AMERICAN & INTERNATIONAL SOCIETIES FOR YAD VASHEM Vol. 42-No. 2 ISSN 0892-1571 November/December 2015-Kislev/Tevet 5776 The American & International Societies for Yad Vashem Annual Tribute Dinner COMMEMORATING 70 YEARS SINCE LIBERATION ished. At the dedication ceremony in has been recognized for both her tal- the son of survivors shaped his con- BY ISAAC BENJAMIN Jerusalem, Mr. Friedman spoke of his ent and her social engagement by the science. and his wife’s parents’ stories of sur- White House and the president of Offering a different narrative of that n November 15th, the vival in the face of Nazi persecution. Israel. In 2011, she received the fateful time, Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter OAmerican Society for Yad On the dais in New York he refer- American Society for Yad Vashem remembered his father, Rabbi Herschel Vashem held its Annual Tribute enced those remarks, explaining that Young Leadership Award. Schacter, U.S. Army chaplain at the lib- Dinner celebrating 70 years since the “being involved with Yad Vashem is The Horace W. Goldsmith eration of Buchenwald. The senior liberation of the concentration camps not just another charity; to me it is Foundation was also recognized at the Rabbi Schacter was the first chaplain and the end of World War II. Joined personal.” He concluded by acknowl- Tribute Dinner. Accepting the award, to reach Buchenwald, only an hour by American Society Chair Leonard after General Patton. In those first few Wilf, Director General of Yad Vashem months, Schacter helped thousands Dorit Novak, and international digni- of freshly liberated survivors both taries, three generations committed to physically and spiritually. His son Holocaust remembrance came recalled hearing survivors express together at the Pierre Hotel in New their gratitude to his father as “the York to support the American Society most memorable experiences of my for Yad Vashem. Representing differ- childhood.” Over the years, as Rabbi ent aspects of liberation, the program Jacob Schacter witnessed these was filled with memories of survival many reunions, he further appreciat- and the emotional return to humanity ed the belief that “we were not spared after the Holocaust. to forget.” The dinner opened with the event Throughout the evening, various master of ceremonies, actor Mike speakers referenced General Dwight Burstyn, singing “The Star-Spangled D. Eisenhower’s role in the liberation Banner” and “Hatikvah”. As a friend of of Buchenwald and other concentra- the organization, Burstyn has worked tion camps. As the final speaker, the with the American Society in the past Ron B. Meier, executive director of ASYV; Philip Friedman, recipient of the Yad Vashem president’s granddaughter Mary Jean and ardently supports its work. Remembrance Award; and Chairman of the ASYV Leonard A. Wilf. Eisenhower brought those memories Throughout the night, Burstyn guided edging the dozens of young adults in Dr. Lilian Steinberg described the rela- full circle with stories of how liberation the crowd through the meaningful attendance, many of whom were tionship between her family, the foun- had affected her grandfather. She program that was personally curated third-generation representatives. dation and Yad Vashem. Two families read fragments from his correspon- by 2015 Tribute Dinner Chair Mark “Because of the young people” of survivors, Lillie and Milton Steinberg dence, detailing the emotionally scar- Moskowitz. Friedman emotionally concluded, “I and Lola and Henry Tenenbaum, ring “visual evidence and the verbal Yad Vashem Benefactors Rose and still have hope.” developed a close relationship with testimony of starvation, cruelty and Philip Friedman were honored for a close friend of the Friedmans, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation bestiality.” She concluded her lifetime devoted to supporting Jewish A famed “hip-hop violinist” Miri trustee and talented artist Thomas remarks saying, “I do not believe my communities worldwide. As children Ben-Ari, appeared on stage for a sur- Slaughter. Since the start of that friend- grandfather was ever the same after of Holocaust survivors, the couple prise tribute performance. The first ship in 1993, the foundation has proud- witnessing what he did, and I know he has made Holocaust remembrance time she met the Friedmans, the ly donated over $ 1 million to Yad was emphatic that the world under- and education a top priority. In 2014, Grammy Award–winning artist told Vashem. Accepting the recognition on stand what happened.” the Friedman family dedicated the the crowd, “we shared our commit- behalf of the late Tom Slaughter was When reflecting on the evening that Jerusalem Garden at Yad Vashem in ment to the mitzvah of ‘never forget.’” his daughter, Hannah Jocelyn. covered the many perspectives of lib- honor of their parents who survived The Israeli born Ben-Ari is the grand- s featured speaker, celebrated eration, we left with an even greater the Holocaust, and to the memory of daughter of survivors and an activist A CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer was commitment to Holocaust remem- their many family members who per- for Holocaust remembrance. Ben-Ari introduced by American Society Chair brance. The work of the American Leonard Wilf. Blitzer and Wilf as kids Society to support Yad Vashem’s mis- first met in Augsburg, Germany and sion in Jerusalem has evolved from IN THIS ISSUE grew up together as friends both in the founding group of passionate sur- The American Society for Yad Vashem Annual Tribute Dinner............1, 8-9 Germany and later in America. Blitzer vivors to a much larger, intergenera- America and the Holocaust: The past as prologue.....................................2 began by showing a video clip he tional group committed to their foun- Anatomy of the murderers.............................................................................4 made for CNN, tracing his family’s dational cause. When introducing “I dared it, and I made it”...............................................................................5 Holocaust experience through the Mary Jean Eisenhower, American “I’m still there — in my dreams”...................................................................6 Yad Vashem archives. “Yad Vashem Society Treasurer David Halpern How a Holocaust heroine is finally written into the annals of history.......7 played a significant role for me,” he poignantly verbalized the message of Life after liberation........................................................................................10 said about his trip, “as it has for many the evening. “The cause of Holocaust Seven decades on Israel still seeks resolutions for “Holocaust art”......13 children and grandchildren of remembrance is very daunting,” Polish author reopens minefield of who killed Jedwabne’s Jews...........14 Holocaust survivors.” He stressed Halpern told the crowd, “but having The concentration camp currency you’ve never heard of........................16 how the experience of growing up as you with us strengthens our resolve.” Page 2 MARTYRDOM & RESISTANCE November/December 2015 - Kislev/Tevet 5776 AMERICA AND THE HOLOCAUST: THE PAST AS PROLOGUE disbarred many lawyers from practic- Edith Rogers introduced a bill that ly 25% of Penn’s and 40% of BY JEFF LIPKES, ing. Jewish doctors, dentists and pro- would have admitted 10,000 Jewish Columbia’s. This door was slammed AMERICAN THINKER fessors would soon join the ranks of children outside of the quota, match- shut in the name of regional diversity the unemployed. The purging of the ing the Kindertransport, and another and “character,” acquired at private here are two kinds of evil doers: professions was accompanied by ran- 10,000 in 1940. The bill faced stiff schools. those who kill, rape, beat and T dom arrests, beatings and murders of opposition, was not supported by The great appeal of the New Deal brutalize others, and those who let Jews and political opponents. There Roosevelt, and died in committee. for many Jews was not ideological, this happen. were about 2,000 assassinations dur- In May, refugees from Germany but simply that its new agencies and The story of American and British ing the year. This practice didn’t begin aboard the St. Louis were turned programs provided work they were indifference to the fate of Jews during with the notorious Night of the Long away from Cuba, though they had excluded from in the private sector, the Second World War still makes for Knives in June 1934. Concentration visas valid at the time they were apart from creating jobs for those who disturbing reading. It’s worth revisiting camps at Dachau and Oranienburg issued. The captain, Gerhard had lost them in the Crash of ’29. the subject for three reasons: were opened, and Counterintuitively, as the situation 1) The abandonment of the Jews — cities and towns vied grew direr for nearly all of Europe’s the title of David Wyman’s compre- with each other to Jews, anti-Semitism in the U.S. hensive study — is the ultimate pass laws restricting increased. Jews placed third, behind rationale for the creation of the state Jews. American con- Japanese and Germans, in a poll in of Israel. There will be no second suls were appalled at February 1942 that asked “what Hitler in Europe — though he has the brutality, and sent nationality, religious or racial groups many apprentices in the Middle East. back detailed reports. in this country are a menace to But when the West turned its back on The violence culmi- Americans?” By June 1944, they Hitler’s victims (with exceptions dis- nated in Kristallnacht were in first place, with 24% of those cussed below), many Jews who were on the night of surveyed believing they posed a not committed Zionists were persuad- November 9, 1938. threat to the country. ed that the survival of their people Jews had already our things contributed to the depended on its having a state of its been stripped of citi- Judeophobia of the ‘20s, ‘30s own, and an army to defend it. “There F zenship by the and ‘40s: are two sorts of countries in the A synagogue on fire during Kristallna cht, Siegen, Germany.