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Inside Press

The Light at the End of the Tunnel…

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… is a Cause for Celebrating in Downtown Chappaqua this Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Event to feature a Ribbon Cutting and Memorial Bench Dedication Honoring John Magnotta of Chappaqua Cleaners & Tailors 

By Grace Bennett

Town Gazebo Photo by Marianne Campolongo

A few words. The Town of New Castle is gearing up for a big party on Saturday. It is promising “sidewalk sales, music, art, food, a scavenger hunt and more,” said Town Supervisor Robert Greenstein, who led New Castle together with the town board and department personnel through an ambitious ‘Streetscape’ project to meet infrastructure and aesthetics challenges in downtown Chappaqua.

For most of Chappaqua’s downtown merchants, and for the residents here, the seemingly near completion of the project is likely to be music to anyone’s ears–the town experienced stressful delays testing merchant and resident patience as it impacted livelihoods and ease of travel, commuting and shopping for residents, with many or most making peace with it for the promise of the changes and improvements anticipated for the town’s future. So a downtown celebration heralding its at least near completion will surely bring a massive sigh of relief from all, even while work continues toward completion in different locations of the town. Greenstein has been regularly reporting continuing updates in his E-newsletter to the town and sharing these into social media on Facebook pages such as Chappaqua Moms and New Castle Community Discussions.

The event, called “Discover Chappaqua—A Celebration of All Things Local!” promises a festive ribbon cutting to take place at one of the project’s finished pedestrian plazas, its most prominent one to date, complete with tables and chairs for enjoying your lunch or sipping your latte at the downtown intersection of Greeley Avenue and King Streets, outside of 1 South Greeley Avenue, a downtown corner commercial building. The safety improvements on that corner are a cause for celebration, too.

Everyone should come on down for this poignant reason too: The town plans to dedicate a bench to John Magnotta who passed away last year. “Magnotta was the prior owner of Chappaqua Cleaners & Tailors (also known as George’s Men’s Shop) and a merchant in Chappaqua for 47 years. His family has served Chappaqua for 85 years, spanning three generations, beginning with their grandfather in 1934,” said Greenstein.

The town is also coinciding this event with the launch of a new promotional, but advertising free site for the town  (noted per earlier conversations with the town) called ‘Discover Chappaqua’, * www.discoverchappaqua.com  “This new site, Greenstein noted, “will highlight all that Chappaqua has to offer—a great place to shop, eat & live.” Greenstein thanked Town Supervisor elect Ivy Pool, and a volunteer team for producing the upcoming site. They include Dana Berk, Linda Fears, Peg Kafka Sackler and Monique Ross Banks.

See you on Saturday!   Grace

Grace Bennett is founder, publisher and Editor in Chief of The Inside Press, now in its 16th year.

*For fair disclosure too, the Inside Press had received a modest commission from the Town of New Castle to help subsidize and produce a guide called Discover New Castle; all of its content which was completed last summer and mailed in a print edition in a back to school edition of Inside Chappaqua & Millwood Magazine has been shared with the DiscoverChappaqua.com team to help launch the new town site.

New Castle Holocaust Memorial Dedication: Wednesday, November 6th

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Planting daffodils: Alexandra Rosenberg (left) and Stacey Saiontz, co-chairs of the recently established New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee.

Residents of the New Castle community will gather on Wednesday, November 6, at 6pm, to dedicate the New Castle Holocaust Memorial located by the Gazebo in the town of Chappaqua near 200 South Greeley Avenue. The opening of the Memorial will coincide with and commemorate Kristallnacht. The project is the fruit of the efforts initiated by New Castle residents Alexandra Rosenberg & Stacey Saiontz, the recently appointed chairs of the New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee.

The New Castle Holocaust Memorial will serve as a place where individuals and families can come together to learn, to remember and to reflect on lessons from the Holocaust.

Last week 750 daffodil bulbs were planted at the memorial as part of the Daffodil Project, a worldwide project to commemorate the lives of the children lost during the Holocaust. The goal is to plant 1.5 million flowers across the world – one daffodil for every child killed. https://www.daffodilproject.net. As the daffodils begin to blossom in the spring the community will hold an annual event that coincides with Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day commemorating the six million Jews and other victims who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

The dedication of the New Castle Holocaust Memorial follows the creation of the New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee and the Horace Greeley High School Club E.N.O.U.G.H. – Educate Now On Understanding Genocide and Hate.  The New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee will work to educate our children and create community awareness about the Holocaust, other genocides and human rights violations.  The mission of E.N.O.U.G.H. is to empower students to stand up to hate and to develop a community of tolerance through education and the understanding of people’s differences.

