Holocaust message to be about kindness, compassion

Brad Wilkening presents at Mulberry Center Church

The stories of the Holocaust are not easy stories to hear, but Brad Wilkening will be bringing a message about what he has learned to Webster City Saturday at the Mulberry Center Church.

His program begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at the church which is located in the Wilson Brewer Park complex located at 220 Ohio St.

"From the humanity side of it, the purpose of my program is not to teach about the Holocaust, but to bring it to life," said Wilkening. "My goal is to bring the story and the random acts of kindness into the world, so we never have this happen again."

Wilkening, a retired teacher, started delving into the stories of the Holocaust because of a need for continuing education credit.

"I'm a retired history teacher. In 2010 I needed to renew my license, and I went out to the Illinois Holocaust Museum for a class," he said, "And they hooked me."

After that first experience, he developed a high school Holocaust course, then continued his study at Columbia University in New York and with the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous in New Jersey.

When he stepped into the world of the Holocaust, he didn't expect to get so immersed.

"There were about 30 people chosen to study the Holocaust with scholars from all over the world," he said. "There were survivors, rescuers, writers and producers who were interested in this topic; those who were doing movies on the Holocaust in addition to historians from all over."

He intends for the program to help society.

"The program starts out with a design to look at ourselves and determine how can we create a better influence in the world," said Wilkening. "The middle of the program is about survivors, who I have met personally, and I tell their stories. I also have a short video of a person who was rescued with the person who rescued them. It's an amazing story."

The subject, he admits, takes something out of him to present.

"I've been doing the program for the past ten years. I get (emotionally) involved each time I do it, but I'm thankful for the opportunity to do this, to light a small candle for the world we are in."

Wilkening retired from full-time teaching in 2015. His first teaching job was in Albia and he taught in Eagle Grove for a while. He moved to Ankeny in 2014, retiring in 2019. He has been married for 55 years, has four children, and 12 grandchildren.

A member of the Iowa Holocaust Council, that he joined when he moved to Ankeny, he presented this program about 105 programs times in 2025..

"I'm out there on my own, trying to spread some kindness," he said "By the end, it is meant to be uplifting, to make us create the world that we want to live in."

The program at the church is free, but donations are encouraged to offset expenses for the church and the program. The program will begin at 1 p.m. and should last an hour.