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In loving memory,
Frieda Menco was a Holocaust survivor who insisted that we remember the past to be vigilant in the present. The horrors of her deportation and many years in Auschwitz never left her body or her mind. She grieved for her Jewish community that suffered and lost so much. She participated strongly in its revival and resilience after the war years ever mindful of its stark past. She was a journalist, public speaker, art collector and human rights activist. She was outspoken and strong.
Year after year, the Fellows in the Dutch Fellowship went to her apartment, filled with beautiful paintings, sculptures, crafts and books, to converse with her about the war years and the challenges of present times. The dialogue was infused with past and present, pain and hope. And through those introductions, she became friends with so many Fellows.
Frieda played a crucial role in the foundation and development of Humanity in Action The Netherlands. She is dearly missed by the Humanity in Action community.
The 2019 Amsterdam Fellowship is dedicated to the bravery & memory of Frieda.