Kare11
Holocaust survivor presented diploma at age of 88, dies
Wayzata High School presented Esther Begam with an honorary diploma after learning the Nazi’s deprived her of a high school education.
PLYMOUTH, Minn. — EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally aired in May of 2017. Esther Begam’s granddaughter, Stacy Segal, says Begam continued to treasure her honorary high school diploma. It was hanging on the wall of her apartment when Begam passed away at age 96 on Aug.21. Teacher Candice Ledman continued her friendship with Begam. In 2018, Ledman received the Leo Weiss Courage to Teach award from the Jewish Community Relations Council. Ledman is now an administrator at Maple Grove Middle School. In an unexpected twist, this fall Ledman started working with Begam’s great granddaughter, Emily, a first-year teacher.
Esther Begam slowly raises her hand to touch the blue graduation cap resting proudly on her head.
“It feels good,” she says, surrounded by her doting great-grandchildren.
More than seven decades after the Nazis robbed her of the privilege, Begam walked into an auditorium this week to receive her high school diploma.
Begam was 11 years old in 1942 when Germany invaded her native Poland. School became a memory, as she was made to work, first in a Jewish ghetto and then in a forced labor camp.
“I had very educated families,” says Begam. “My father knew seven, eight languages.” Begam would most certainly have followed in her family’s footsteps, but fate and the Nazis had other plans.
Begam’s father, a rabbi, had already left to serve as a chaplain with the doomed Polish army and was never seen again. Her mother and younger brother were killed at the Auschwitz concentration camp, while Begam’s older sister – also forced into labor – did not survive her ordeal either.
At war’s end Begam found herself alone in the world. Grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins – “They were all gone,” Begam says.
At 17 she married Israel, another Holocaust survivor, moved to Minnesota, worked and raised her family.
Then, seven years ago, Begam was invited to share her story in teacher Candice Ledman’s class at Wayzata High School.
A student asked Begam to name her biggest regret.
Ledman was struck by Begam’s answer. “I expected her to say I wish we would have run, I wish we would have hidden, I wish we would have saved pictures – and she said the one thing I regret is not getting my high school diploma.”
Begam’s granddaughter, Stacy Segal, a secretary at the school, sat in on the class that day. “It made me sad, just another thing she had to deal with that’s so hard to even imagine.”
Ledman approached school administration about the possibility of an honorary degree, but says she was initially told “It’s not something Wayzata does.”
But the notion remained in the back of her mind. “It definitely sat with me. It’s one of those things, you want to do something for her,” Ledman said.
The opportunity presented itself again when Scott Gengler took over as school principal. “I wasn’t four sentences into explaining Esther’s full story and he said, ‘Absolutely, let’s do it. We need to do this.’”
By the time Esther arrived at Wayzata High School this week Ledman’s class had decorated a small auditorium, a cake had been baked, a diploma ordered and a cap and gown laid out with her name on it.
“It’s 71 years overdue,” said Gengler.
Most of Begam’s family was present, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – each greeting her with a hug and a kiss.
Begam was treated to a standing ovation and presented with her diploma by the chairman of the school board. The 88-year-old grabbed the graduation cap that had been perched on her head and tossed it skyward.
Beaming, Begam thanked Ledman and the others responsible for making her dream come true.
In his speech, Begam’s grandson Lenny Segal implored the students attending to share his grandmother’s story, “so we can make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Several people wiped away tears during a video interview conducted with Begam a few days before her graduation. Asked by Ledman what the diploma would mean to her, Begam responded, “It’s going to feel good, that I finally made something out of me.”
Imagine, Esther Begam thinking she hadn’t already made from the horrible hand she’d been dealt something beautiful of herself.
PHOTOS: Land of 10,000 Stories: Holocaust survivor
Boyd Huppert is always looking for great stories to share in the Land of 10,000 Stories! Send us your suggestions by filling out this form.
Gary Peterson and his friends are collecting donations to help people in their community.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A St. Louis Park pumpkin display is raising money for their local food shelf.
Gary Peterson started carving and painting three pumpkins over a decade ago. It’s now grown to over 100.
“I’ve heard people say they’ve come from Hutchinson,” he said.
Peterson along with two of his neighbors have spent the last 14 years growing their display, turning it into a neighborhood event.
“It’s been incredible, I just can’t believe how much this has expanded,” he said. “We did it just because we like to and then people were asking to give us money to cover the cost.”
The trio refused to take people’s money, but then one of them had an idea.
“My neighbor, Steve Leensvaart, just mentioned how about we just do it for the STEP program and the STEP program is our local food shelf in St. Louis Park,” he said.
So, they started to collect donations to help families in need. They’ve raised hundreds of dollars and donated hundreds of pounds of food over the last few years, carving for a cause.
“It is more gratifying every year,” Peterson said.
