SPECIAL Speaker Series: Summons to Berlin - Nazi Theft and A Daughter’s Quest for Justice

“Are you tough enough yet? Do they know who you are?” challenged Joanne Intrator’s father her on his deathbed in 1993.

Born in Berlin, her father fled Germany as a refugee in World War II. Growing up, she knew very little of her family’s history which was kept hidden. Looking through her father’s belongings, she discovered family documents and letters, many dating from the time of the Nazis takeover.

In the course of her research, Intrator discovers that her family owned a building (factory and office complex) in central Berlin, until it was ​“Aryanized” in 1938. In an effort to seek justice that was denied her relatives, she embarked on a grueling journey to demand restitution for the lost property.

Intrator documented her family history and her efforts to gain restitution in a riveting book entitled Summons to Berlin: Nazi Theft and A Daughter’s Quest for Justice, publsihed in 2023.

As part of JCO’s Speaker Series, Intrator will share her experiences and book with us.

About Joanne Intrator

Intrator studied European history at Connecticut College and later earned a medical degree from Columbia University. A renown New York psychiatrist, she has conducted a pioneering study of the psychopathic mind. Her fight for restitution has been covered in news articles, TV interviews, and museum exhibits. She has written for The Journal for The Study of Antisemitism, Ästhetik & Kommunikation (Berlin), Women Writers. Women(‘s) Books, and she writes a blog on psychopathy for Psychology Today magazine.

This event is $ 5 for members,  $7 for non-members  (if bought in advance) or $10 (at the door).