Book Talk with Charlie Scheidt and Kat Rohrer: "Inheritance: Love, Loss, and the Legacy of the Holocaust"
Charlie Scheidt was born in New York City to parents who had escaped Nazi-occupied Europe. Growing up in a close-knit, German-Jewish refugee community, Charlie witnessed firsthand the traumatic effects of persecution and exile. Following his father’s untimely death, Charlie stepped in to lead Roland Foods, the business his parents had founded, honoring their legacy and growing it into the leading imported specialty food company. After nearly five decades as CEO, Charlie retired and turned his focus to supporting universities and NGOs that advocate for refugee rights. He and his wife split their time between New York City and Upstate New York, spending as much time as they can with their children and grandchildren.
After his mother’s death, Charlie Scheidt discovered a trove of historic documents that set him on a decade-long journey to uncover his family’s hidden past during the Holocaust. Joined by Kat Rohrer, the granddaughter of a Nazi officer, Scheidt embarked on a quest to trace his family’s harrowing efforts to escape from Nazi-occupied Europe. As they investigated, they uncovered stories of survival and loss. Their journey takes them across generations and continents, revealing a legacy of love, loss, and resilience. Grappling with questions about the long-lasting effects of inherited trauma, the book asks whether it is possible to break free of a familial cycle. Inheritance: Love, Loss, and the Legacy of the Holocaust, rooted in his family’s escape and the lasting trauma that followed, is a powerful reflection on history’s enduring scars, the importance of remembrance, and healing across generations.
Over the last 15 years Kat Rohrer has produced and directed both narrative films and documentaries, as well as a wide variety of industrial films and commercials. She lives and works in New York and Vienna.
Sponsored by the Genocide Studies Program, Yale Program in Antisemitism, Fortunoff Archive, and CT Voices of Hope