The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Inside Press

Celebrate the Season with Dickens’s ‘Christmas Carol’

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Popular event, holiday shopping and site tours add to winter fun

Sleepy Hollow, NY  – Hudson Valley families can get into the spirit of the holiday season by attending dramatic performances of Dickens’s ‘Christmas Carol’ at the historic Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow on select weekends in December. Performances take place on Dec. 7-8, 14-15, 21-22.

Master storyteller Jonathan Kruk, along with musical accompaniment by Jim Keyes, tells the Charles Dickens story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, and Tiny Tim in a joyous rendition of the holiday classic, produced by Historic Hudson Valley.

Visitors to the region will also be able to enjoy tours of Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, which will have festive decorations for the season, Philipsburg Manor, and Union Church of Pocantico Hills on weekends in December.

The Museum Shops at Philipsburg Manor and Washington Irving’s Sunnyside will be open on Saturdays and Sundays through December 22. Holiday shoppers are invited to browse local wares and support Historic Hudson Valley’s educational programs while checking off their entire gift list. Stocked with Hudson Valley-inspired and holiday-themed merchandise–including artisan foods, books about the region, exclusive candles, and handcrafted jewelry–the shelves are full of unique items for everyone that can’t be found anywhere else.

All tickets for the following events are available at hudsonvalley.org

Details: Dickens’s ‘Christmas Carol’
Performances take place at the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow on December 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 at 2:30, 3:45, 5pm. 

Capacity is limited for Dickens’s ‘Christmas Carol’ and tickets should be purchased in advance at www.hudsonvalley.org or by calling 914-366-6900. Ticket prices are $47 for adults and $42 for children under 18. Historic Hudson Valley recommends the event for ages 10 and up. Members of Historic Hudson Valley receive a 15% per ticket discount.

Details: Winter Tours of Philipsburg Manor

In 1750, Philipsburg Manor was home to 23 enslaved individuals known to have lived and labored there. It is the country’s first living history museum to focus on the history of northern slavery.

The site will be open for guided tours and the museum shop will be open Saturday-Sunday, December 7-December 22. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and young adults, and $13 for children. Tours are free for Historic Hudson Valley Members. Admission is by timed ticket only.

Philipsburg Manor is at 381 North Broadway (Route 9) in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., two miles north of the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Details: Winter Tours of Union Church of Pocantico Hills

Union Church was organized as a non-denominational Protestant church in 1915, with John D. Rockefeller among the founders. Over the years, the Rockefeller family commissioned stained-glasses windows by European masters Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall to adorn the unassuming country church.

The site will be open for guided tours Saturday-Sunday, December 7-December 22. Tickets are $10. Tours are free for Historic Hudson Valley Members. Admission is by timed ticket only.

Union Church of Pocantico Hills is at 555 Bedford Road, Tarrytown.

Details: Winter Tours of Washington Irving’s Sunnyside

America’s “Founding Father of Literature” and inventor of many Christmas traditions created this romantic, picturesque estate nestled along the Hudson riverbank. The house and the furnishings, many of which are original to Irving, have been restored to their 1850s character.

The site will be open for guided tours and the museum shop will be open Saturday-Sunday December 7-22.  Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and young adults, and $13 for children. Tours are free for Historic Hudson Valley members. Admission is by timed ticket only.

Washington Irving’s Sunnyside is at 3 W Sunnyside Lane, Irvington, one mile south of the Tappan Zee Bridge.

About Historic Hudson Valley
Historic Hudson Valley, Westchester County’s largest cultural organization, educates and entertains more than hundreds of thousands of visitors a year through school programs, tours of five National Historic Landmarks, and large-scale events like The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.

From its lower Hudson Valley base of operations, the organization focuses on delivering quality educational and entertaining experiences, striking a balance between tradition and vision, from preserving the past, to contextualizing it for 21st-century audiences,
Historic Hudson Valley operates tours and public programming at Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate, Philipsburg Manor, Union Church of Pocantico Hills, Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, and Van Cortlandt Manor. These sites help us make meaning for visitors in a variety of settings, including traditional house and landscape tours, formal educational programs for school children, popular on-site special events, and digital media.

