Welcome: The Birke Story

Dear Friends:

Thank you so much for visiting this special site dedicated to a truly remarkable story: that of my parents, Nathan and Sally Birke, and the community they created in their adopted home of Lowell, Massachusetts. It is in their honor that I helped produce the hour-long documentary film “Browsing Through Birke’s,” which highlights the journey my parents made as Holocaust survivors in Poland to entrepreneurs and business-owners in the United States. This site was not just created to honor their spirit, but to continue telling their story through the eyes and voices of all of those who met or befriended them.

As you learn more about their journey and the circumstances that brought them to America, I hope you will keep in mind your own stories of family, friendship, and success. I hope you will use this website to stay connected to us and to share your own memories and thoughts of the Birke family, including our beloved Birke’s Department Store. Feel free to leave your comments on this page anytime or contact me personally at szifra@birkeconsulting.com.

Thank you for visiting, and please stay in touch!

Sincerely,

Szifra Birke

Be sure to read our most recent coverage (December 3, 2010) in the Lowell Sun:
“Behind Lowell store, a story of survival“

Visit the Birke’s Department Store Photo Gallery with amazing photos by Kevin Harkins