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International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Austin Tang — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 19:37:16 +0000

Liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp by the Red Army, January 1945.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, is an international memorial day on 27 January that commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, which resulted in the genocide of one-third of the Jewish people along with countless numbers of individuals of other minority groups, by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945: an attempt to implement its “Final Solution” to the Jewish question. The choice of 27 January for the annual commemoration aligns with the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp by the Red Army in 1945.

The day commemorates the systematic extermination of 6 million Jews, representing two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population, alongside the deaths of millions of others perpetrated by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.^[1]^[2] It was designated by United Nations General Assembly resolution 60/7 on 1 November 2005.^[3] The resolution was developed following a special session convened on 24 January of that year to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps and the conclusion of the Holocaust.^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]

Many countries have instituted their own Holocaust memorial days. Many, such as the United Kingdom’s Holocaust Memorial Day, also fall on 27 January; others, such as Yom HaShoah (27 Nisan on the Hebrew calendar), the commemoration day observed by the State of Israel and much of the broader Jewish community, are observed at other times of the year.

The General Assembly Resolution 60/7

Resolution 60/7, adopted by the General Assembly on 1 November 2005, established 27 January as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The resolution urges every member nation of the UN to honor the memory of Holocaust victims, six million Jews, “one third of the Jewish people, along with countless members of other minorities,” and encourages the development of educational programs about Holocaust history to help prevent future acts of genocide. It rejects any denial of the Holocaust as an event and condemns all manifestations of religious intolerance, incitement, harassment or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief. It also calls for actively preserving the Holocaust sites that served as Nazi death camps, concentration camps, forced labor camps and prisons, as well as for establishing a UN programme of outreach and mobilization of society for Holocaust remembrance and education.^[3]

Resolution 60/7 and the International Holocaust Day was an initiative of the State of Israel. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, Silvan Shalom, was the head of the delegation of Israel to the United Nations.^[8]

The essence of the text lies in its twofold approach: one that deals with the memory and remembrance of those who were massacred during the Holocaust and the other with educating future generations of its horrors.

The International Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust is thus a day on which we must reassert our commitment to human rights. […]
We must also go beyond remembrance, and make sure that new generations know this history. We must apply the lessons of the Holocaust to today’s world. And we must do our utmost so that all peoples may enjoy the protection and rights for which the United Nations stands.

— Message by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the second observance of the Holocaust Victims Memorial Day on 19 January 2008^[9]

Commemorations at the United Nations

In 2006, 2007, and 2008, Holocaust Remembrance Weeks were organized by The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme. The programme is part of the Outreach Division of the United Nations Department of Public Information and was established under General Assembly resolution 60/7.

In 2006

On 24 January, the United Nations Headquarters launched Holocaust Remembrance Week with the exhibit “No Child’s Play – Remembrance and Beyond.” Created by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, the exhibit focused on children during the Holocaust. It showcased toys, games, artwork, diaries, and poems to tell their stories and highlight their struggle for survival amid the horrors of that time. On 25 January, the screening of the movie Fateless by Lajos Koltai took place in the Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium.^{[citation needed]}

On 27 January, the United Nations Department of Public Information held the first universal observance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day at United Nations Headquarters. In the General Assembly Hall, a memorial ceremony and lecture were held under the theme “Remembrance and Beyond”. It featured welcoming remarks by former Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information Shashi Tharoor; a videotaped message by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan; statements by the permanent representatives of Israel and Brazil to the UN, Holocaust survivor, historian, and author Gerda Weissmann Klein, and the Gerda and Kurt Klein Foundation; narration of photographs of Holocaust victims memorialized on “Pages of Testimony” in the Hall of Names at Yad Vashem;^[10] as well as a performance by the Zamir Chorale of Boston; and a lecture by Yehuda Bauer, an academic advisor to Yad Vashem and the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research.^[11]^[12]

In 2007

On 29 January, the second annual observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust was held in the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters.^[13]

Shasta Tharp, former Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, introduced a programme that began with a video message from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Statements were then made by Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, president of the sixty-first session of the General Assembly, and Ambassador Dan Gillerman, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations.^[14] The keynote “Remembrance and Beyond” address was given by Madame Simone Veil, a Holocaust survivor, president of the Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah and a member of the Constitutional Council of France.

