Enriching Their Lives Through the Power of Giving to the Museum, You Will
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5 Winter 2010 6 Winter 2010 Place Stamp HERE Museum Exhibitions Eric F. Ross 1919-2010 Enriching... Around the Country The Planned Giving Newsletter of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Continued from page 1 The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936 It is with deep sadness that Upon returning from their honeymoon, Eric was called into And their generosity does not end there. Beachwood, Ohio the Museum acknowledges service in the U.S. military and sent to Europe, where he earned his They have also included a bequest in Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage the passing of our dear friend, lieutenant bars and a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service. their wills for the Museum’s Endowment, October 19, 2010–January 23, 2011 generous benefactor, and Eric went on to become a successful businessman and an avid joining the Chairman’s Circle of the Deadly Medicine: Creating the Legacy of Light Society, so that they can Lore and Eric F. Ross former Council member Eric gardener, and he and Lore, who passed away in 2009, had three Master Race BUSINESS REPLY MAIL F. Ross of Palm Beach, Fla., children, ten grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. In the support the Museum in perpetuity at an Boston, Massachusetts and South Orange, N.J. same way that he methodically built his business, Eric approached even greater level. Harvard Medical School Francis A. Countway Library of United States Holocaust Memorial Museum When Sky and Linda are not busy with Born in 1919 in Dormund, Germany, Eric fled Europe in 1938 philanthropy. The largest individual contributor to the Museum, Medicine Planned Giving without family, money, or knowledge of English, arriving in New he gave millions during his lifetime—including four challenge their accounting practice they love to April 7–July 17, 2011 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW York on November 9, the day of Kristallnacht. Most of his family, grants that enabled the Museum to recruit thousands of new travel. On a recent visit to the site of Marty Weiss, a Museum Survivor Volunteer, shares INSIDE Washington, DC 20024-2126 including his parents, did not survive the Holocaust. In 1942, he supporters—and, as Lore had done before him, he included a the Mauthausen concentration camp his personal experiences at Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals: during the Museum’s mission trip to Poland in July 1933–1945 Letter from the Director in Austria, they were struck by how married Lore Blumenthal, a native of Frankfurt whom he had met generous bequest for the Museum’s Endowment in his estate plans. 2010. Marcin Olesinski for U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Louisville, Kentucky in Germany years earlier and reconnected with in New York. He is, and forever will be, greatly missed. peaceful a setting it was and how that Confronting College Campus University of Louisville Antisemitism serenity belied the horrific events they William F. Ekstrom Library knew had transpired there. Museum International September 19–November 28, 2011 Gift Annuities: Doing Well by It also reminded them of the importance Doing Good Travel Program Upcoming Trip For a complete listing of all traveling of never forgetting the lessons of the Vienna and Ukraine exhibitions, visit ushmm.org. Museum Receives Artifacts Holocaust and how timeless those September 8-18, 2011 from Former POW lessons are for all humanity. It made them WHAT KIND OF WORLD Don’t miss this unique opportunity to go behind the EVERY WILL Exceptional Day at the Museum acutely aware that while establishing scenes with Museum experts and gain unparalleled 21 charitable gift annuities with the access to historical sites, officials and other leading MATTERS. Additional Ways to Give to the WILL FUTURE GENERATIONS Museum may seem like a lot, for them it figures. For more information, please contact Nadia Put the Museum Endowment is just the beginning. Ficara, Director of Special Events, at 202.488.0470 or [email protected]. in yours. International Travel Program Legacy of Light Guardians Sky and Linda INHERIT? Photo courtesy of Sky and Linda Sylvers Sylvers on their recent trip to the Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Who will be at their side tomorrow? THROUGH your legacy GIFT Enriching Their Lives Through the Power of Giving to THE MUSEUM, you WILL. The Holocaust compels us to 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW Washington, DC 20024-2126 ushmm.org Schuyler (“Sky”) Sylvers of Ventura, And with the alarming rise in Holocaust Legacy of Light Society. Over the years they ask that question... and above California, feels fortunate that all of his denial and antisemitism, they began to have a have grown so enamored with the power all, TO ACT ON IT. We are proud grandparents came to the United States in greater appreciation of the Museum’s role in and simplicity of this giving method that to recognize as Legacy of Light the early 1900s. Growing up in Brooklyn, he the world. they have now established 21 Museum Guardians supporters who have recalls his parents mentioning the Holocaust Their connection to the Museum deepened gift annuities—with still more planned for made safeguarding truth their but only infrequently. Linda, his wife of 40 further in 2003 after they received information the future. They are thrilled to have the personal legacy through a deferred years, who grew up in Miami and moved to about the benefits of charitable gift annuities. opportunity of utilizing this type of gift gift to the Museum’s Endowment. California in the late 1960s, also considers Sky, a CPA, and Linda, an accountant, who to make larger lifetime donations—on an To learn more, please call George herself blessed. She, too, lost no family together run a busy accounting firm, planned ongoing basis—that would otherwise not Hellman, J.D., at 202.488.6591 or members in the Holocaust. a trip to the Museum, where among other have been possible. visit ushmm.org/endowment. Sky’s first real contact with the United things they learned more about the benefits of The more they learn about the Museum’s States Holocaust Memorial Museum came a gift annuity. By donating to the Museum in global reach, the deeper their connection. in 1991 when he and Linda visited its then- this way, they would receive a current income- “Supporting the Museum helps give my life future site, which he described as “a hole tax charitable deduction; steady income, a purpose and meaning—it’s probably the in the ground.” Both he and Linda sensed portion of which would be tax-free; and the best feeling I have about anything,” Linda this would be an important institution in comfort and satisfaction of knowing they says. Sky likes that their annuities enable their lives, and they began making regular would be supporting the Museum’s ongoing them to be smart about how they utilize membership gifts to the Museum before needs by ultimately funding its Endowment. their assets, providing ongoing payments contributing a more significant gift in Following that visit Sky and Linda that in turn allow them to provide yet support of the Miles Lerman Center for the established their first gift annuity and became more support to the Museum through the Study of Jewish Resistance. members of the Museum’s funding of additional annuities. Continued on page 6 EVery WILL matters. PUT THE MUSEUM IN yours. USHMM.ORG/endowment UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM USHMM.ORG/endowment EVery will matters. put the museum in yours. 2 3 4 Winter 2010 From the Director Confronting Rising Antisemitism Former WWII POW Donates Unique Artifacts to Museum Safeguarding TRUTH FOR by Kyra Schuster, Curator, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum of Planned Giving George Hellman on College Campuses FUTURE generations As a curator at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, to ensure their sacrifice would Legacy of Light Society With the end of the year upon us, The recognizes individuals who have As antisemitism threatens to infiltrate the culture of higher education, and the I’ve spent the past 16 years helping to build the Museum’s be remembered. To this day, made a commitment to secure the Museum’s future and many people naturally reflect on study of the Holocaust as a singular event is increasingly contested, the Museum unparalleled collection of Holocaust artifacts. there is very little evidence its timeless cause by including the Museum in their estate their personal and financial goals—for is arming faculty with resources to effectively teach this history and its relevance from Berga, making Tony’s plans. Individuals who direct any type of deferred gift to both now and the future. Continued Every day, curators like me race against time to find and today. To increase our understanding of the sources and manifestations of the Museum’s Endowment are recognized as Legacy of Light preserve this crucial evidence. To do so, we rely on the story even more important to uncertainty about tax laws, fluctuations antisemistism on college and university campuses, the Center for Advanced Guardians. Make a bequest or other planned gift today to the generosity of survivors, liberators, and their families who share. in investment markets, and other factors Holocaust Studies held a major workshop on the subject at the Museum this Legacy of Light Society members attend the Day at the Museum program, including: (from left to right) Donald J. and Anita Cowan, Arlene Herson, David H. Enzel, Miriam Museum’s Endowment, and let your commitment live forever. may make it especially important to past summer. Over the course of two weeks, 11 scholars from the United States donate their materials to the Museum. In spring 1945, Tony and F. Morris, Rebecca Knaster, Maryla Korn, Lila O.