The Documentary

She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots

A Women of the Shoah Film

What would you do to save your children? How would you act in the face of defeat? How would you make sure the stories of bravery are passed down to the next generation? Our story shows one woman’s determination to sculpt the first Holocaust Memorial Monument in North Carolina commemorating the women and children of the Holocaust. The film She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots show her motivation, her drive, and the people that helped her dream become a reality. The film puts faces, names, and stories to what the monument represents. Survivors of the Holocaust do not live far away. They live in Greensboro, NC where the monument stands. They work with us. They are our neighbors. The film gives three of them an opportunity to tell their stories. One is the story of a boy who survived multiple concentration camps and the other is of two cousins hidden during the war by their brave and courageous mothers. The monument is named in honor of the cousins’ mothers.

Join us as we start a movement to educate the next generation of the dangers when people are marked as “other.”

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The Story of a Monument
The Story of Survival

The Inspiration

In Liepāja, Latvia, on December 15, 1941, thousands of Jewish women and children were taken to the women’s prison where they were forced to strip to their underclothes and shot dead in groups of 10. Many victims were photographed in their final moments by a Nazi photographer. One such photograph serves as the inspiration for the Monument, “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots.”

The Monument

North Carolina’s first and only women’s Holocaust monument, an original sculpture by artist Victoria Milstein, honors the strength and resilience of all women. The Monument is a community placemaking experience in Greensboro, N.C. for the public not only to remember the Holocaust but to have a place for impactful Holocaust education. Honoring those who perished, the Monument conveys a powerful statement against the murder of women and children, antisemitism, genocide and all hate.

The Filmmakers

Jenny Kaiser, Producer

Jenny is an established television and documentary film producer out of Greensboro, North Carolina. Her career is focused on telling the stories of everyday people. Her film credits include For Our Children, Forgotten Towns: Grundy, and GreenHill: Gates & Windows. Her television credits include News 2 at 5 and Truth for a New Generation.

Wilky Black, Director

Wilky is an experienced Director, Director of Photography with more than 20 years of television broadcast experience. He has earned numerous Emmy Awards and Telly Awards for his work. His credits include X Games, collegiate sports, nation and local commercials, and broadcast news.

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Upcoming Screenings