2010 SESSION

INTRODUCED REPRINT

10104909D INTRODUCED 1 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 249 2 Offered February 9, 2010 3 Celebrating the life of Alexander Lebenstein. 4 ±±±±±±±±±± Patrons±±Loupassi, Carr, Ebbin, Englin, Janis, Massie, O©Bannon and Peace 5 ±±±±±±±±±± 6 WHEREAS, Alexander Lebenstein of Richmond, a dedicated educator and humanitarian, died on 7 January 28, 2010; and 8 WHEREAS, a native of , , Alexander Lebenstein was born to loving parents 9 Natan Lebenstein and Charlotte Lebenstein in 1927 and was one of four siblings; and 10 WHEREAS, after in 1938, Alexander Lebenstein, then 11 years of age, and his parents 11 hid in various locations before they were found by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp; and 12 WHEREAS, Alexander Lebenstein endured great hardship and terror and was the only member of 13 the 19 Jewish families living in Haltern am See in 1938 to survive ; and 14 WHEREAS, after the war, Alexander Lebenstein left Germany and came to the United States to 15 create a new life for himself; he lived in Richmond, Miami, and New York before coming back to 16 Richmond; and 17 WHEREAS, for decades, Alexander Lebenstein harbored great anger towards his hometown of 18 Haltern am See and his native country for the atrocities inflicted upon him and his family; and 19 WHEREAS, in 1994 two schoolchildren from Haltern am See wrote to Alexander Lebenstein, asking 20 him to come back to Germany and talk about his experiences during the Holocaust; and 21 WHEREAS, Alexander Lebenstein bravely returned to his native land in 1995; as he shared his story

22 and experienced the sincerity of the schoolchildren, the healing process for himself and the families of HJ249 23 Haltern am See began; and 24 WHEREAS, Alexander Lebenstein©s relationship with his hometown continued to grow; the school 25 was renamed in his honor and Alexander Lebenstein was named an honorary Haltern am See citizen; 26 and 27 WHEREAS, Alexander Lebenstein became a speaker and docent for the Virginia Holocaust Museum; 28 shared his story in The Gazebo, a book that chronicles his Holocaust experience; and traveled across the 29 Commonwealth at his own expense to educate students and encourage tolerance; and 30 WHEREAS, an example of the amazing resilience of the human spirit, Alexander Lebenstein 31 demonstrated extraordinary physical and emotional courage and strength throughout his life; his hard 32 work to heal himself and his hometown and educate a new generation against the injustices of 33 intolerance leave an enduring legacy on behalf of those he lost; and 34 WHEREAS, Alexander Lebenstein will be fondly remembered for his kind and generous nature and 35 will be greatly missed by his children Daniel and David and their families; his numerous friends and

5:34 36 admirers; and the citizens of Haltern am See; now, therefore, be it 37 RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby 38 note with great sadness the loss of a dedicated educator and humanitarian and outstanding Virginian,

3/11/10 39 Alexander Lebenstein; and, be it 40 RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution 41 for presentation to the family of Alexander Lebenstein as an expression of the General Assembly©s 42 respect for his memory.