Virtual Panel - Picking up the Pieces: Milwaukee Holocaust Survivors and the Scrap Industry

The scrap industry provided a professional entry for many Holocaust survivors who came to Wisconsin. Scrap was accessible because you needed no real investment to start these businesses. Starting with just a truck and “junk,” some scrap businesses became massive players in the local and national industry. Rachel Baum, Deputy Director of the Sam & Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will facilitate a discussion between Arnie Peltz, of The Peltz Group, and Josef Erlich, of Waukesha Iron & Metal. Both Arnie and Josef will share the stories of their family members, Holocaust survivors who came to the United States with nothing, how they developed their businesses locally, and how family involvement developed in the industry. Sponsored by Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center. Funded in part by a grant from Wisconsin Humanities, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State of Wisconsin. "Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities."