September 26th Fellowship Meeting

 

This last meeting we had the wonderful privilege of playing audience to a truly powerful and moving speaker author Ivan Backer. Born in Czechoslovakia, Ivan spent his life working to benefit the poor, the disenfranchised, people whose voices were not heard. He is a Hartford activist and holocaust escapee who wrote a memoir "My Train To Freedom: A Jewish Boy's Journey from Nazi Europe to a Life of Activism" that is inspirational! He has worked to improve relations between Trinity University and the surrounding community for many years. He joined the Blue Hills Civic Association in the early 1970's during a time of white flight. He helped with the launch of the Hartford News community paper. He worked with other civic organizations to elevate blighted areas and improve educational opportunities for women and disadvantaged youths. In 2011 and 2012, Backer joined other protesters in the Occupy Hartford movement. He has worked as a priest and served as the president and executive director of the Southside Institutions neighborhood Alliance. And, he continues his advocacy work on behalf of many nonprofits and sits on the board of Cinestudio at Trinity.