Salute to Hollywood Benefit Gala
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AMERICAN & INTERNATIONAL SOCIETIES FOR YAD VASHEM Vol. 42-No. 5 ISSN 0892-1571 May/June 2016-Iyyar/Sivan 5776 SALUTE TO HOLLYWOOD BENEFIT GALA he American Society for Yad “Hollywood’s Last Survivors.” The and Janice have challenged us to do moving introduction Goldwyn stated, T Vashem (ASYV), in partnership writers inspired us with their treatment better and to be better through this “[Meyer] has never failed to speak out with the Jewish Life Foundation, host- of each survivor’s story, demonstrat- article, which shines a bright light so so that the sacrifices [of our people] ed its third annual Salute to Hollywood ing great care and respect for every that we will not forget these stories.” are not lost to the sands of time. He is Benefit Gala on Monday, June 6th, at individual name, photo and memory. Peter Flax, principal author of dedicated to effecting change in the the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly The beautifully written article mirrors “Hollywood’s Last Survivors,” said, world, so that the power of love and Hills. The inspirational evening brought Yad Vashem’s personal approach to “Hearing these stories is an experi- tolerance can subdue evil.” Both of together 350 new and returning these individuals have had a supporters of Yad Vashem, the profound influence in the World Holocaust Remembrance Hollywood community and were Center. Emcee Mike Burstyn featured in The Hollywood opened the event by introducing Reporter’s article. singer Michael Libow, who led the We also had the pleasure of audience in the national anthems honoring philanthropist David and Holocaust survivor Jack Nagel Wiener. A survivor of Auschwitz, for Hamotzi, the blessing over the David built his real estate bread. Leonard Wilf, chairman of empire from the ground up with ASYV, kicked off the program by hard work and determination. welcoming all of our guests. Among David is a true leader in the those in attendance were some of community — his generosity Yad Vashem’s most esteemed sup- knows no bounds. Adam porters — Sheldon and Miriam Milstein presented David with Adelson, Patrons of the Mount of our Lifetime Achievement Award Remembrance; Fela Shapell and and the evening concluded with the Shapell family, who, along with guests singing “Happy Birthday” David Shapell, z”l, are pillars of Yad to Wiener, celebrating his 90th Vashem; and Susanne, Edward birthday, and wishing him a and Elissa Czuker. Edward and huge Mazal Tov on his marriage Elissa served as the Gala chairs the day before the event. and worked tirelessly to ensure the These three Holocaust sur- evening’s success. Presentation of the Vanguard Award to The Hollywood Reporter and its EVP and group publisher, Lynne Segall vivors, as well as the others who For many years, the Hollywood (left), and President and CCO, Janice Min (second from right). Presenters Jeffrey Katzenberg, (founder and CEO were able to join us at the gala, community has been an essential of DreamWorks Animation, second from left) and Leonard Wilf, chairman of ASYV (right). truly enhanced the evening. partner in spreading the mission of telling the story of the Holocaust, and ence I’ll never forget. They illuminate Those strong men and women sur- Holocaust education and remem- in so doing, furthers our goals of the deep truths of the past and the vived under such dire circumstances brance. Starting in 1945, the year that spreading knowledge of the Shoah to future with intimate details.” THR and and have taught us the meaning of marked the end of World War II and new audiences. its staff are true champions of Yad perseverance and determination. It is the liberation of the concentration t the gala we were delighted to Vashem’s mission to restore the on their shoulders that we are able to camps, films and documentaries A honor The Hollywood Reporter memory and dignity of six million thrive and hope for a better future. struggling with the incomprehensible (THR), its president and chief creative Jewish victims and the thousands of This message was brought home reality that was the Holocaust have officer, Janice Min, and executive vice survivors alive today. after hearing from Yad Vashem repre- been produced. president and group publisher, Lynne ith deep appreciation for their sentative Irena Steinfeldt, director of Inspiration for this year’s ASYV Gala Segall. Jeffrey Katzenberg, founder W contributions, we had the priv- the Righteous Among the Nations came from a new source in the and chief executive officer of ilege of celebrating outstanding Department. Irena recounted stories Hollywood community. Last DreamWorks Animation, presented Holocaust survivors who have worked of inspiring heroes from the entertain- December, The Hollywood Reporter them with the Vanguard Award. In his throughout their lives to further the ment industry in Eastern Europe who published its groundbreaking story, remarks, Katzenberg said, “Lynne cause of Holocaust remembrance saved Jews from the horrors of the and education worldwide. Branko Holocaust. The Righteous, along with