Martyrdom and Resistance, November/December 2015

ID Transcript mare4202_01 "AMERICAN & INTERNATIONAL SOCIETIES FOR YAD VASHEM Vol. 42-No. 2 tfflber 2015-Kislev/Tevet 5776 The American & International Societies for Yad Vashem Annual Tribute Dinner COMMEMORATING 70 YEARS SINCE LIBERATION BY ISAAC BENJAMIN On November 15th, the American Society for Yad Vashem held its Annual Tribute Dinner celebrating 70 years since the liberation of the concentration camps and the end of World War II. Joined by American Society Chair Leonard Wilf, Director General of Yad Vashem Dorit Novak, and international dignitaries, three generations committed to Holocaust remembrance came together at the Pierre Hotel in New York to support the American Society for Yad Vashem. Representing different aspects of liberation, the program was filled with memories of survival and the emotional return to humanity after the Holocaust. The dinner opened with the event master of ceremonies, actor Mike Burstyn, singing ""The Star-Spangled Banner"" and ""Hatikvah"". As a friend of the organization, Burstyn has worked with the American Society in the past and ardently supports its work. ished. At the dedication ceremony in Jerusalem, Mr. Friedman spoke of his and his wife's parents' stories of survival in the face of Nazi persecution. On the dais in New York he referenced those remarks, explaining that ""being involved with Yad Vashem is not just another charity; to me it is personal."" He concluded by acknowl- has been recognized for both her talent and her social engagement by the White House and the president of Israel. In 2011, she received the American Society for Yad Vashem Young Leadership Award. The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation was also recognized at the Tribute Dinner. Accepting the award, Ron B. Meier, executive director of ASYV; Philip Friedman, recipient of the Yad Vashem Remembrance Award; and Chairman of the ASYV Leonard A. Wilf. Throughout the night, Burstyn guided edging the dozens of young adults in Dr. Lilian Steinberg described the rela- the crowd through the meaningful attendance, many of whom were tionship between her family, the foun- program that was personally curated third-generation representatives. dation and Yad Vashem. Two families by 2015 Tribute Dinner Chair Mark ""Because of the young people"" of survivors, Lillie and Milton Steinberg Moskowitz. Friedman emotionally concluded, ""I and Lola and Henry Tenenbaum, Yad Vashem Benefactors Rose and still have hope."" developed a close relationship with Philip Friedman were honored for a a C|0Se friend of the Friedmans, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation lifetime devoted to supporting Jewish /A famed ""hip-hop violinist"" Miri trustee and talented artist Thomas communities worldwide. As children Ben-Ari, appeared on stage for a sur- Slaughter. Since the start of that friend- of Holocaust survivors, the couple prjse tribute performance. The first ship in 1993, the foundation has proud- has made Holocaust remembrance time she met the Friedmans, the ly donated over $ 1 million to Yad and education a top priority. In 2014, Grammy Award-winning artist told Vashem. Accepting the recognition on the Friedman family dedicated the the crowd, ""we shared our commit- behalf of the late Tom Slaughter was Jerusalem Garden at Yad Vashem in ment to the mitzvah of 'never forget.'"" his daughter, Hannah Jocelyn. honor of their parents who survived The Israeli born Ben-Ari is the grand- A s featured speaker, celebrated the Holocaust, and to the memory of daughter of survivors and an activist /A CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer was their many family members who per- for Holocaust remembrance. Ben-Ari introduced by American Society Chair Leonard Wilf. Blitzer and Wilf as kids first met in Augsburg, Germany and grew up together as friends both in The American Society for Yad Vashem Annual Tribute Dinner. 1, 8-9 Germany and later in America. Blitzer America and the Holocaust: The past as prologue 2 be9an bv showing a video clip he Anatomy of the murderers 4 made for CNN- tracin9 h's family's ""I dared it, and I made it"" 5 Holocaust experience through the ""I'm still there — in my dreams"" 6 Yad Vashem archives. ""Yad Vashem How a Holocaust heroine is finally written into the annals of history. 7 Plaved a significant role for me,"" he Life after liberation 10 said about his tr'P< ""as * nas for manv Seven decades on Israel still seeks resolutions for ""Holocaust art"" 13 children and grandchildren of Polish author reopens minefield of who killed Jedwabne's Jews 14 Holocaust survivors."" He stressed The concentration camp currency you've never heard of 16 how tne experience of growing up as IN THIS ISSUE the son of survivors shaped his conscience. Offering a different narrative of that fateful time, Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter remembered his father, Rabbi Herschel Schacter, U.S. Army chaplain at the liberation of Buchenwald. The senior Rabbi Schacter was the first chaplain to reach Buchenwald, only an hour after General Patton. In those first few months, Schacter helped thousands of freshly liberated survivors both physically and spiritually. His son recalled hearing survivors express their gratitude to his father as ""the most memorable experiences of my childhood."" Over the years, as Rabbi Jacob Schacter witnessed these many reunions, he further appreciated the belief that ""we were not spared to forget."" Throughout the evening, various speakers referenced General Dwight D. Eisenhower's role in the liberation of Buchenwald and other concentration camps. As the final speaker, the president's granddaughter Mary Jean Eisenhower brought those memories full circle with stories of how liberation had affected her grandfather. She read fragments from his correspondence, detailing the emotionally scarring ""visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality."" She concluded her remarks saying, ""I do not believe my grandfather was ever the same after witnessing what he did, and I know he was emphatic that the world understand what happened."" When reflecting on the evening that covered the many perspectives of liberation, we left with an even greater commitment to Holocaust remembrance. The work of the American Society to support Yad Vashem's mission in Jerusalem has evolved from the founding group of passionate survivors to a much larger, intergenera- tional group committed to their foundational cause. When introducing Mary Jean Eisenhower, American Society Treasurer David Halpern poignantly verbalized the message of the evening. ""The cause of Holocaust remembrance is very daunting,"" Halpern told the crowd, ""but having you with us strengthens our resolve."" "