Wednesday, July 9th • Congregation Kol Ami
6:00pm Dinner • 7:00pm Lecture
Having worked with the story of Anne Frank for more than 30 years, both in the UK and internationally, Gillian Walnes Perry offers a unique perspective on Anne’s life and times. This talk has universal appeal, providing insights into a globally known and admired figure.
Over the years, Perry has had the privilege of meeting people who knew Anne Frank personally and shared their memories, as well as numerous Holocaust survivors whose experiences paralleled Anne’s. Her talk traces Anne’s life from her family background in Frankfurt, through their desperate flight to Amsterdam, and highlights Anne’s emerging personality as a popular and irreverent schoolgirl. It covers her desperation in hiding—described firsthand by the family’s courageous helper, Miep Gies—Anne’s physical and emotional transition into adolescence, and the development of her moral framework, which continues to inspire millions around the world.
Perry also speaks about some of the iconic figures who have supported her work, including the late Audrey Hepburn and Nelson Mandela, and recounts attending the 1996 Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood with Miep Gies. She concludes by exploring the surprising and profound impact that learning about Anne Frank has had on young people in some of the world's most turbulent and violent regions.
Please RSVP below by Tuesday, July 8th
Kol Ami Members: $10 per person with dinner, FREE without dinner
Guests: $20 per person with dinner, $10 per person without dinner
Ages 13+ only
Pre-order the "The Legacy of Anne Frank" here to be signed by the author following our program!
About the Author, Gillian Walnes Perry
Gillian Walnes Perry was the co-founder and long-time Executive Director of the Anne Frank Trust UK, the British partner organization of the Anne Frank House. Gillian founded the Trust in 1990, along with family and friends of Mr. Otto Frank. The educational charity grew to have a large staff delivering its programs throughout the UK, and has been recognized at the highest level of government.
Since her retirement as the Trust’s CEO in 2016, Gillian now writes and lectures on a range of social history topics, in the UK, the USA, and other parts of the world. She has spoken at the United Nations in New York, 10 Downing Street, and the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her first book, "The Legacy of Anne Frank" was published in 2018, and she also writes Holocaust teaching resources, and is the Chair of Israel Bonds Women’s Division in the UK.
In 2010, Gillian was awarded an MBE (Membership of the Mostm Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty the late Queen Elizabeth II for her work in education. She has won several other prestigious awards and there is a day named for her in the city of Los Altos, California, in honor of her educational work. She is based in London but visits the US regularly as her son and his family live near Santa Cruz.
RSVP for Dinner and Program
Registration for our dinner is now closed, but you can still join us for the program at 7:00pm
This form is now closed. Please contact Galit Livne, Program & Engagement Coordinator, with any questions.
Sat, July 12 2025
16 Tammuz 5785
