Martyrdom & resistance, November/December 2016

The American & International Societies for Yad Vashem Annual Tribute Dinner HONORING RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS On Sunday, November 13th, the American Society for Yad Vashem (ASYV) hosted its Annual Tribute Dinner in New York City. Representatives from Yad Vashem, international dignitaries and the American Society’s com¬ munity of supporters gath¬ ered at the Pierre Hotel for a memorable program honoring Righteous Among the Nations. Led by Co-Chairs Mark Moskowitz and Phil and Rose Friedman, the spirited evening was the largest fundraiser in ASYV’s thirty- five-year history, raising more than $1.3 million in support of Yad Vashem. The evening’s program profiled four families touched by Righteous Among the Nations. In the 1930s and 1940s, most Europeans stood silently by as the Jews of Europe faced increased discrimi¬ nation and persecution at the hands of the Nazis. However, there were a select few who risked everything and coura¬ geously chose to help Jews survive the Holocaust. Since 1953, Yad Vashem and the State of Israel have awarded more than 26,000 of these individuals the hon¬ orary title of Righteous Among the Nations. In his opening remarks, ASYV Chairman Leonard A. Wilf spoke to the significance of the Righteous Among the Nations. “Yad Vashem is committed to ensuring that these examples of extraordinary heroism and human decency remain a light for us all in remembering the darkest chapter in the history of the Jewish people.” Along with recognizing the Righteous Among the Nations, the Tribute Dinner emphasized the impor¬ tant work of Yad Vashem. Starting with a powerful message thanking American supporters by Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate Avner Shalev, the program was sprinkled with video vignettes highlighting Yad Vashem’s efforts and future plans. Director General of Yad Vashem Dorit Novak; Shaya Ben Yehuda, manag¬ ing director of the International Relations Division; and Michael Fisher, director of the American Desk, attended as part of the Israeli delega¬ tion, catching up with the many American supporters who frequently visit Yad Vashem. The master of ceremonies for the program was Michael Bernardi, cur¬ rently performing as Mordcha the innkeeper in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway. Bernardi’s father, Herschel Bernardi, famously played Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway and on many national tours. Coming straight from a Sunday matinee per¬ formance, Bernardi explained his per¬ spective to the crowd. “I am reminded how precious Jewish culture is. That telling the stories of Sholem Aleichem, when so much Jewish expression has been destroyed, is in itself a miracle. Fiddler embodies the principles of Jewish identity that have survived.” he Tribute Dinner offered our guests an opportunity to mark the passing of notable leaders within the ASYV community within the past year. ASYV Treasurer David Halpern presented a stirring tribute to Elie Wiesel, z”/, calling the Nobel Laurate “a representative of Yad Vashem and the Jewish people, and a steward of the world’s moral compass.” The trib¬ ute to Joseph Wilf, z”l, and the other survivors of the Holocaust who had helped found and continual¬ ly supported the American Society for Yad Vashem was a poignant moment of reflection. ounder of ASYV and Yad Vashem Benefactor Sima Katz of Roslyn, New York, was hon¬ ored with the ASYV Leadership Award. Her granddaughter, Rebecca Levy, shared Sima’s har¬ rowing journey of survival during the Holocaust with the help of a Lithuanian Christian family. She explained how her grand¬ parents, Sima and Nathan, z”l, returned to Lithuania after the war to find the family who rescued them and sent testimony to Yad Vashem advocating that the Zilevicius family be awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations. The families embraced at Rebecca’s bat mitzvah celebration 17 years ago, in the very same ballroom at the Pierre Hotel. After the presentation of the Leadership Award, Bernardi again took the stage to praise Katz for her lifetime devotion to promoting Holocaust education before dedicat¬ ing a rousing performance of “If I Were a Rich Man” to her. As Bernardi performed with animated gusto, the crowd of more than 500 clapped along to the legendary song of Tevye the Milkman. The program posthumously hon¬ ored Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds and Lois Gunden, the 4th and 5th Americans ever to be rec¬ ognized as Righteous Among the Nations. Mary Jean Gunden spoke of the bravery and compassion of her aunt, Lois Gunden, who saved the lives of dozens of Jewish children in (Continued on page 2) IN THIS ISSUE The ASYV Annual Tribute Dinner. . 1,2, 8-9 The Holocaust train that led Jews to freedom instead of death . 3 Hitler’s vile cretins . 4 The long, twisted shadow cast by Nazi medical experiments . 5 Jewish Avengers unapologetic for targeting Nazis after WWII . 6 When a Holocaust survivor pissed on Hitler’s henchman . 7 “They laughed by day and cried at night” . 10 “If I sleep for an hour, 30 people will die” . 12 The teenage girl who documented the last days of Theresienstadt. . 14 Historical “burden” shared by third generation . 16 Sima Katz, 2016 Annual Tribute Dinner honoree (center); (L to R) Rebecca Levy, Rita Levy, Matthew Levy and David Levy.