WGVU general manager appointed to Holocaust education council

Michael T. Walenta, WGVU Public Media general manager, has been appointed to the Governor’s Council on Genocide and Holocaust Education.

Gov. Rick Snyder appointed 15 members to the council, which was created to enhance genocide education to students and train teachers in providing genocide education.

In 2010, WGVU produced two documentaries, Surviving Auschwitz: Children of the Shoah, and Defying Hitler. Both documentaries were distributed nationally through PBS, shown internationally and received a Michigan Emmy, along with several other national and international awards. 

Surviving Auschwitz features Tova Friedman and Frieda Tenenbaum, who were among the youngest of 7,000 prisoners found alive by a regiment of the Soviet Army. The documentary highlights their trip back to Auschwitz with their children, as they faced the sorrow of their past and sought to heal the wounds felt through two generations.

Defying Hitler tells the story of Joseph Stevens as he traveled with his son to revisit some of the places of his past. Stevens, who was part of the Polish Underground, is considered a hero. 

Walenta, along with WGVU/PBS LearningMedia, has launched several educational assets being used as part of the Michigan Department of Education Genocide Holocaust Education curriculum.

“I’m very honored and humbled to have been appointed by the governor to serve on this council," said Walenta. "Working on the WGVU documentaries, Surviving Auschwitz and Defying Hitler, has always been one of the proudest moments in my entire broadcasting career. It is a story that needs to be shared and understood everywhere. I look forward to bringing what we do in education and media to help make a difference.”

Walenta will serve a two-year term, expiring on August 26, 2018.