The evening will focus on two works of art reflecting crucial aspects of Czech history.

We will screen a 25-minute documentary film produced for Czech Television by Martin Reiner, first aired in 2025. The film explores how, in the final decades before 1918, the Habsburg rulers permitted people of Jewish heritage to enter mainstream society and avoid discrimination if they converted to Christianity.

The story follows one family who chose this path. Having gained greater civil and commercial acceptance, the Hayeks became fully involved in the life of Brno, contributing to enterprises such as the Starobrno Brewery. Yet two generations later, despite being a second-generation Catholic, Winifred Hayek Czerny was subjected to Nazi persecution and was placed on one of the last transports to the Terezin concentration camp.

Winifred survived the war and, together with her husband Egon Czerny, had two sons before emigrating to Canada in 1948. One of them, Michael Czerny, is interviewed in the film, titled “Cardinal Michael Czerny. A Priest with Jewish Roots.” Throughout his life and ministry, his work has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to human rights and human dignity.

The other son, Robert Czerny, who lives in Ottawa, will help present the film and take part in the discussion that will follow.

Robert’s daughter-in-law is the mosaic artist Pippa Beck. Several years ago, during a visit to Terezin, she collected small pieces of rubble from outside the hospital where Winifred had served as a nurse. Some of these fragments are incorporated into her striking artwork “Two Lives, One Love,” which she will present and discuss during the evening.

Through this work, she seeks to portray the enduring love between Winifred and Egon—a love that helped both of them to survive the war. And in a beautiful continuation of that story, she is now married to their grandson, Peter.

We would be honored by your presence at this thoughtful and historically significant evening.

Please confirm your participation here