Barbara J. LeFebvre, while having traveled extensively as well as resided abroad (Argentina, Colombia and The Netherlands), proudly traces her roots to Brooklyn. A graduate of Drew University, (C’70), she holds advanced degrees from Yeshiva (MA) & Rutgers (MSW) Universities. A psychotherapist with 25 plus years experience, Barbara maintains a private practice in Bernardsville; splitting her time along with her husband Ray between homes in Mendham Township and Manhattan. She joined the Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study in 1998 after taking a course in “Perspectives on the Holocaust” co-taught by Dr. Ann Saltzman and Prof. Jacqueline Berke. Initially she served as Director of Publicity and subsequently as Chair of the Board of Associates from 1999-2011.
It was late January 1998 when a slim, attractive, seemingly shy woman signed up to audit the Drew course, “Perspectives on the Holocaust.” We had no idea at that time that this woman, Barbara LeFebvre, now co-chair of our Board of Associates, would bring so many talents, skills, and sensibilities to our work at the Center: a genuine concern for people and for making the world a more just place; a sophisticated world view that comes only from living abroad; experience in advertising and public relations; highly developed leadership skills; and a wry sense of humor, accompanied by a talent for making people laugh. We have also since learned that Barbara is anything but shy.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Barbara attended Brooklyn College for two years and then decided to try her luck in the “real world” before continuing her education. For Barbara this included an apartment in Manhattan, a job in advertising and later a position with the top-ten radio station, WMCA (then known as the “good guys” station). While there, she hobnobbed with musical celebrities like Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Lou Rawls, and Gerry Mulligan. In addition, a Playboy scout visited the WMCA offices-on the recommendation of a WMCA staff member-to query Barbara about becoming a “bunny.” Barbara was flattered by his interest but decided that this was not the direction she wanted her life to take. Instead, she began what was to become a life-long involvement with social services: she volunteered to work with young teenage girls at the Educational Alliance Settlement House on the Lower East Side. Eventually settling down, Barbara married Ray LeFebvre in 1968, moved to New Jersey, and resumed work in advertising, this time at the Daily Record. She also returned to school, earning a BA in psychology from Drew University in 1970 and a MA in Special Education from Yeshiva University the following year.
Over the next nine years, Barbara’s husband, Ray, then an executive with Warner-Lambert (now in retirement, a doctoral candidate in archaeology at Rutgers University), was transferred many times, resulting in repeated geographic moves. From 1971 to 1973, they lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where Barbara worked as director of a residential treatment center for emotionally disturbed children, responsible for the care of thirty boys. She also volunteered at a rehabilitation center as a drug counselor. In 1973, Ray was transferred to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nine months pregnant at the time, Barbara found herself in an environment unlike any she had ever experienced before. Juan Peron, former Argentine president and dictator, was hoping at the time to return from his exile in Spain. Intrigue and danger were everywhere: soldiers with machine guns patrolled the streets; foreigners were kidnapped for enormous ransoms; English-speaking residents needed to conceal the fact that they spoke English, and-in a society where high ranking Nazi officers had found refuge-Jews needed to keep a low profile. Thus, when her son was born, a rabbi advised against a bris because that would only call attention to the fact that they were Jewish. Barbara and Ray followed the rabbi’s advice and arranged to have their son circumcised in the hospital. Further, Barbara listed her religion as “agnostic” on his birth certificate.
When the Buenos Aires Chief of Police was assassinated in 1973 during the High Holy Day period, Jews were blamed for the “evil deed.” Word went out to members of the Jewish communities to stay at home, not to go out. In a frightening re-enactment of the Kristallnacht pogrom of 1938, synagogue and Jewish shop windows were smashed; cars belonging to Jews were turned over and destroyed, and general havoc reigned. After eighteen months in Argentina, Barbara and Ray were relieved to learn that Ray had been transferred to Colombia where their second son was born.
While there was less political danger in Colombia, according to Barbara, there was more personal danger which she attributed to the high rates of poverty. Desperate for money, “bandits” roamed the streets, pulling people out of their cars and taking whatever they could find. Children were kidnapped for ransom. Different from Argentina where there were many kidnappings in which victims would eventually be exchanged for ransom, kidnappings in Colombia were more treacherous in that kidnappers would take the ransom but still kill their victims. Thus communities were protected by cadres of police and private guards. Again, Barbara and Ray were greatly relieved when, after two-and-a-half years, Ray was transferred to Amsterdam. Much safer over all, the time in Holland afforded Barbara the opportunity to travel throughout Europe. But even Holland turned out to have its moments of danger. For example, they lived near the Spanish consulate and, thinking Barbara’s car belonged to a diplomat, Spanish revolutionaries planted a “bomb” under her car. It turned out that, this time, the bomb was merely a bunch of rocks planted to cause a commotion, but they didn’t learn that until after the police evacuated the family.
Imagine how happy Barbara was when, in 1980, they returned to the United States. Barbara immediately enrolled in a Masters in Social Work program at Rutgers University which she completed in 1984. Here she acquired a wide range of clinical skills that allowed her to work as a therapist at a counseling agency, to work with women at the Morris County Jail, and to train as a post-traumatic stress disorder counselor. Working as a therapist for Family Service of Morris County, she also began to do public speaking at multiple sclerosis meetings, the Officer’s Wives Club at Picatinny Arsenal, and other such groups.
After fourteen years with Family Service, Barbara decided it was time to move on. Still maintaining a small private practice, she decided to audit classes at Drew, beginning in the spring 1998 semester with the newly instituted multidisciplinary, core course on the Holocaust entitled “Perspectives on the Holocaust.” Deeply moved by the subject, she decided to get involved with the Center. Since then, she has become actively and creatively involved as our chair of public relations, co-chair of our “Conversations with Witnesses” program, co-chair of our Board of Associates, proofreader of our bi-annual publication, along with such miscellaneous and mundane tasks as stuffing envelopes for a Center mailing, and setting up chairs for a members’ meeting. Wherever help is needed, Barbara is ready, willing, and superbly able.
No wonder then that we are eager to say, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Barbara, for your hard work, your commitment, your dedication, your worldly wisdom, your leadership skills, your impeccable good taste, your infectious sense of humor. We thank you, in other words, for being you.
