Larry (Lothar) Orbach (1924-2008) grew up in Berlin and assumed the identity of Gerhard Peters from 1942-44. He spent the last year of the war in Auschwitz and emigrated to New York in 1946. Settling in New Jersey, Larry Orbach set up a jewellery business and, with his wife Ruth Geier - also a refugee from Nazi Berlin - they had two children, Vivien and Richard. True to his word, Larry Orbach's mother, Nelly, lived with him and his family until her death at age 83 in 1969. Larry's final years in his beloved New York were full and surrounded by friends from all walks of life.
VIVIEN ORBACH-SMITH, Larry's daughter, is an adjunct associate professor of jourbanalism at New York University. A native of New
Jersey, she earned her own B.A. and M.A. degrees from NYU and began her career there as a development writer. Today she works as a freelance writer, book-editor and college-essay coach. An eloquent voice of the Second Generation, she has addressed many audiences on inherited trauma and on diversity, democracy and social-justice issues.
She taught classes on the Holocaust to teenagers in synagogue religiousschools for many years.
Vivien lives with her husband in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
They have three grown children and three little grandchildren.