The observance focused on the importance of infusing today’s youth with the lessons of the Holocaust so that future generations may work to prevent hatred, bigotry, racism, and prejudice. Marie Noel, a College of Saint Elizabeth student, shared her experiences visiting former concentration camps in Poland.

The memorial ceremony also focused on the disabled community as one of the many victim groups of the Nazi regime. Thomas Schindlmayr of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs highlighted the importance of education in promoting tolerance and ending discrimination against all minorities, particularly in light of the adoption by the General Assembly on 13 December 2006 of the landmark Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

A musical performance was also given by HaZamir: The International Jewish High School Chamber Choir, a project of the Zamir Choral Foundation founded and directed by Matthew Lazar. Netanel Hershtik, cantor of the Hampton Synagogue, recited the Kaddish.

During the observance the United Nations Department of Public Information also launched a new website and resource for United Nations member states, educators and non-governmental organizations entitled “Electronic Notes for Speakers” developed for the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme by Yad Vashem – the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes Remembrance Authority, Jerusalem, and the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education and the Mémorial de la Shoah in Paris.^[15] The electronic notes provide survivor testimony and information materials that will equip speakers with the tools needed to conduct briefings on the Holocaust and lessons to be learned from it.

The United Nations bookstore made available ten volumes of autobiographical accounts of Holocaust survivors published jointly by The Holocaust Survivors’ Memoirs Project and Yad Vashem – the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes Remembrance Authority. An initiative of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust Survivors’ Memoirs Project has collected over 900 manuscripts. Its mission is to provide both the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust with the dignity of a permanent historical presence, not as impersonal statistics but as individuals with names, voices, and emotions. The United Nations bookstore also had a discussion by Daniel Mendelsohn about his book The Lost: A Search for Six of the Six Million.

The Department of Public Information also marked Holocaust Remembrance Week with two exhibits in the United Nations visitors’ lobby. The first, entitled “The Holocaust against the Sinti and Roma and Present Day Racism in Europe”, focused on the experience of the Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust. The second exhibit featured artwork created by Holocaust survivors, exploring the meaning and understanding of the Holocaust.^[16]

On 31 January, a special screening of Volevo solo Vivere (I Only Wanted to Live), directed by Mimmo Calopresti, took place. The film tells the moving story of nine Italian survivors of Auschwitz. The following day, Nazvy svoie im’ia (Spell Your Name), directed by Serhiy Bukovsky, was also screened. The film, about the Holocaust in Ukraine, tells the story of local people who escaped brutal execution and those who rescued friends and neighbours during the Holocaust. Both films, produced by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, were shown in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium. On 2 February, the third discussion paper in the Holocaust and Genocide series was published about Hitler, Pol Pot and Hutu Power.^[17]

In 2008

Throughout the week of 28 January 2008, the United Nations Department of Public Information organized a number of events around the world to remember the victims of the Holocaust and underscore the value of human life.^[18] The 2008 observance focused on the need to ensure the protection of human rights for all. It coincided with the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Holocaust Remembrance Day began with the joint launch of a new United Nations Holocaust Remembrance postage stamp issued simultaneously, for the first time, with a national stamp by the Israel Postal Company.^[19] The two stamps bear the same design.

On 28 January 2008, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the daughter of United States Congressman Tom Lantos, himself a Holocaust survivor, delivered a keynote address, “Civic Responsibility and the Preservation of Democratic Values,” at the memorial ceremony and concert held in the General Assembly Hall.

Other speakers included Srgjan Kerim (Macedonia), president of the sixty-second session of the General Assembly, Ambassador Dan Gillerman, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, and Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.^[18]

The ceremony also featured a concert with the Tel Aviv University Buchmann-Mehta School of Music symphony orchestra in cooperation with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by maestro Zubin Mehta.^[20]

On 30 January 2008, the first permanent exhibit on the Holocaust and the United Nations was unveiled. Produced by the Holocaust and United Nations Outreach Programme, it presents an overview of the Holocaust in the context of World War II and the founding of the United Nations. It is seen by the 400,000 visitors who visit the United Nations Headquarters annually. In preparation for the exhibit opening, Elizabeth Edelstein, Director of Education for the Museum of Jewish Heritage, briefed the United Nations tour guides on the history of the Holocaust to further their understanding of this watershed event.

Around the world United Nations offices organized events to mark the Day of Commemoration. In Brazil, an observance was held on 25 January with the president of the country, Jose Inacio Lula da Silva, and the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, César Maia. In Madagascar, a permanent exhibit on the Holocaust was unveiled at the United Nations Information Centre.