Alexandra Rosenberg commented, “I proposed the idea for the New Castle Holocaust Memorial, the New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee and the student run organization E.N.O.U.G.H. as a way to combat the significant rise in hate that is permeating our world, our children’s world and more specifically our schools.  The New Castle Holocaust Memorial will serve as a tangible reminder of the impact that each human being can have in creating positive change. Together, the residents of New Castle and the students of Horace Greeley will work to make sure that the horrors of the past never happen again.”

Stacey Saiontz commented “As Elie Wiesel stated, ‘the opposite of love is not hate. It is indifference.’ I am so happy that New Castle is taking action. The creation of the Memorial, the Committee and E.N.O.U.G.H. will serve as a platform to educate the community and future generations about the lessons of the Holocaust. The Holocaust did not start with the gas chambers and killing, it started with indifference to hate. We need to teach people to stand up to hate wherever it may fester. Never Again.”

New Castle Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein stated “This is one of the most meaningful projects that I’ve worked on over the last six years. It’s crucial that we remember the lessons of history and provide future generations with the tools to combat hate and bigotry. The idea for these projects started in the heart of New Castle resident, Alexandra Rosenberg, who along with fellow resident, Stacey Saiontz, have led these incredibly important initiatives. I want to thank them for their efforts.”

The materials for the memorial as well as the landscaping, were generously donated by Manzer Landscape Design & Development.

 

News Courtesy of the Town of New Castle

Chappaqua Resident Stacey Saiontz to be Honored at a U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Benefit

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Marc Saiontz, Elliott Saiontz, Jack Feldman, Jared Saiontz and Stacey Saiontz

“What You Do Matters” New York Tribute Dinner 

NEW YORK, NY. (August 29, 2019) – The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has announced that Stacey Saiontz of Chappaqua will be honored with the National Leadership Award at the 2019 “What You Do Matters” New York Tribute Dinner on Monday, October 28, 2019 at Cipriani 42nd Street.

Against the backdrop of the global rise in antisemitism, more than 450 guests are expected to attend this meaningful event to reaffirm their active commitment and support the Museum’s national campaign, Never Again: What You Do Matters, which will ensure that the Museum can make the critical investments to keep Holocaust memory alive as a relevant, transformative force in the 21st century.

Stacey Saiontz’s paternal grandparents survived the Holocaust, but it wasn’t until she started asking questions at an early age that her grandfather, Jack Feldman, began to share his story, including the time he spent in the Auschwitz concentration camp.  Over the years, Stacey filmed her grandfather’s memories from the Holocaust, capturing incredible details and intimate insight into the tragedies that he endured.

Stacey’s personal pursuit to preserve the evidence of the Holocaust extended beyond her family’s story. When Stacey married her husband Marc, they chose to make a donation to support the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Soon after in 2004, Stacey became one of the pioneering founders of the Museum’s New York Next Generation Board.

“Stacey Saiontz has emerged as one of our most dedicated young leaders, driven by her passion for preserving Holocaust history and promoting Holocaust education for future generations,” said Sindy Lugerner, Assistant Director, Development and Operations, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “We are proud to honor Stacey with the National Museum Leadership Award as an inspiring leader in our community who exemplifies the importance of passing the torch of Holocaust remembrance to the next generation.”

Jack Feldman with two grandchildren at the USHMM DOR 20th anniversary

In 2018, HBO released a documentary inspired by the special relationship between Stacey’s grandfather, Jack, and her sons, Elliott and Jared.  The documentary, “The Number on Great Grandpa’s Arm,” is now used as a powerful educational tool to teach young audiences and people of all ages about the critical lessons of the Holocaust.

“During the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s 20th anniversary, my grandfather walked our son Elliott through the children’s exhibition, Daniel’s Story, and was able to share pieces of his personal story as it related to Daniel’s story with him,” says Stacey Saiontz. “This past April, we visited the Museum during the annual Days of Remembrance and my grandfather, now 93, was able to walk our younger son, Jared, through the same exhibition and share this unique experience with him, too.”

“The Museum serves as a moral compass, and is one of the most important institutions that we have, especially today as the number of survivors is dwindling,” continued Stacey. “I want my grandfather and all survivors to feel confident that the next generation will never let their stories fade, and that the Museum will continue to educate the world to ensure that this never happens again.  I feel so grateful that the Museum is honoring me and lucky that my grandfather is still here to witness it.”

