Ariel will be sharing the story of her grandmother, Helen Jonas, including her life in Krakow, Poland, entering the concentration camp Płaszów, as featured in Steven Spielberg's film Schindler's List (1993) and documentary Inheritance (2006), and her liberation from the camp.
Helen Jonas met Amon Göth (commander of the camp) when she was forced to be a servant in his home. She also knew Oscar Schindler, a man responsible for saving the lives of over a thousand Jewish people, including her own.
Ariel is the grandchild of two Holocaust survivors. Her grandmother frequently talked about her experiences during the Holocaust, which had a profound impact on her life. Ariel has been inspired by her grandmother's strength, perseverance, and dedication to her later life's work of speaking about her experience for those who could no longer speak.
Ariel is a licensed clinical social worker who has worked in non-profit organizations to serve youth, families, and older adults in a variety of settings. She attributes her desire to serve others as a direct result of her grandmother. She continues to honor her grandmother's life by speaking about the Holocaust to students across New York City.