(BRANCHBURG, NJ) -- The Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Raritan Valley Community College will offer two virtual programs in February, both focusing on the topic of children's survival and resilience during wartime. The programs include Nadja Halilbegovich talking about her experience growin up in Bosnia and Elly Fishman on her book, Refugee High: Coming of Age in America.

Friday, February 10 from 10:00am-11:00am: Nadja Halilbegovich will discuss her compelling journey through the Bosnian genocide and its tragic parallels to Ukraine. Halilbegovich was 12 years old when war broke out in Bosnia, her native country. Throughout the next three-and-a-half years, she and all the citizens of the capital Sarajevo suffered from continuous shelling and the deprivation of basic needs. During the war, Halilbegovich began sharing her poetry and diary entries on National Radio. The diary was published in Bosnia when she was 14. Halilbegovich became known as the “Bosnian Anne Frank” and has spoken widely about her experiences. Those interested in registering for the virtual program, click here.

Friday, February 17 from 10:00am-11:00am: Elly Fishman will discuss her remarkable book, Refugee High: Coming of Age in America. The book focuses on Chicago’s Roger C. Sullivan High School, which has been home to immigrant and refugee students for a century. In 2017 these young students came from 35 different countries, speaking more than 38 different languages. For these refugee teens, life in Chicago is hardly easy. They have experienced the world at its worst and carry the trauma of the horrific violence they fled. In America, they face poverty, racism, and xenophobia, but they are still teenagers—flirting, dreaming, and working as they navigate their new life in America. To register for the book discussion, email [email protected]

The events are free of charge and open to the public. Registration is required. The programs are being co-sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon, & Warren Counties.

Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, New Jersey.