The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme also coordinated a video conference for students with the United Nations information centres in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Lomé, Togo, and educators at the Mémorial de la Shoah in Paris. At the United Nations office in Ukraine, a round-table discussion was organized in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ukrainian Holocaust Study Centre. In Tokyo on 29 January, an educational workshop targeting young students focused on the links between the Holocaust and human rights issues.

Also, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum provided information material in English and Spanish to a number of United Nations information centers for use in their reference libraries.

To help carry out its educational mission, the Department of Public Information participated in a panel discussion with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the afternoon of 28 January to highlight the importance of Holocaust education, organized by B’nai B’rith International.

A second exhibit, “Carl Lutz and the Legendary Glass House in Budapest”, was co-sponsored by the Carl Lutz Foundation and the Permanent Missions of Switzerland and Hungary. Carl Lutz, the Swiss Vice-Consul in Budapest, had issued certificates of emigration to place tens of thousands of Jews under Swiss protection.^[18]

In 2019

In January 2019, the Albanian Ambassador to the UN, Besiana Kadare, on behalf of Albania co-hosted together with the World Jewish Congress and the United Nations Department of Global Communications an event on the theme “A story of humanity: the rescue of Jews in Albania”.^[21] Kadare delivered remarks at the United Nations at a briefing entitled “Holocaust Remembrance: Demand and Defend your Human Rights”, marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day and reflecting on the genocide of six million European Jews during World War Two, and the little-known record of Albanians during the Holocaust in Albania, which took in thousands of Jews who would otherwise have ended up in the Nazi death camps.^[22]^[23]

In 2020

In January 2020, Chelsea FC unveiled a mural by Solomon Souza on an outside wall of the West Stand at Stamford Bridge stadium to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day. The mural is part of Chelsea’s ‘Say No to Antisemitism’ campaign funded by club owner Roman Abramovich. Included on the mural are depictions of footballers Julius Hirsch and Árpád Weisz, who were killed at Auschwitz concentration camp, and Ron Jones, a British prisoner of war known as the ‘Goalkeeper of Auschwitz’.^[24]

Commemorations outside the United Nations

Commemorations are held at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC,^[25] and at Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem.^[26]

In Austria, commemorations of the Remembrance Day are held at the Heldenplatz in Vienna since 2012. The broad platform Jetzt Zeichen setzen! calls for participation of the civil society. Speakers include survivors of the Holocaust, antifascist activists and politicians hailing from parties throughout the political spectrum.

In Israel on International Holocaust Remembrance Day government officials, diplomats and ambassadors visit Yad Vashem^[27] and there are ceremonies throughout the country. Every year the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs presents an assessment of the state of global antisemitism at a cabinet meeting.^[28] The report reviews the main trends and incidents of the last year, in terms of antisemitism and combating antisemitism.

Israel’s main national Holocaust memorial day however, known as Yom HaShoah, is on the 27th day of the Hebrew calendar month of Nisan.

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HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE: Courage and Conviction event & A POWERFUL MOVIE ABOUT LITHUANIAN JEWS MURDERED BY RUSSIANS AND NAZIS…INHUMAN

Austin Tang — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 13:29:24 +0000

Courage and Conviction Holocaust Remembrance event – see details below.

The event can be viewed on our website at: https://amyisraelchaiatlanta.org/courage-and-conviction/index.html

Thank you for watching the incredible J’Accuse movie. The movie is a brilliant documentary that gives a voice to the murdered Jews of Lithuania. The Holocaust in Lithuania resulted in an almost complete annihilation of the Jewish community. More than 95 percent of Lithuania’s Jewish population (approximately 220,000 Jews) were murdered by the Nazis and their Lithuanian collaborators during the War – mostly between June and December of 1941. This was a more complete destruction than befell any other country affected by the Holocaust. A deep and simmering level of antisemitism fueled this destruction in Lithuania – and sadly, it is not unlike the deepening and unbridled antisemitism we are experiencing around the world today.

We invite you to view the Courage and Conviction event on our website that includes Holocaust survivor speaker, Elly Gotz, who is 95 years old and is an incredible speaker. He is a survivor of the Kovno Ghetto and the Dachau concentration camp. He was liberated by Hilbert Margol (another Atlanta connection). Hilbert is a liberator who was with the US Army, Rainbow Division who liberated Dachau on April 29th, 1945. Hilbert lives in Dunwoody and looks forward to celebrating his 100th birthday in February.