Beyond serving as a founding member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s New York Next Generation Board, Stacey has remained dedicated to Holocaust education causes throughout her life in leadership roles at the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, and the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center.

At the New York Tribute Dinner chaired by Debrah Lee Charatan, Jeffrey Feil, Lloyd Goldman, Mindy Nagorsky-Israel and Ronen Israel, and Caryn and Howard Unger, all guests will receive free copies of the HBO documentary about Stacey’s family.  In addition, Gary Jacob will also be honored at the Dinner with the National Leadership Award for his dedicated leadership in the Museum’s Northeast community.

Jared Saiontz, Jack Feldman and Elliott Saiontz
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About the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s 2019 “What You Do Matters” New York Tribute Dinner:

When:                  October 28, 2019

6:30 p.m. Reception | 7:30 p.m. Dinner

Where:                 Cipriani 42nd Street, 110 East 42nd Street, New York City

RSVP:                    Benefit Event | Registration Required: https://www.ushmm.org/online-calendar/event/nytribdinner101

About the Museum

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. Its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. For more information, visit www.ushmm.org.

“New Era of Expanded Services” at the Renamed Hollis Laidlaw & Simon P.C.

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HLS Group, (L-R): David Simon, Moira Laidlaw and Dan Hollis.

Shamberg Marwell Hollis Andreycak & Laidlaw, P.C. has changed its name to Hollis Laidlaw & Simon P.C., ushering in a new era with new leadership, a growing team, and expanded services.

Thirty-year partner Dan Hollis, managing partner Moira Laidlaw and partner David Simon comprise the new leadership team. Mr. Simon, who joined the firm in 2018, has bolstered the litigation and land use practices, expanded the corporate practice, and added an employment practice. “I am honored to take a leadership role at such an exceptional firm,” said Mr. Simon. “I was drawn to the firm because of the collaborative nature of our attorneys and the obvious benefit to the client when we put our minds together.”

Hollis Laidlaw & Simon has recently welcomed new hires, expanding the team to 15 attorneys. “We’ve been fortunate to attract incredible talent over the years,” said Ms. Laidlaw, who has overseen the growth in her own trusts and estates practice and across the firm. She appreciates the strength that a larger team affords. “We love the challenge of working with any client who walks in our door,” she said. “With a deeper bench, we are positioned to provide a broader range of legal services to our existing clients and cater to an even wider clientele as we move into the future.”

Mr. Hollis appreciates that while the firm has evolved, it still honors the values of the past. “Our concentration has always been on providing excellent service and surrounding ourselves with the smartest people with the highest ethical standards,” he said. “With our new leadership team, this will still be our theme, and we will continue to thrive.”

Hollis Laidlaw & Simon looks forward to continuing to provide their clients with the highest level of excellence and personalized counsel in their core areas of practice: litigation & dispute resolution, land use & zoning, corporate, employment, real estate, trusts & estates, guardianship, specials needs planning, and elder law and Medicaid planning.

Special High Holy Days Invite to Caramoor from Temple Shaaray Tefila

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Temple Shaaray Tefila welcomes residents of the local community, joining us for the first time, to purchase tickets for High Holiday services at Caramoor. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the holiest days on the Jewish calendar, a time when Jews throughout the world pause to reflect on the year gone by and prepare spiritually for the one ahead.

 The Temple’s High Holy Day celebrations will take place at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, formerly the estate of Walter and Lucie Rosen. Caramoor provides a beautiful and spacious setting for services, including traditional services in the Venetian Theater, Family Services in its own dedicated tent, separate services for children and teens, and an Alternative Service for those seeking something a little bit more contemporary. Child care is available on site for parents who want their own meaningful adult worship experiences. Please click here for the High Holiday schedule: https://files.constantcontact.com/30c4ef08001/df565776-7894-4d9b-be4c-0028ea66ad35.pdf

Tickets and photo identification will be required for all adults for admittance.

 For High Holiday tickets please visit www.shaaraytefila.org. For additional information and inquiries, please contact Temple Shaaray Tefila at 914-666-3133. Located in Bedford Corners in Northern Westchester, Temple Shaaray Tefila is a Reform synagogue with a traditional spirit and has a thriving Early Childhood Center and K-12 Religious School. Temple Shaaray Tefila serves more than 650 families in Bedford, Mount Kisco, Katonah, Chappaqua, Somers, Armonk and surrounding communities.