He estimated they have over 100 unique pumpkins in their yard. They’ve created the displays and come up with new family-friendly concepts for people to enjoy. Peterson said about 30 of their neighbors carved their own pumpkins to be put on display, and it’s been a big hit.
“It’s great. In the last couple of years, it’s turned into more of a neighborhood event,” said Sarah Durch.
“We love this Halloween display, we come every year to see it. We love that the whole community gets involved to craft and carve the pumpkins,” said Jami Gordon-Smith.
“The shading and the details are unbelievable,” said Elizabeth Hanson.
Hanson hopes to take her 2-year-old son trick or treating for the first time but is worried the cold temperatures might keep them indoors.
“We’re going trick or treating hopefully,” she said. “He’s going to be a firefighter, but we’re probably going to have sweatshirts maybe like two pairs of sweatpants underneath. We’re going to be bundled up.”
Gordon-Smith said her family will be out Halloween night no matter the weather.
“Halloween only comes once a year, so you really have to take advantage and enjoy the evening no matter what the weather brings,” she said. “Guess it’s not totally unheard of in Minnesota to have a cold Halloween, but we are going to try and modify and do a lot of layers underneath our costumes and then we might add some hats and maybe some warmer socks.”
Durch also isn’t surprised they’re in for another chilly night.
“Well, what would Halloween be without Minnesota cold? I feel like every time you plan a costume you have to plan for how you can make this work if it’s snowing,” she said.
Peterson said they will have a bonfire and some hot chocolate and cider on Halloween to keep trick-or-treaters warm while they look at their pumpkins.
Click here to learn where you can see the pumpkins and how you can donate.
Jeremy Jourdain was 17 when he was last seen on Halloween 2016.
BEMIDJI, Minn. — The search for Jeremy Jourdain, who was last seen on Halloween in 2016, continues now eight years later.
Jourdain was last seen at a family member’s house in Bemidji, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs. He left the residence near the 500 block of Wood Avenue after midnight and while people followed him, no one was able to find him.
Jourdain was 17 at the time.
Officials said he was wearing a blue and grey sweatshirt, and blue jeans when last seen. He is Native American and is described as 6 foot 5 and 175 pounds.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, you can contact the Bemidji Police Department at (218) 333-9111. Tips can also be sent to 1-833-560-2065, or you can email ojs_mmu@bia.gov.
The organizations say many Asian Americans are planning to vote despite lack of candidate outreach.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Most people have been contacted in some way shape or form by a campaign in the last few weeks. And if the polls are right and the race for president is a dead heat, every vote will matter.
That’s why this is a head scratcher:
According to a September 2024 voter survey by Asian American Pacific Islander Data, 27% of Asian-American voters said they hadn’t been contacted by either political party trying to get their vote. Last spring, earlier in the voting season, it was even more – 42%.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial or ethnic group nationwide.
Their voter participation levels are growing too, with 60% of eligible Asian-American voters turning out in 2020. And AAPI Data reports as many as 90% of Asian Americans they surveyed said they plan to vote this cycle.
“Candidates are not reaching out to Asian Americans, which is a huge mistake,” said ThaoMee Xiong, executive and networking director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders.
She says even though there are more than 200,000 eligible Asian voters in Minnesota, the Asian vote is under-appreciated.
“Neither the Democratic or Republican parties have been reaching out in huge numbers,” Xiong said. “They’re sending general mailers to everyone but … they need it in their native language.”
That’s why CAAL is partnering with two more organizations to keep voter turnout high and reach anyone candidates or advocates missed.
Xor Xiong is from Asian American Organizing Project, which focuses on engaging metro-area teens and young adults.
“Many of our communities are still facing barriers to go to vote,” he said. “There’s been more times than I like to admit in terms of when I was having a conversation over the phones of voters being surprised that they can take time off to go and vote, or they can bring the kids to the polling locations, or they can even bring someone to translate for them.”
“In Ramsey County, because of the large Hmong American population there, the polls in Ramsey County are federally required to provide interpreters and translated materials,” ThaoMee added.
Their nonpartisan campaign, Get Out the Vote for Asian Minnesotans, aims to get people registered and well-informed.
“Throughout Covid, there was a lot of anti-hate around the AAPI community and we are still feeling the impact of that to this day,” said Amanda Xiong, a community organizer with a group known as CAPI USA. “Even if folks are afraid to go to the polls, due to that, we try our best to then educate them around absentee ballots, voting early.”
“And so yes, there is a huge increase in terms of voter turnout, but then why is it still 70% feel as though they don’t belong?”
In 2021, the FBI reported a 168% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes.
In Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, the groups knocked on at least 700 doors in one session alone while keeping safety top of mind.
“We make sure that there’s a car following all the door knockers,” ThaoMee said. “We put everyone on text chain … and we are putting a lot of precautionary measures in place for the day of voting.”
After the election, the CAAL plans to conduct surveys and send the results to county election officials. They’ve done this before and say it led to policy changes this year at the legislature including measures to ensure people have easier access to interpreters.