Lustig, Oscar-winning producer of our survivors, have established a IN THIS ISSUE Schindler’s List, was presented with foundation of kindness and charity ASYV Benefit Gala in Los Angeles..............................................................1,8 our Legacy Award by Phil Blazer, that we can only hope to emulate for The lessons of Bergen-Belsen remain unlearned.........................................2 founder and president of Jewish Life generations to come. The origins and onset of the Romanian Holocaust......................................4 Television. Branko’s personal journey Thanks to our generous supporters The Holocaust without Jews..........................................................................5 took him from Nazi death camps to tri- and new friends in the community, this Righteous Among the Nations, at home in Israel..........................................................7 umph at the Oscars; in 2015 Branko was our most successful event yet in Photo highlights from the ASYV Annual Spring Luncheon........................................9 presented his Oscar for Schindler’s Los Angeles. We surpassed our A WWII vacation that saved two Jewish brothers’ lives.............................10 List to Yad Vashem. Actor Tony fundraising goal and have set new Holocaust haunts Lithuanians as painful past comes to light...................11 Goldwyn presented Meyer Gottlieb, records for the future. We look forward When Poland eyed Madagascar as a future homeland for Jews..............15 former president of Samuel Goldwyn to planting roots in the community and Swiss under pressure over art that Jews were forced to sell....................16 Films, with our Legacy Award. In his growing our Yad Vashem family. Page 2 MARTYRDOM & RESISTANCE May/June 2016 - Iyyar/Sivan 5776 THE LESSONS OF BERGEN-BELSEN REMAIN UNLEARNED Holocaust touched only European inal at Nuremberg. Islamism, which had entrenched BY LYN JULIUS, Jews. He was indicted, judged and con- themselves in the Arab world over the THE JERUSALEM POST Although their suffering cannot be victed by Yugoslavia for crimes preceding decade, aimed to destroy, compared to the horrors inflicted on against humanity, arising from his piv- or at best exclude, non-Muslim n April 15 the world was mark- the Jews of Eastern Europe, Jews in otal role in the Handschar and minorities from public and political life. ing the 70th anniversary of the O North Africa were not spared the Skanderbeg SS divisions, which n 1947 the Arab League drafted a liberation of the notorious Bergen- impact of the war. Some 2,500 Libyan deported Balkan Jews from Kosovo, plan to treat its Jewish citizens as Belsen concentration camp. More I Jews were shipped by the Italian Macedonia and Thrace. But the Allies enemy aliens, before a single than 50,000 prisoners, mainly Jews, Fascist regime to the notorious Giado shrank from offending the Arabs. The Palestinian Arab had fled. died there — of starvation, overwork labor camp. One-fifth died of typhus mufti remained a hero for tens of Barely three years after the end of or disease or following gruesome or starvation. thousands. World War II, Arab League member medical experiments. Anne Frank Neighboring Tunisia came under Nazi Germany lavished money and states emulated Nazism with their was probably the most famous victim. direct Nazi control for six months. propaganda on the Arab world in the Nuremberg-style laws, criminalizing She and her sister perished of typhus Some 2,000 Tunisian Jewish men, hope of fomenting an anti-colonial Zionism, freezing Jewish bank in the camp just one month before lib- wearing the obligatory yellow star, uprising. It funded the Muslim accounts, instituting quotas, and eration. Brotherhood, established in Egypt in imposing restrictions on jobs and 1928. Its founder, Hassan al-Banna, movement. Violence and the threat of made the Nazi concept of the Jew as violence did the rest. The result was the epitome of all-embracing evil, over- ethnic cleansing of age-old Jewish laid with traditional anti-Jewish Koranic communities in a single generation. prejudice, the core of the Brotherhood’s The ghost of Nazi-inspired, anti- ideology. By the war’s end, the Jewish bigotry was never exorcised: Brotherhood had a million members. after World War II, the Arab world gave Shortly after the Belsen survivors safe haven to Nazi war criminals on had returned to Libya, the Jews of the run. They became military advisors Tripoli and outlying villages suffered a and spin doctors of Jew-hatred. vicious three-day pogrom, which Adolph Eichmann, Nazi architect of claimed the lives of 130 and made the “Final Solution,” hoped his “Arab thousands of Jews homeless. friends” would continue his battle ow was this possible barely six against the Jews, who were always Hmonths after news of the terri- the “principal war criminals” and “prin- ble extermination of the Jews of cipal aggressors.” He hadn’t man- Europe had reached the Arab world? aged to complete his task of “total The November 1945 Libyan riots annihilation,” but the Muslims could were a spillover from disturbances in still complete it for him.