Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center

Holocaust Survivors in our Speakers Bureau inspire and teach us so many things, including how to overcome tremendous adversity and how to move forward to live a truly meaningful life. Three of them have been particularly active recently in sharing their truths about the Holocaust, and we featured Arlette Baker, Aliza Erber and Annie Kleinhaus in our newsletter. In case you missed it here is the link https://conta.cc/46VSahV

We invite you to join us for our HHREC Annual Benefit on Wednesday evening October 30th at the beautiful Westchester Country Club in Rye, NY. We are excited to announce our honorees are R. Derek Black, author of the book, THE KLANSMAN’S SON: MY JOURNEY FROM WHITE NATIONALISM TO ANTIRACISM, and Elisha Wiesel, Philanthropist, Chairman of the Board of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, and former Wall Street executive at Goldman Sachs. All guests and those making donations of $500 or more will receive a hard copy of THE KLANSMAN’S SON prior to the event. Reserve your seat in advance at https://hhrecny.org/inspire_events/holocaust-human-rights-education-center-annual-benefit/

As the Olympic Games are underway and we are amazed by the U.S. Gymnast Simon Biles, we remember another amazing gymnast who blazed her own trail years ago, Agi Keleti. We invite you to see and hear her incredible achievements as she survived the N***s and outlasted the Communists during the Holocaust to go on and win 10 Olympic medals- including 5 gold! Please join us Monday, August 12th at Reed Memorial Library in Carmel, NY as our HHREC Board Chairperson and GenerationsForward Speaker Michael Gyory presents Agi Keleti: The Jewish Olympian’s Story of Survival and Triumph, an unforgettable story of his father's cousin who lives on today at 103 years old as the oldest living Olympian. Seats are limited, reserve your seat today at https://www.eventkeeper.com/code/ekform.cfm?curOrg=REED&curID=711881

We invite you to join us next Thurs July 18th at the Desmond-Fish Public Library in Garrison as our Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center Board Chairperson and GenerationsForward Speaker Michael Gyory presents Agi Keleti: The Jewish Olympian’s Story of Survival and Triumph. Michael will tell the amazing story of his father's cousin, who survived the N***s and outlasted the Communists to go on and win 5 Olympic gold medals. Today at 103 she is the oldest living Olympian, and as the games in Paris begin soon we celebrate her incredible achievements as an athlete and life as a Holocaust Survivor. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required as seats are limited. To reg visit https://desmondfishlibrary.org/event/agi-keleti-the-jewish-olympians-story-of-survival-and-triumph-exhibit-and-speaker-michael-gyory/

Our Executive Director Millie Jasper was interviewed recently by Phyllis Zimbler Miller, M.B.A., an LA-based screenwriter (film and TV), author and playwright about our GenerationsForward Speakers Bureau. Phyllis is the co-host of the NEVER AGAIN IS NOW podcast about antisemitism on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. We have seen a tremendous uptick in requests for speaking engagements for this second and third generation group that includes children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors who meet throughout the year. Click here for the interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJNYFRLwC60 and for more information about GenerationsForward visit https://hhrecny.org/generations-forward/

Our Executive Director Millie Jasper was interviewed recently by Phyllis Zimbler Miller, an LA-based screenwriter (film and TV), author and playwright about our GenerationsForward Speakers Bureau. Phyllis is the co-host of the NEVER AGAIN IS NOW podcast about antisemitism on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. We have seen a tremendous uptick in requests for speaking engagements for this second and third generation group that includes children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors who meet throughout the year. Click here for the interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJNYFRLwC60 and for more information about GenerationsForward visit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJNYFRLwC60

Please join us as we welcome David Imamura to our Advisory Board! He brings a tremendous level of energy and experience to our organization, including working on important human rights issues that impact all of us. We are very excited he will join us to help in our effort to promote education about the Holocaust and human rights at this critically important time. To read the full story visit our website at https://hhrecny.org/holocaust-human-rights-education-center-appoints-david-imamura-to-advisory-board/

Now that the academic year is coming to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on how far we've come since the early 90's, when our Center was founded, our education programs and events were envisioned, and the Garden of Remembrance was built. Today it is a gathering place for our community where people also reflect, and we are proud of our work and grateful for your support! We invite you to review our recent events and announcements in our Summer Newsletter at https://conta.cc/3KV5jNW

Please see below recent happenings at HHREC. I wish you and yours a peaceful and restful summer.