Our other speakers – Grant Gochin and Silvia Foti both have incredible stories to tell about their families in Lithuania.

Grant Gochin lost over 100 family members in the Holocaust in Lithuania.

Silvia is a journalist who began writing a book about her grandfather who is held as a Lithuanian War hero – but who she discovered was responsible for the deaths of more than 14,000 Jews in Lithuania. Together they are fighting for justice in Lithuania.

The event includes a riveting and most interesting panel discussion including Grant Gochin, Silvia Foti and film director, Michael Kretzmer.

The panel discussion is moderated by Nadia Bilchik – an Atlanta based television news anchor, keynote speaker and communications specialist.

The event also includes an online exhibit about the Holocaust in Lithuania: https://amyisraelchaiatlanta.org/courage-and-conviction/exhibit.html

Best regards,

Andrea Videlefsky

President, Am Yisrael Chai

The post HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE: Courage and Conviction event & A POWERFUL MOVIE ABOUT LITHUANIAN JEWS MURDERED BY RUSSIANS AND NAZIS…INHUMAN appeared first on Good News!.

Courage and Conviction Holocaust Remembrance Event

Austin Tang — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:02:25 +0000

January 21, 2024 – In Commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Am Yisrael Chai presents a powerful and unforgettable event:

COURAGE and CONVICTION – The Holocaust in Lithuania.

Keynote speakers: Elly Gotz, Grant Gochin and Silvia Foti.

The Holocaust in Lithuania resulted in an almost complete annihilation of the Jewish community. More than 95 percent of Lithuania’s Jewish population (approximately 200,000 Jews) were murdered by the Nazis and their Lithuanian collaborators during the War – mostly between June and December of 1941. This was a more complete destruction than befell any other country affected by the Holocaust. A deep and simmering level of antisemitism fueled this destruction in Lithuania – and sadly, it is not unlike the deepening and unbridled antisemitism we are experiencing around the world today.

Elly Gotz was born in Kovno, Lithuania in 1928. During the War, life became increasingly difficult for Jews. Elly survived 3 years in the Kovno ghetto and was later deported to Dachau. Elly is an author and passionate Holocaust educator.

Grant Gochin is a South African born Jew who lost more than 100 members of his family inLithuania. He is a philanthropist, author, journalist, politician and activist. He is the Honorary Consul to the Republic of Togo, and the Vice Dean of the Los Angeles Consular Corps.

Silvia Foti is a devout Catholic from Chicago, who discovered that her grandfather – who was considered a war hero in Lithuania, was complicit in the murder of Lithuanian Jews. Silvia is the author of Storm in the Land of Rain, journalist, and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee (2023). Together, Grant and Silvia expose the truth about the mass murders and killings across Lithuania. Their story is told in the movie – J’Accuse that gives a voice to the victims so cruelly murdered.

Please join us for the movie J’Accuse followed by the Courage and Conviction event featuring Elly Gotz as well as Grant Gochin, Silvia Foti and movie producer, Michael Kretzmer and that includes a panel discussion hosted by Nadia Bilchik.

Date: Sunday, January 21, 2024

Time: 7:00pm — 8:30pm EST – Online event

After signing up, you will receive a link to the movie, and for the online event.

RSVP required; Signup/Donate at: https://bit.ly/AYCEvent

This event is free and open to the public.

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The GodSquad 13th Annual Evening of Remembrance & Reflection June 22

Austin Tang — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 02:30:28 +0000

Text ONLY 5 DAYS LEFT TO SECURE YOUR TICKETS! Come celebrate with us as we honor distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to our community. Tickets, tables, and ad spaces are quickly selling out! Become a sponsor and let your organization be known as one supporting the work to end gun violence! If you are unable to attend, consider purchasing a ticket for one of our survivors of gun violence. Act today to make this a memorable evening

Purchase Tickets Here

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GoodNewsLetter: Holocaust Remembrance and Dr. Art Malone, Jr. Good Samaritan

Austin Tang — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 00:12:34 +0000

Loved the golden words of a99 yr old happy man, aholocaust survivor. Hismantra is so valuable.

We also share with you Dr. Art Malone Jr. who is a Good Samaritan, Businessman and someone who, because of his nature and deeds helps humankind to do better. By being a leader in promoting and creating “Positive Beneficial Life” for ourselves and others we are doing our part to make our world more Peaceful, Dr. Malone stands for this.

