Martyrdom and Resistance, September/October 2001

ID Transcript mare2801_01 "A A ~~~ MARTYRDOM AND RESISTANCE PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR YAH VASHEM, JflC, ■ I I Ml ) i III Vol. 28 - No. 1 ISSN 0892-1571 September-October 2001 - Elul-Tishrei 5762 IN THE NEWS Yad Vashem Asserts its Bole as Custodian of Remembrance The question of who is the 'custodian' of Holocaust remembrance has perhaps never been played as fiercely on the world stage as in the 'battle' over Bruno Schulz's paintings. As the foremost guardian of Holocaust remembrance, Yad Vashem made a vigorous and detailed statement of its actions and rallied supporters the world over. While attention was fixed on the ""custody battle', the paintings of Bruno Schulz have arrived at Yad Vashem, and their journey to Jerusalem is as fascinating as the paintings themselves. An author and painter, Schulz was born in Drohobych, the Ukrainian town 30 miles from Lvov, in Poland. When the city was seized by the Germans, he was placed in the then ghetto. SS major Felix Landau was impressed with Schulz's talents and (continued on page 8) U.S., Israel Leave Meeting In Durban Attacking Zionism DURBAN, South Africa — The U.S. and Israel walked out of a United Nations meeting on racism because of a proposed conference declaration con- deming Israel. Arab delegates led the proposed conference document that attacked ""the racist practices of Zionism"" and termed Israel's treatment of Palistinians as a ""new kind of apartheid."" In walking out of the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said, ""I have taken this decision with regret because of the importance of the international fight against racism and the contribution that the conference could have made to it."" According to Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, ""We regret very much the very bizarre show in Durban. An important convention that's supposed to defend human rights became a source of hatred. We were portrayed in an insulting and baseless manner as a colonial nation."" Yad Vashem Honors Founders and Pillars as Societies Celebrate Twentieth Anniversary Two decades of unparalleled achievement in Holocaust remembrance will be celebrated Sunday, Nov. 4, at the Sheraton New York Hotel. IFIIJHV f|y The theme of the 20th A TIME TO BUILD! Anniversary Tribute Dinner is Eit Livnot! - A Time to Build. The honorees are 19 individuals who have been visionaries in promoting the programs and activities of the American and International Societies for Yad Vashem. According to Eli Zborowski, chairman of the Societies for Yad Vashem, ""As we celebrate this milestone, we pay tribute to those unique men and women who stood with us in the early years of our Societies for Yad Vashem: 20 Years of Accomplishment BY ELI ZBOROWSKI Chairman, Societies for Yad Vashem Twenty-five years ago, or thirty years after the Holocaust, few were writing, or advancing the cause of remembrance. A major step in reversing the direction was the inauguration of Martyrdom and Resistance. The bimonthly was founded under the aegis of the American Federation of Jewish Fighters, Camp Inmates and Nazi Victims. The Federation had been a bulwark in the community in sponsoring a wide range of programs and activities. As the 70s ended, exciting developments galvanized the outlook of remembrance, including the TV series Holocaust and the opening of Holocaust centers and resources. However, the American Federation realized that the 80s called for bold undertakings. Programs were needed that would excite the younger generation and meet the demands of the future. The obvious link was Yad Vashem, the Israeli Remembrance Authority, the premier remembrance force in the world. In 1981, the American Society for Yad Vashem was formed, through the initiative of survivors who opened their hearts and homes for meetings. Along with the American Society, the International Society for Yad Vashem was organized, reaching the globe as far as Hong Kong. (Continued on page 8) IN IMS Book Reviews page 2 Debate on Wagner page 3 Germany: Forgive, Forget? page 4 Survivors in War of Independence page 5 Second Generation Writers page 5 Campus and Classroom page 10 Yom Hashoah 5761-2001 page 12 Jedwabne Massacre Remembered page 13 organization. It is the foundation that we built at that time that has enabled us to point with pride to the many accomplishments we see before us today. ""Yad Vashem stands as the first and most formidable authority is Shoah remembrance, reaching out and assisting countless other memorials throughout the world."" The honorees include 10 Founders and 9 Pillars. The Founders are Ulo Barad, Sam Bloch, Toby and Charles Drukier *?% Fanya Gottesfeld Heller, Elli and Israel Krakowski, Miles Lerman, Sigmund Strochlitz and Marvin Zborowski. The Pillars are Doris Gross, Roman Kriegstein, Sally and Isak Levenstein !rv Henry Major, William Mandell, Murray Pantirer, Rosa Strygler and Abraham Zuckerman. The general chairmen are Dr. Israel Singer and Leonard Wilf. Zygmunt Wilf and David Halpern are dinner chairmen. The dinner theme is also the theme of a commemorative journal. According to Gale Drukier, journal chair, ""Through a series of literary and photo images, the Journal depicts the building of families and communities in pre-war Europe. The closing section of the publication is devoted to ""A Time to Build Remembrance,"" which pays tribute to our collective accomplishments in building Yad Vashem."" The INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY for YAD VASHEM and extend their best wishes for a Healthy, Prosperous and PEACEFUL NEW YEAR "