Rosenstrasse Civil Courage Foundation Will Present Staged Reading of MELA

The Rosenstrasse Civil Courage Foundation will present a staged reading of MELA, a one-character play by Michael Halperin, inspired by the true story of Amelia “Mela” Roslan, a Polish woman who rescued Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust. The reading will take place on Sunday, February 8 at 2:00 p.m. in the Globe Auditorium at Florida State University.

MELA centers on an ordinary woman who undertook extraordinary risks during World War II. Alongside her husband, Alex, Mela sheltered three Jewish children—Jacob, Shalom, and David Gutgeld—while navigating the dangers posed by collaborators, the Gestapo, and the SS. The play examines the moral resolve required to sustain acts of resistance and the enduring legacy of civil courage in the face of systemic violence.

The staged reading will be performed by Sarah Reid Vinyard, whose work frequently intersects with Holocaust education and historical storytelling. The event will also include brief remarks on the mission of the Rosenstrasse Civil Courage Foundation and the historical context surrounding the play.

Halperin is an award-winning author, playwright, and television writer whose work has consistently explored themes of moral courage, survival, and human resilience. MELA previously received a command performance at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and has since been presented in theatres throughout Los Angeles. Halperin is also the author of the forthcoming book Out of the Storm: Holocaust to Hope, which traces stories of rescue, endurance, and postwar rebuilding across generations.