DR. ARTHUR MALONE JR. Founder/Chairman/ CEO & Good Samaritan

What Does Peace Mean to Dr. Arthur Malone Jr.?

COMMENTS NOTE: Should you want to put any comments on these and other stories go to www.youtube.com/goodnewsbroadcast and search them. We also will be putting comments on our websites shortly, as we have had them in the past. Dialogue is Good News, good or bad it’s healthy. Good News Broadcast, est. on July 4, 1998 when YouTube started, has over 6,000+ shows on YouTube.

Good News created the Visual Voices Show on MNN Television in Manhattan, NY for Wednesday February 1 at 9:30pm est. The show covers our International Day of Peace event in Times Square on September 21, 2022. MNN is on Spectrum TV Channel: Fio’s 34, RCN/Astound 83, Spectrum 56/1996. 350,000 households.

Reminder Mother Earth and our Climate Conditions Need Help! Draughts, Floods, Hurricanes, Firers, No Drinking Water, Sanitation…. ASAP. There is Good News as there are many that are helping. Please help us to SUPPORT THOSE DOING THE RIGHT THING.

As we proceed to find funders/sponsors for our Times Square Events on March 22, 2023 for World Water Day and April 22 for Earth Day we are learning about ESG, Environment, Social and Guidance. This, along with CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility are the future of companies for business and employees. Not Responsibility No Mother Earth. WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

So I want to add to ESG, CSR ..PSR Personal Social Responsibility, we are the answer and we are the problem, along with our animal and plant kingdom. One World.

If you know of a company, individual, philanthropist who we should feature for the Good Work they are doing for ESG, CSR, PSR please call Paul 212 647 1212, asap.

Also to make a donation please go to www.pausetheworldforpeace.org and every cent will be used for our Pause The World Events and Broadcasts.

Here is our latest Sizzle Reel from our September 21, 2022 Times Square 5 Hour Broadcast. https://goodnewsplanet.com/2022-peace-day-sizzle-reel/

Here is our Power Point Presentation, as of 010923 for our Earth and Water Day Events. This Presentation was submitted to the Largest Asset Management Corporation in the World, BlackRock, whose CEO & His Company are “Doing the Right Thing” for ESG. We support them in their efforts, as it is business that will help save Mother Earth and our opportunity to live a long healthy life. WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. This Good News Corporation, nonprofit presentation is for all to consider, as there are different funder levels for participation, or please just make a donation. We await hearing from BlackRock, but either way they are “ Doing the Right Thing” for us to learn from Here is the link. BlackRock Presentation

BlackRock & Earth and World Water Day Times Square Power Point…

As stated, our Times Square World Water Day March 22, 2023 and Earth Day Concert April 22, 2022 will soon be here. CLIMATE CHANGE IS UPON US NOW! Please volunteer to help us with the events, we need: Helpers to pull together the largest Human Peace Sign in Times Square from organizations, raise nonprofit funds, work physically on the products, different language assistance and more, www.pausetheworldforpeace.org. Call 212 647 1212 or email me at paul.sladkus@goodnewsbroadcast.com

In closing, “A Positive Attitude will take on all chalenges.” We, hope that this is everyone’s motto for 2023, you can do it if you focus on your GOALS & PASSION. WE BELIEVE IN YOU. In addition, try to Flow like water & you will find your way through ANY ROCK.

Lastly, HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR…WE ARE BLESSED.

“All we are is what we are with each other.” Zeal

With Respect. Love and May Peace Prevail on Earth, For Information
Contact:
Paul Sladkus,
Founder, Good News Corporation 501 C 3 212 647 1212
paul.sladkus@goodnewsbroadcast.com
and our Good News and Peace Worldwide Team who make our Peace Day 9/21 and Good News happen.
www.pausetheworldforpeace.org, www.goodnewsplanet.com, www.peacedayparty.org,
www.goodnewsbroadcast.com,
www.9-21.org, www.momentofsilenceforpeace.org, www.we.net (We the World, Rick Ulfic), www.unify.org

LET’S GROW TOGETHER. GOOD NEWS MOTTO: ALL WE ARE IS WHAT WE ARE WITH EACH OTHER. ZEAL

For more information contact:
Paul Sladkus, 212 647 1212
New York, NY, Montauk, NY

