Martyrdom & resistance, May/June 2019

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR YAD VASHEM . COOK TOWSON, MARYLAND Vol. 45-No. 5 ISSN 0892-1571 May/June 2019-lyyar/Sivan 577j9 KEEPING VOICES OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS ALIVE BY JILL GOLTZER The American Society for Yad Vashem Annual Spring Luncheon took place on Thursday, May 30, at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. We are extremely grateful for our wonderful co-chairs (Michele Lee Fine, Goldie Hertz, Mireille Manocherian, Mary Peldman, Shirley Podolsky, Sarita Rausnitz, Lili Stawski, Elissa Tauber and Barbara Weichselbaum), honorary co¬ chairs (Danielle Karten, Abby Kaufthal, Jaci Paradis and Michelle Taragin) and esteemed honorees (Gabriela Shnay and her daughters Deborah, Vanessa and Rachel). Over 350 people were in attendance, including survivors, their children, grand¬ children and friends. Luncheon attendees explored the Yad Vashem exhibit “Stars Without a Heaven: Children in the Holocaust” before gathering in the ballroom for a meaningful pro¬ gram. The exhibit presents a col¬ lection of anecdotes, narratives and memories of Jewish children caught up in the crucible of the Holocaust. Despite their appalling situations and living conditions, children still engaged in imagina¬ tive play, sketching and writing, expressing their hopes, dreams and fears. In this exhibition, a selection of drawings, poems, letters and toys offers a moving and fascinat¬ ing window into the lives of Jewish chil¬ dren during the Holocaust. The program began with rousing renditions of “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah" performed by YLA member Lizzy Savetsky and board member Abbi Halpern. Luncheon honoree Deborah Shnay Rifkin welcomed our guests and intro¬ duced ASYV Chairman Leonard Wilf, who discussed the challenges we face in “an era where, paradoxically, both Holocaust denial and interest in the lessons and legacy of the Holocaust are at an all-time high.” It is because of individuals who are so deeply committed to Yad Vashem, like the members of the Shnay family, that we can be confident in the future of Holocaust remembrance. Our dedi¬ cated members recognize the unique from Avner Shalev, chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate, Ron Meier shared some heartfelt thoughts with the room. He expressed how privi¬ leged he feels to have worked with passionate individuals, such as the Shnay women, this year’s honorees. Luncheon co-chair Elissa Tauber introduced our beloved honorees, who are Elissa’s cousins and dear friends. She was continuously inspired by the way Gabriela and Jack raised their daughters “in a home Honorees Gabriela Shnay, Rachel Shnay and Deborah Shnay Rifkin with ASYV Chairman Leonard Wilf (left) executive director of ASYV Ron Meier. power of Yad Vashem. Recounting her experience on the 2018 Yad Vashem Mission, luncheon co-chair Michele Fine stated that we “came together to explore the darkest hour for the Jewish people, interwoven and redeemed with lessons of humanity and hope — through a lens that only Yad Vashem could provide.” Following a video with greetings IN THIS ISSUE American Society for Yad Vashem Annual Sp Love letters of the Shoah . ring Luncheon . 1, 8-9 . 2 Yad Vashem exhibit showcases Holocaust art . 3 Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust . . 4 A survivor’s story in living color. . . 5 The last Seder in the Warsaw ghetto . . 6 The hidden history of Holocaust money . . 10 Documentary charts the persecution of Italiar Risking torture and death to save Jews durini Saved by the neighbors . i Jews . 11 ] the Holocaust . 12 . 14 filled with love, warmth, and Yiddishkeit and Zionism.” Attendees were able to learn more about the Shnay and Horowitz families in a moving video produced by Yeeshai Gross. Gabriela and Jack, both chil¬ dren of Holocaust survivors, made sure their daughters were educated about the Holocaust and raised them to be proud of their Jewish heritage. In the video, Gabriela lovingly talks about her father, Symcha Horowitz, who attended the luncheon with his family. Gabriela says her father is “a true survivor in every sense of the word. A fighter.” Bom in Lodz, Poland, Symcha survived Auschwitz and joined the Haganah following the war. He was a founder of the first elite squadron of airplanes in the Israeli Air Force and was later honored by the State of Israel with the Distinguished Service Award. Symcha clearly passed on his leadership, Jewish val¬ ues and love for Israel to his daugh¬ ters and grandchildren. Rachel Shnay, luncheon honoree and YLA co-chair, gave a pow¬ erful and impactful speech that left everyone in the room energized and recommitted to the cause of Holocaust remembrance and educa¬ tion. Looking out into the crowd, Rachel asked that we not allow histo¬ ry to be rewritten: that we give our children a voice and the tools to fight anti-Semitism. Reflecting on today’s society, Rachel strongly stated, “We have the wave of hate rising up so high against us. Don’t wait for it to smack you down for you to wake up.” She encouraged every¬ one to visit Yad Vashem, even if they have been before. You learn something new every time you visit. Luncheon co-chairs Lili Stawski and Barbara Weichselbaum intro¬ duced our keynote speaker, Mr. William Bernheim, a Holocaust sur¬ vivor, author and artist. Mr. Bernheim was born in Lodz, Poland, in 1922, but considers April 11 , 1945 — the day he was liberat¬ ed from Buchenwald — to be his second birthday. Speaking about that very day, Mr. Bernheim explained how he pinched himself and realized he was still alive. It was then that the words of his par¬ ents came to him — that “a person can be as weak as a fly, yet stronger than steel.” These words kept him going. After the war, he met his beloved wife Lucille, also a survivor, and togeth¬ er they have two children and four grandchildren. All four grandchildren attended the luncheon and proudly stood by their grandparents’ side. In her closing remarks, luncheon co¬ chair Shirley Podolsky shared with everyone the vest her mother, Paula Reinfeld, z”l, was forced to wear in the camps. On it you can see the upside-down red triangle, her moth¬ er’s prisoner number and the faded yellow star that was meant to be worn as a badge of shame. It is personal stories and artifacts such as these that Yad Vashem works so hard to safeguard for future generations. As luncheon honoree Rachel Shnay so beautifully expressed, “it is because of Yad Vashem that their neshamas remain alive.” and