Martyrdom and Resistance, November/December 1996

ID Transcript mare2302_01 "DEC ? 6 1006— Vol. 23 - No. 2 ISSN 0892-1571 November-December 1996 - Heshvan-Kislev 5757 Yad Vashem Dinner: Vision 2001 Master Plan of Remembrance for Next Century As the decade runs its course and the next century inches closer, thoughts and plans pay more attention to the needs of remembrance. How will we remember who will be entrusted to ensure that no one forgets the Holocaust? These were the themes at the 12th Annual Dinner of the American and International Societies for Yad Vashem, held November 10 at the New York Hilton Unsettling Questions Troubling on Hidden Funds in Swiss Banks Throughout the centuries Switzerland has enjoyed a reputation as a neutral country that admirably removed itself from the warfare of nations. That reputation had carried over to the Holocaust, in the minds of most people. Some thought of it, incorrectly, as a land which opened its doors wide to Jewish refugees. It is true that Switzerland could boast of heroic diplomats such as Charles and Gertrude Lutz in Hungary, Righteous Gentiles who were responsible for saving thousands of lives. However, all these positive images have now collapsed in an avalanche of developments that have been called the last story or phase of the Holocaust. Typical have been such headlines as ""War's Plunders and the Swiss""; ""Swiss Duplicity""; ""Switzerland May Have Done More Than Harbor Nazi Plunder During the War, Documents Suggest..'"" In effect, records seem point to the Swiss helping finance the Nazi war machine by serving as its bankers. New revelations are supported by documents gathered from the U.S. National Archives and foreign ar- (Continued on page 6) Hotel. The legacy of remembrance was expressed in the dinner motif Vision 2001. One of the awardees, Mrs. Cheryl Lifshitz, put it simply and convincingly — the second and third generation will continue the mission: ""We have picked up the torch of remembrance for future generations so that the Shoah will not be forgotten."" Appropriately, more than half of the 1,000 guests in attendance were of the Young Leadership, children and grandchildren of survivors. The memorable event is another exciting chapter in the remarkable story of the Societies for Yad Vashem. The Societies have excelled and have been dynamic in their role as the educational and development arm of the Israel Remembrance Authority on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem. This year's honorees were Cheryl and Moshe Lifshitz (Young Leadership Award) and Rabbi Dr. Israel Miller (Remembrance Award). The worldwide flavor of the Societies was evidenced by an illustrious dais of diplomatic representatives, government officials, and heads of Jewish organizations that meet the needs of Jewry across the globe. Ten countries were represented: Israel, the U.S., Canada, Ukraine, Estonia, Romania, Poland, Switzerland, Hungary, Bulgaria. The large gathering came to learn details of Yad Vashem's master plan, Vision 2001. Key aspects of the plan are: COMPUTERIZATION, ARCHIVES • Computerization, providing the most accessible and best information to scholars and researchers worldwide; • New Archives Building, scientifically housing more . than 40 million documents and 100,000 photographs; • Central School for Holocaust Studies, conducting seminars in seven languages, developing pedagogic tools, and expanding programs of Holocaust research; • Historical Museum, bringing together artifacts and evidence of the Holocaust; • Children's Memorial, dedicated to the 1.5 million martyred Jewish children; • Hall of Remembrance, used for commemorative ceremonies; • Valley of the Communities, eternalizing the 5,000 Jewish communities annihilated during the Holocaust; • Soldiers, Ghetto-fighters, and Partisans Monument, memorializing the Jewish soldiers, ghetto fighters, and members of the resistance movement; • Visitors' Center/Plaza, a bridge between the everyday world and the sanctity of the memorial site. The lives of the honorees exemplify the commitment to Holocaust remembrance on different levels of experience. Rabbi Miller understands the importance of Holocaust remembrance through a lifetime of service in the Jewish community. The Lifshitzes are dedicated to passing on the legacy of remembrance beyond survivors and their children, to the third generation and after. HEADS CLAIMS CONFERENCE For decades, Rabbi Miller has distinguished himself as one of the world's outstanding Jewish community leaders. In his many posts, he has served survivors and the cause of remembrance. For nearly 15 years he has been president of Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), which includes 23 major national and international Jewish organizations. It is the official body representing the interests of all Jewish victims of Nazi persecution to the Federal Republic of Germany. The following organizations have also benefitted from his dedicated leadership: Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture; American (Continued on page 9) AWARDS CEREMONIES: Left - (1 to r): Avner Shalev; Ambassador Colette Avital; Rabbi Israel Miller (Remembrance Award); Mrs. Miller, Eli Zborowski. ■~~""——""———————^— Right - (1 to r) Moshe and Cheryl Lifshitz (Young Leadership Award); Avner Shalev. —---—----«-■-—---—----■- "