Holocaust Living History Workshop featuring Rafael Pastor

Please join the UC San Diego Library and Jewish Studies for “My Droplet of Fate Reflects the Jewish Ocean”: The Legacy of Béla Pásztor featuring Rafael Pastor at Geisel Library on Wednesday, November 13 from 5-6:30 p.m.

This event is free, open to the public and will be held in the Seuss Room at Geisel Library. There will also be a virtual option for those who prefer to join online:

• In-Person Event Registration: Click the red Register button above.*

• Zoom Webinar Registration: Click here to register to watch the lecture online, do not use the red button.

*Registering to attend the lecture in-person does not automatically register you for the Zoom Webinar to watch it online. If you change your mind and want to watch the lecture online instead of attending in person, you must complete the .

In the early 20th century, Budapest was the second-largest Jewish city in Europe, and Jewish artists and intellectuals played a major role in the city’s cosmopolitan cultural life. Among them was theater and cinema director and producer Béla Pásztor, whose career was marked by early success and later oppression.

In a conversation with history professor Deborah Hertz, Béla’s son Rafael Pastor explores his family’s history before, during, and after the Nazi occupation of Hungary, including his parents’ emigration to Israel, where he was born. Rafael holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a law degree from New York University School of Law. He has served as CEO, president, and in other senior executive roles at some of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies. He currently serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards, including the UC San Diego Foundation Board, the Rady School of Management’s Dean’s Advisory Council, and as chairman of the International Advisory Board of the School of Global Policy and Strategy.

In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the deportations and annihilations of Hungarian Jews in 1944, which Béla survived in hiding, the conversation will be preceded by a brief historical overview and survivor testimonies of this harrowing—and unforgettable—tragedy.

4:30 p.m: Doors open(for in-person attendees only)

5-6:30 p.m: Program

The Holocaust Living History Workshop (HLHW) series is an education and outreach program sponsored by the UC San Diego Library and the Jewish Studies program. It aims to preserve the memories of the victims and survivors of the Holocaust by offering public events involving witnesses, descendants and scholars and through the use of the USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive. Past HLHW workshops are now part of the Library’s digital collections and can be accessed online.

Driving: All visitors to the UC San Diego campus are required to display a valid parking pass. For directions and parking information for this event, click here. The closest parking to Geisel Library is the Hopkins Parking Structure. For information about accessible parking on campus, click here.

Bus: City bus routes Rapid 201 Super Loop, Rapid 202 Super Loop, 30, 41 and 101 all go through UC San Diego. Exit at Gilman & Myers Drive. This stop is approximately 0.3 miles from Geisel Library via Library Walk. Note: the westbound bus stop at Gilman & Myers Drive will be closed for construction until September 2026. See Alerts & Detours.

Trolley: The trolley's Blue Line provides direct, frequent service to UC San Diego. Exit at the UC San Diego Central Campus Station. Geisel Library is approximately 0.3 miles away via Matthews Lane. For more information, visit the UC San Diego PRONTO FAQ or use the MTS Trip Planner.

The UC San Diego Library strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. For general information or to request reasonable accommodations, contact us by Tuesday, October 1 at (858) 534-0533 or [email protected].

We hope that you will join us in upholding and promoting our Principles of Community in all UC San Diego events and keeping our community free from any and all forms of discrimination and harassment.

For more information about this event or help with registration, contact [email protected].

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Geisel Library, UC San Diego, San Diego, United States