PS – SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR FRIENDS AND MEMBERS: Looking for a vacation rental, SHORT TERM, in Montauk, NY. Call Paul Sladkus.
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call me. Paul 917 687 1790

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Mandoo

Austin Tang — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 20:27:45 +0000

https://give.morrisanimalfoundation.org/memorials/mandoo/
Remembrance

Though absent, you are very near.
Still Loved, Still Missed and Very Dear

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ZION PARK MEMORIAL REMEMBRANCE COMMEMORATION

admin — Thu, 24 May 2018 18:39:43 +0000

“TO COMMEMORATE THOSE WHO AT THE CALL OF THEIR COUNTRY, LEFT ALL THAT WAS DEAR,
ENDURED HARDSHIP, FACED DANGER, AND FINALLY PASSED OUT OF SIGHT OF MEN
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018 11:00am – 12:15pm
1319 East New York Avenue, Brownsville Brooklyn at Pitkin Avenue, East New York Avenue & Legion St.

Program Introduction
Howard Teich, Founding Chair, Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative
Mark Jaffe, President & CEO, Greater NY Chamber of Commerce

Honor Guard, Presentation of Colors & National Anthem Fire Department of the City of New York
Invocations & Opening Prayers Champlain Jacob Goldstein, Colonel, Retired USA William H. Williams, SFC, Retired USA

Patriotic Music & Readings Brownsville Ascend Public School Choir Brownsville Collaborative Middle School
Remembrances & Reflections NYC Councilmember Alicka Ampry-Samuel Raul Rothblatt, NYS Senator Jesse Hamilton’s Office Rudy Crew, President Medgar Evers College
Dr. Roy Hastick, Founder Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce Bill Tingling, School News Nationwide David Goldberg, Commander of Jewish War Veterans, Kings County Council Ryan Hegg, U.S. World War I Centennial Commission NYC Parks Dept.

Oath of Enlistment Terrance Holliday, Colonel, Retired USAF
Reading of Names on WWI Memorial Wall Rita Schwartz, V.P. Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative

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Hate is a Failure of Imagination

admin — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 18:00:17 +0000

In Remembrance of the Artists from Theresienstadt

who were murdered 70 Years ago in Auschwitz

Thursday, October 9at 7.30 pmCzech Consulate General / Bohemian National Hall321 East 73rd Street

New York, NY 10021

Free admission

However, reservations are required – To reserve tickets please send an e-mail to elysiumbtc@aol.com or call Elysium – between two continents at 212-744 4875

Paul Aron Sandfort (1930 – 2007), was deported to Theresienstadt as a child and played the trumpet in the ghetto orchestra. Years later he depicted his experiences there in several playsand novels. Until his death, Paul Aron Sandfort was an advisor and Honorary Artistic Director of Elysium – btc.

Viktor Ullmann, composer and music critic, was sent with one of the last transports in October 1944 from Theresienstadt to Auschwitz and murdered there immediately after his arrival.

The Viennese cabaret artist, Leo Strauss, who also was murdered in Auschwitz in 1944, tried to divert his fellow inmates from the sufferings of life in the camp with his tartly pointed cabaret programs. At least for the duration of those programs he wanted to cheer them up.

A Literary Collage featuring texts byAlice Herz-Sommer, Georg Kafka,Paul Aron Sandfort, Leo Strauss, Viktor Ullmann,and Ilse Weber

Concept & Introduction: Michael Lahr

Recitation: Gregorij H. von Leitis

The pianist Alice Herz-Sommer, born in Prague in 1903, survived the Holocaust. Until her death on February 23, 2014 she served as Honorary Artistic Director of Elysium. When confronted again with the atrocities of the Holocaust during the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem, Alice came to the conclusion: “One must not hate. Man must not be allowed to learn how to hate!”

In the infamous extermination machinery of the NS-Regime, Theresienstadt played a very special role. It was a propaganda instrument to distract the world from the Final Solution. For a certain period of time the inmates of Theresienstadt had the chance to be active artistically. They could organize readings, concerts, plays, even cabaret performances. But behind this cynical disguise, the systematic death machinery of the Holocaust continued to function without constraints.The Nazis relentlessly stoked hate against the Jews. They tried to dehumanize and degrade them.But the artists who were imprisoned in Theresienstadt, countered this hate – which Graham Greene so aptly described as a failure of imagination – with a powerful offensive of imagination.With their artistic fantasy, their creative power, their inventive energy they lifted up the spirit of their fellow inmates.