We appreciate your support, and stand in solidarity!

HHREC joins with communities across the U.S. today to commemorate Juneteenth. This critically important event in the history of our nation was first celebrated on June 19, 1866, and made a federal holiday in 2021, and it marks the arrival of Union Major General Gordon Granger and his federal troops in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. This crucial moment signaled the end of slavery in Texas, ensuring equal rights for all formerly enslaved African Americans. The observance has since grown from a regional celebration to nationwide recognition. Let’s all recognize the importance of history and its impact on our lives today!

Thank you to those who joined us yesterday at the Garden of Remembrance as we gathered with our community and government leaders for a dedication of the Anne Frank tree sapling. We thoroughly enjoyed hearing powerful and inspiring remarks from our speakers, including Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Anne Frank Center USA CEO Dr. Lauren Bairnsfather, our Board Chairman Michael Gyory, NYS Deputy Director of Jewish Affairs Eva Wyner and Fred P***k, a descendent of Dutch Holocaust Survivors. A sincere note of gratitude to all who came to witness this historic day, including NY State Senator Shelley Mayer, NY State Assemblyman Chris Burdick, Office of the County Executive Director of Research Ellen Hendrickx, and Vedat Gashi, Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators. We are honored to be entrusted with this living memorial that offers a symbol of hope, courage and resilience. It is our hope that the tree stands strong for many years to come so that future generations understand its meaning and splendor, and more will visit the Garden to see the tree and other historical monuments that make it such a unique historical place. Photo Credits: Raya Cottrell Photography

We hope you join us today at noon for our dedication ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance in White Plains for the planting of a sapling grown from a tree in Amsterdam referenced in Anne Frank’s Diary, and the unveiling of a special plaque. The event is free and open to all.

We are pleased to announce that Westchester County Executive George Latimer and Anne Frank Center USA CEO Dr. Lauren Bairnsfather will join us for a very special dedication ceremony this coming Tuesday, June 11th at the Garden of Remembrance in White Plains for the planting of a sapling grown from a tree in Amsterdam referenced in Anne Frank’s Diary. The event is free and it is open to the public. It is such a tremendous honor to be chosen to receive the plant by the Anne Frank Center, USA as one of only six organizations in the U.S., and a privilege to be entrusted with this living memorial. We look forward to sharing it with our community as an eternal symbol of courage, resilience and hope.

Helen Rubel of our GenerationsForward Speakers Bureau recently appeared on the Town of Greenburgh Public Access channel hosted by Town Supervisor Paul Feiner to tell the powerful and moving story of how her mother and grandmother survived the Holocaust. By sharing her mother's first person account of fleeing Germany, she hopes to ensure history does not repeat itself, and that people become Upstanders. To watch a recording of this engaging and thought-provoking interview visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33jAgMtP9vo

We invite you to join us for a very special dedication ceremony on Tuesday, June 11th at the Garden of Remembrance in White Plains for the planting of a sapling grown from a tree in Amsterdam referenced in Anne Frank’s Diary. It is such a tremendous honor to be chosen to receive the plant by the Anne Frank Center, USA as one of only six organizations in the U.S., and a privilege to be entrusted with this living memorial. We look forward to sharing it with our community as an eternal symbol of courage, resilience and hope.

