the Second Generation Holocaust memory preservation movement to turn private archives into public records.
Residents can attend the upcoming discussion at the museum to gain insight into the methods used to research ancestral history. The event offers an opportunity for the community to engage with personal testimonies of the Holocaust through the lens of recent biographical work.
The takeaway
Varady's work underscores the importance of digitizing and archiving family papers to reconstruct history after the loss of elder generations. Readers interested in their own heritage are encouraged to seek out preserved letters or documents as a foundation for historical research.
What happens next
Evelyn Damashek Varady will discuss her book at the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center on October 18, 2026.
Further reading
Learn more about local events and historical research at the Tucson Judaism section.
More information
To reserve your place for the presentation, register here.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Arizona Jewish Post.
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