The literary collage “Hate is a Failure of Imagination” is a testament to the power of imagination and to the profound love and humanity of the artists who were imprisoned in the ghetto and concentration camp Theresienstadt.

“By no means did we sit weepingat the rivers of Babylon,and our cultural will was equal toour will to live.”

– Viktor Ullmann

Ilse Weber wrote more than 60 poems during her imprisonmentin Theresienstadt. In those poems she described in great detail daily life in the camp. Ilse Weber was killed in Auschwitz, but her poems were rescued.

The Lahr von Leitis Academy & Archive’s MissionArt and education without borders.Education and knowledge as efficient tools to fight against ignorance, discrimination and

hatred. Familiarizing the young generation with the treasures of exiled art to help them

create a meaningful future that incorporates the lessons learned from history.

The Lahr von Leitis Academy & Archive was founded in 1995 by Michael Lahr and Gregorij

H. von Leitis to foster the academic dialogue between the US and Europe by means of

lectures, seminars, workshops and master classes.

www.lahrvonleitisacademy.eu
Elysium’s Mission

Artistic dialogue, creative exchange and friendship between the United States of America

and Europe. Fighting against discrimination, racism and anti-Semitism by means of art.

Since its founding on October 11, 1983, Elysium has presented more than 400 programs

(theater and opera productions, concerts, readings, exhibitions, and lectures) in more than

80 cities worldwide. Over the years, Elysium has established itself as a vital force at the

intersection of American and European cultures.

www.elysiumbtc.org

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Evening in Remembrance of Alice Herz-Sommer on March 20, 2014

admin — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 14:37:54 +0000

Jolana Blau	and	Gregorij H. von Leitis
Member of the Board of Directors of Elysium – between two continents		Founding Artistic Director of Elysium – between two continents

under the auspices of

Martin Dvorák

Consul General of the Czech Republic

cordially invite you to an evening in remembrance of

ALICE HERZ-SOMMER (1903 – 2014)

Pianist

Survivor of Terezin

Honorary Artistic Director of Elysium – between two continents

on Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 7.00 pm

at the Consulate General of the Czech Republic

321 East 73rd Street (between First & Second Avenues)

in New York City

Screening of the film From Hell to Paradise by Michael Teutsch

documenting the life of Alice Herz-Sommer

followed by a reception

Due to limited seating reservations are required

Please R.S.V.P. by March 15

phone: 212-744 4875

e-mail: elysiumbtc@aol.com

or gvl@lahrvonleitisacademy.eu

Alice Herz-Sommer served for many years as advisor and Honorary Artistic Director of Elysium – between two continents. The German daily “Die Welt” called her “an optimist bigger than life.” She wasborn on November 26, 1903 in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Her mother was an accomplished pianist and a childhood friend of Gustav Mahler. Her parents were close to a number of well-known writers, scientists and musicians. Franz Kafka was a regular guest in their house. Alice’s older sister married Kafka’s best friend, the philosopher Felix Weltsch.

Early on it became clear that Alice, too, was musically very gifted and at sixteen she was the youngest member of the masterclass at Prague’s German Musical Academy. She soon became one of the best-known pianists in the city, and in the early 1930s she gave recitals in Warsaw, Vienna, Brussels; Copenhagen and other European cities.

In 1931 she married Leopold Sommer. In 1937 their son Stephan (later known as Raphael) was born. But little by little her comfortable, bourgeois world began to crumble around her. When the German Army occupied Prague in March of 1939, the persecution of Jewish citizens systematically began. Alice Herz-Sommer was not any more allowed to publicly perform or to give piano lessons to non-Jewish citizens. Then, in 1942 Alice’s mother was deported. Desperately unhappy, she resolved to learn Chopin’s 24 Études – the most technically demanding piano pieces she knew – and the complex but beautiful music saved her sanity.

In 1943, she, too – together with her husband and their six-year-old son – was deported to the concentration camp Theresienstadt. But even there music was her salvation. In the course of more than a hundred concerts she gave her fellow-prisoners strength and hope in a world of hunger, pain and death. At the same time she struggled to create a happy childhood for her beloved only son in the midst of atrocity and barbarism. Of 15,000 children sent to the camp, Stephan was one of the 130 who survived. Alice’s husband, Leopold Sommer, was deported from Theresienstadt to Auschwitz at the end of September 1944. Shortly before the liberation he died in Dachau of typhus.

