Rose Rosenkranz & Only Miracles

Rose Rosenkranz's School Visits to Kehoe-France and Metairie Park Country Day - January 2025

Kehoe-France and Metairie Park Country Day School Visits - April 2024

The Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience hosted a series of significant events in which Holocaust survivor Rose Rosenkranz, the subject of the play “Only Miracles,” visited schools in the New Orleans area. During her heartfelt presentations, she shared her harrowing experiences during the Holocaust and the challenges she faced as a young immigrant moving to the United States. Rose’s powerful story resonated deeply with students, fostering important discussions about resilience, hope, and the critical lessons of history. Her visit not only educated the youth about the Holocaust but also inspired them to appreciate the values of compassion and understanding in today’s world.

Only Miracles

Only Miracles is a 90-minute interactive, theatrical, and educational experience written and directed by Dodd Loomis as his final MFA thesis showing. It is sectioned out into three parts, to offer a truly dynamic and unique observation of the historical lived experiences of its subjects.

The first section is a 45-minute immersive theatrical event rooted in the principles of documentary theater.
The dominant source material for this section is a pair of interviews—of Holocaust survivors Ed and Helen Lefkowitz—conducted by the Shoah Visual History Foundation on March 23, 1995.
Transcriptions of these interviews, coupled with other historic documentation, serve as the backbone of the text for the project.

The second section is a 10-minute, multimedia museum experience.
The source material for this section derives from the same 1995 interviews, as well as historic audio and video content including maps, ground plans, calendars, ticket stubs, and photographs chronicling the Lefkowitz’s arduous 7,000-mile journey of survival.

The third section is an optional, reflective space for guests to commune with other participants and digest the experience.

This innovative show is produced by the Tulane University School of Liberal Arts’ Department of Theatre and Dance, the Stuart and Suzanne Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience, and Touro Synagogue.

 

About the Artists

Dodd Loomis is a playwright, director, and producer whose work has toured over 35 countries, across 5 continents. Two of his previous plays were also rooted in the principles of Documentary Theatre and toured the globe for over 7 years. Loomis is currently the production manager for TUTD and a professor in the Department of Digital Media Practices. Only Miracles is the final showing for his MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies of the Performing Arts. Dodd is a proud member of Touro Synagogue.
Only Miracles features performances by Carl Briggs, Ally Heller, Audrey Jarnagin, Valeria Lievano, Caroline Sloter, and Zachary Sturza. Sound design and composition by Dylan Hunter, whose recent credits include Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play with TUTD and Roleplay with Goat in the Road Productions. The lighting design is by Emmy Award winner Rachel Levy. Projections are by James Lanius, whose recent credits include Haint Blu with Urban Bush Women and The Great Leap with OKC Rep. Live music is performed by violist Sam Baron and pianist Adam Matasar.

Rose Rosenkranz, Dodd Loomis, Anne Levy. For more information about Anne Levy please click here.

Only Miracles Production

Only Miracles – Helen Lefkowitz Script

This is the audio file for the Helen Script for ONLY MIRACLES. This script was written by Dodd Loomis. The play was directed and produced by Dodd Loomis....

Only Miracles – Ed Lefkowitz Script

This is the audio file for the Ed Script for ONLY MIRACLES. This script was written by Dodd Loomis. The play was directed and produced by Dodd Loomis....

Only Miracles Interview with Anne Levy

In this powerful and moving video, Holocaust survivor and activist Anne Levy reflects on her experience with "Only Miracles" and shares her thoughts on the importance of learning lessons from...

Only Miracles Interview with Jennifer Putnam

Research historian Jennifer Putnam from the National WWII Museum shares her perspective on "Only Miracles." In this video, Jennifer delves into the vast scale of World War II and...

Only Miracles Interview with Bryan Batt

Actor, Bryan Batt shares his personal reflections on experiencing "Only Miracles." Bryan discusses the importance of using theater as an educational tool to convey powerful messages and evoke emotional responses. ...

Only Miracles Interview with Annelise Singh

Associate Provost for Diversity & Faculty Development and Chief Diversity Officer at Tulane University share their insights on "Only Miracles." They delve into the importance of empathy and understanding...

Only Miracles Interview with Rose Rosenkranz and Anne Levy

Holocaust survivor and educator Rose Rosenkranz and Holocaust survivor and activist Anne Levy share their heartfelt reflections on the impactful experience of "Only Miracles." In this moving video, Rose and...

Only Miracles Interview with Alix Loomis

Alix Loomis, the granddaughter of Ed and Helen Leftkowitz, shares her  reflections after experiencing "Only Miracles." In this touching video, Alix speaks about the importance of Holocaust education and the...

WDSU Rose Rosenkranz Media Story

"Rosie Rosenkranz was born in a Siberian labor camp. NEW ORLEANS — A Holocaust survivor will share her story during a talk on Tulane University's campus on Wednesday. Rosie Rosenkranz is described...

A Conversation with Rose (Raisa) Lefkowitz Rosenkranz

Listen to Rose Rosenkranz, a Holocaust survivor and “miracle baby” born in a Siberian Slave Labor Camp in the heart of the war, in conversation with Golan Moskowitz, as she shares her story of resilience and hope. The Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience at Tulane University will present an evening of powerful narratives and personal reflections of life in the United States after the Holocaust.
Ms. Rosenkranz’s remarkable story will not only educate but serve as the inspiration for the immersive theatre production titled Only Miracles, Written and Directed by Tulane Visiting Assistant Professor, Dodd Loomis. This captivating production, that took place in mid-April at the historic Touro Synagogue, brought to life the experiences of Ms. Rosenkranz, her parents and others who lived through this dark chapter in history.

Participating Scholars

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