We invite you to join us tonight starting at 7pm on Zoom for our final Memory Keepers Hour for this spring, as authors Dr. Alex Kor and Graham Honaker talk about their book, A Blessing, Not a Burden that chronicles the lives of Dr. Kor’s parents as they managed to survive the unimaginable horrors of life in a concentration camp during the Holocaust and how they the positively impacted Dr. Kor. Reg at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsd-qtrzMqGNcrX329f8nyEXYDFmcMCHSs #/registration

Very proud to be recognized for our work with a proclamation by the Westchester County Board of Legislators in observance of Jewish-American Heritage Month in coordination with our friends from the Westchester Jewish Council!

Great story on News12 featuring interviews with our Board of Directors Chairman and GenerationsForward Speaker Michael Gyory and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin on the New York State grant to support our education programs! http://westchester.news12.com/local-legislators-secure-100000-for-holocaust-and-human-education-rights-center

We are so grateful for the support from our Assemblywoman Amy Paulin who partnered with Assembly Members Chris Burdick, Dana Levenberg, Steve Otis, Gary Pretlow, Nader Sayegh, and MaryJane Shimsky to secure $100K from New York State to help us arrest the rising tide of antisemitism and other forms of hate and continue to develop and present education programs to our student and adult community! We invite you to read the full story at https://hhrecny.org/assemblywoman-amy-paulin-westchester-legislators-secure-1m-for-the-holocaust-and-human-rights-education-center-in-white-plains/

We hope you join us at Ossining Public Library tonight starting at 7pm as HHREC Board Chairperson and GenerationsForward Speaker Michael Gyory presents Agi Keleti: The Jewish Olympian’s Story of Survival and Triumph. Agi is his father's cousin, and Michael will share the powerfully moving story of how she survived the Holocaust to become the oldest living Olympian, winning an astounding 5 gold medals. The talk will be accompanied by an exhibition that offers insight into a young girl’s survival and incredible drive to leave a legacy of courage, strength and will to win. To reg visit https://ossining.librarycalendar.com/event/agi-keleti-jewish-olympians-story-survival-and-triumph-6571

We are so grateful for our community as so many of you turned out on Monday for the Annual Westchester Countywide Yom HaShoah Commemoration presented by HHREC and our friends from the Westchester Jewish Council and UJA-Federation of New York! The program featured a thought-provoking and moving speech by Holocaust Survivor Annie Kleinhaus, a procession of Westchester’s rescued Holocaust Torahs, powerful remarks by Westchester County Executive George Latimer and U.S. Congressman Mike Lawler, and emotional appeals by WJC President William Schrag, HHREC Board Chairman and GenerationsForward speaker Michael Gyory, and Rabbi Lester Bronstein from Bet Am Shalom Synagogue. The program also included a lighting of candles by college students from Hillels of Westchester to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, and concluded with a beautiful and inspiring singing performance in English, German and Hebrew by the Children's Choir of German International School New York. In case you couldn't make it we invite you to visit our website under at www.HHRECNY.org and click on our News page for the full story, including reporting by News12 and the Journal News. Thank you all for your support, as we work together to fight antisemitism! Photo credits: Raya Ozruso-Cottrell

We hope you see you tomorrow from 12-1:00pm with our friends from and at the Garden of Remembrance on 148 Martine Avenue in White Plains for our Annual Westchester Countywide Yom HaShoah Commemoration. Our keynote speaker is Holocaust Survivor Annie Kleinhaus and the program will include a procession of Westchester's rescued Holocaust Torahs and a lighting of candles by college students from Hillels of Westchester. This event will be held rain or shine, and admission is free and open to all.

We are proud of our partnership with Iona University for the Annual William H. Donat Shoah Commemoration that featured a powerful and timely presentation by Mark Weitzman and the 22nd annual Susan J. Goldberg Memorial Teacher Award presented to Laurie Lichtenstein, an English and Social Studies teacher at Seven Bridges Middle School. Congratulations Laurie!