After the end of World War II, Alice Herz-Sommer and her son Stephan returned to Prague. But the political climate was dominated by repression, fear and distrust. Anti-Semitism still was widespread. Therefore, Alice Herz-Sommer and her son decided to emigrate to Israel in 1947. There, she taught at the Conservatory in Jerusalem for more than 25 years.

In 1986 Alice Herz-Sommer moved to London to be close to her son, who in the meantime had become a well-known cellist, and his family. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Raphael Sommer died in 2001 during a concert tour in Israel. Almost until the very end, Alice Herz-Sommer played the piano every day for a few hours. She passed away on February 23, 2014.

The Munich-based filmmaker Michael Teutsch has documented Alice Herz-Sommer’s life in an impressive film “From Hell to Paradise or Chopin saved me” that has been highly acclaimed at international festivals.

Elysium – between two continents

Artistic dialogue, creative exchange and friendship between the United States of America

and Europe.

Fighting against discrimination, racism and anti-Semitism by means of art.

Since its founding on October 11, 1983, Elysium has presented more than 400 programs

(theater and opera productions, concerts, readings, exhibitions, and lectures) in more than

80 cities worldwide. Over the years, Elysium has established itself as a vital force at the

intersection of American and European cultures.

www.elysiumbtc.org

The Lahr von Leitis Academy & Archive

was founded in 1995 by Michael Lahr and Gregorij H. von Leitis to foster the academic

dialogue between the US and Europe by means of lectures, seminars, workshops and

master classes.

Art and education without borders. Education and knowledge as efficient tools to fight

against ignorance, discrimination and hatred.

Familiarizing the young generation with the treasures of exiled art, to help them create a

meaningful future that incorporates the lessons learned from history.

www.lahrvonleitisacademy.eu

The post Evening in Remembrance of Alice Herz-Sommer on March 20, 2014 appeared first on Good News!.

Assemblyman Travis Allen Recognizes Dr. Morry Waksberg at Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony

admin — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:55:17 +0000

Assemblyman Travis Allen Recognizes Dr. Morry Waksberg at Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony. Dr. Waksberg is running for political office and speaks from the heart with his Good News

Dr. Morry Waksberg, the son of Holocaust survivors Jack and Ida Waksberg is recognized on the Assembly Floor during the Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony

Yesterday, Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) recognized Dr. Morry Waksberg, in honor of his parents, Holocaust survivors Jack and Ida Waksberg, at the Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony taking place Assembly Floor.

“I am proud to join my fellow legislators in proclaiming Holocaust Remembrance Week. To recognize Dr. Morry Waksberg in honor of his historical heritage is the least I can do in observance of such a incomprehensible event” said Assemblyman Allen.

“I think the event was compelling and it was very moving to see how the elected officials understand the horrible experience of the Holocaust survivors. This ceremony demonstrated clearly that the true struggle is good versus evil, not of people of different religions, nationality, or color. I wish that all Californians were here to see this event. They would be proud of the empathy, compassion, and sincerity of our elected officials,” said Dr. Waksberg.

Dr. Morry Waksberg is the son of Holocaust survivors Jack and Ida Waksberg. Dr. Morry Waksberg was born on March 29, 1947 in a Displaced Persons Camp located in Shuttgart, Germany. One year later, in 1948, the Waksberg family moved to Detroit, Michigan where they founded the Michigan Holocaust Museum. He attended medical school at Albert Einstein School of Medicine, interned at Harvard Medical School and completed his residency at UCLA Medical School. Dr. Waksberg practiced medicine at UCLA for many years before starting his own private practice as an ophthalmologist. Now since retired, he has worked as an advisor to President George H.W. Bush, Congressman Brad Sherman and Assemblyman Tom Hayden on health related policy issues.

Honorees attended a welcome breakfast before heading to the Assembly Floor session where the observance of the Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony was held. During the ceremony, the Assembly adopted a resolution which proclaims April 7th through April 14th as Holocaust Remembrance Week. Afterwards, each honoree was acknowledged while seated at their Member’s desk, and viewed a screening of the Holocaust Memorial Project Video, which is a compilation of interviews from honorees from previous years.

The post Assemblyman Travis Allen Recognizes Dr. Morry Waksberg at Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony appeared first on Good News!.