We are pleased to share that our Board Chair and GenerationsForward speaker Michael Gyory will appear as the keynote speaker at the Annual Helen and Leon Sperling Holocaust Program in Utica in May to recount the inspiring story of his 103-year old Olympic champion Aunt Agi titled "The Triumph of Will Power." https://www.wktv.com/news/education/annual-helen-and-leon-sperling-holocaust-program-speaker-announced/article_a8449078-00e1-11ef-82c1-cf70b30c0fa8.html

Our HHREC Spring Newsletter features stories about our recent events and upcoming plans including our Annual Countywide Yom Hashoah Commemoration on May 6th and Spring Luncheon fundraiser on May 9th. For these and other plans for our very busy season see https://myemail-api.constantcontact.com/HHREC-Spring-Newsletter-.html?soid=1135797325023&aid=eL1m6cSDbIw

We hope you join us tonight at Iona University in New Rochelle starting at 7:30pm as we honor Laurie Lichtenstein with our annual Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center Susan J. Goldberg Memorial Teacher Award at the annual William H. Donat Shoah Commemoration! Laurie embodies the true spirit of the award through her unwavering commitment to Holocaust education, human rights, and the betterment of her students and community. The event is free and open to the public, and no reg is required. For more information visit https://hhrecny.org/inspire_events/william-h-donat-shoah-commemoration-at-iona-university-antisemitism-in-america-historical-and-contemporary-perspectives/

We hope to see you tomorrow night at Iona University as we honor Laurie Lichtenstein with our annual Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center Susan J. Goldberg Memorial Teacher Award, and hear from our very distinguished speaker Mark Weitzman. Laurie embodies the true spirit of the award through her unwavering commitment to Holocaust education, human rights, and the betterment of her students and community. The event is free and open to the public. For more information visit https://hhrecny.org/inspire_events/william-h-donat-shoah-commemoration-at-iona-university-antisemitism-in-america-historical-and-contemporary-perspectives/

Next Tuesday, April 16th HHREC and Iona University will cohost a presentation by Mark Weitzman, Chief Operating Officer, World Jewish Restitution Organization, Senior Delegate to the International Holocaust Remembrance Authority, and Vice President of the Association of Holocaust Organizations. This event is free and open to the public. For more information please visit https://hhrecny.org/inspire_events/william-h-donat-shoah-commemoration-at-iona-university-antisemitism-in-america-historical-and-contemporary-perspectives/
We hope to see you there as we continue our annual commemorations of Yom HaShoah.

We are very excited to host a group of our GenerationsForward speakers who will appear live Wednesday night on Zoom starting at 7pm for an intimate talk about a book they have written and published documenting their families’ experiences during the Holocaust. Testaments of Courage in the Holocaust is a compilation of stories that describes the courage and resilience of their family members who escaped the N***s' final solution. To register visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtcumrqjwpHNesOx6aTKh9WWnat5UreHsU #/registration

We were very pleased to be with over 400 students and teachers from 34 area schools who attended our 22nd Annual High School Institute at Iona University this year featuring a panel moderated by Manhattanville students that included Sam Lanoff, Program Assistant at the U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance who was a previous student attendee; Juan Ruiz-Diaz from University at Albany; Kaitlyn Incandela from Iona and HHREC intern; and Matthew Boggi, Clark Scholar at Manhattanville College. Other highlights included a presentation by HHREC GenerationsForward Speaker Lisa Salko and annual awards presented to students for their work in promoting human rights in their schools and communities. The Richard A. Berman Leadership Award for Human Rights was awarded to Janira Martinez from Peekskill High School and Alexandra Camardella from Somers High School; The Andy Cahn “Community Service” Award was presented to Avila Lim, New Rochelle High School and Elliott Saiontz, Horace Greeley High School; and the Neil Ginsberg Student “Upstander” Award was presented to Na Chen, Ossining High School and Charlotte Brodbeck, Byram Hills High School. It was a very inspiring program and we salute all of you who were with us and will become Upstanders in your communities! To read the full story, click https://hhrecny.org/area-high-school-students-and-teachers-attend-education-event-featuring-us-agency-for-international-development-usaid-speaker-and-second-generation-holocaust-survivor/