News and photo courtesy of Historic Hudson Valley

Winston Churchill Society Celebrated the Birth & Legacy of Churchill while also Taking Aim at Misinformation

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November 14th, Rye, NY — The Winston Churchill Society of New York hosted a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of former British Prime Minister Churchill at the Westchester Country Club in Rye. The event featured live music, bow ties and the aroma of hand rolled cigars. Katherine Carter, the Curator of Chartwell, Churchill’s private residence from 1922 until his death in 1965, was the Keynote speaker for the evening. Carter is also the author of a new book, Churchill’s Citadel: Chartwell and the Gatherings Before the Storm, a copy of which was given to each attendee.

The celebration was attended by participants of all ages, ranging from 20-year-olds to 90-year olds.  Sparked by award winning performances by John Lithgow in The Crown, and Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour, Winston Churchill has experienced a recent renaissance. These roles have allowed his character and accomplishments to inspire new generations, many years after the height of his political career in the 1940s. 

“There has been a lot of mis- and disinformation about Winston Churchill recently,” said New York Churchill Society President, Geoff Raicht. “But the fact is, he saved western civilization from Nazi tyranny, and we live in freedom today because of him.”

Board member Claudia Hilbert stated, “I think when people take time to read his record for themselves, they can appreciate that while he made mistakes early in his career, he was at his best when the world needed him most.” 

Much like the fearlessness of the man they honor, the Winston Churchill Society of New York, a non-profit and local chapter of the International Churchill Society, has set ambitious goals. 

Beginning in 2025, they intend to hold Churchill-inspired writing competitions for high school students and honor local leaders who exemplify Churchill’s values with a “Finest Hour” award.  

Randolph Churchill, the great grandson of the former Prime Minister, wrote a letter thanking the New York non-profit for helping to keep Churchill’s memory alive and promoting his values.  In his letter, Churchill stated, “So here we are, 150 years after Churchill’s birth and almost 60 years after his death, and his contribution to history is still revered and his words continue to inspire generations around the world.”

Northern Westchester Hospital Gala Raises Record $2.5M for New Pediatric Behavioral Health Program

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(From left): Jane Donaldson, philanthropist & co-chair of Northern Westchester Hospital’s annual gala; Dr. Vera Feuer, medical director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Northwell Health; and Lisa Schwartz, Northern Westchester Hospital Community Foundation board member, co-chair of its Community Health Committee, and co-chair of the annual gala held on Nov. 2. 

MOUNT KISCO, NY – Northwell Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) has raised $2.5 million at its annual gala, marking the highest amount the hospital has generated at an event in its 108-year history. More than 700 hospital supporters came together at the former Reader’s Digest building in Chappaqua to pledge support for the hospital’s new pediatric behavioral health program dedicated to meeting the needs of children and adolescents.

The highlight of the evening was a lively paddle raise during which an auctioneer invited enthusiastic attendees to raise bid cards at various donation levels. The vast majority of the audience participated, contributing both large and small donations, and raised over $631,000 – another record for the most on-site fundraising in the hospital’s history. The gala was jointly chaired by Lisa Schwartz, a Northern Westchester Hospital Community Foundation board member and co-chair of its Community Health Committee, and longtime philanthropist Jane Donaldson.

“This year’s gala struck a powerful chord with our audience, showcasing the overwhelming generosity of our guests while highlighting our new behavioral health program for children and adolescents,” said Derek Anderson, FACHE, president, Northwell Northern Westchester Hospital. “This initiative comes at a crucial time when nearly 20 percent of children in the U.S. face mental health challenges. We owe it to our children – and our future – to do better.”

NWH’s mental health initiative focuses on education and awareness, partnering with local schools and community groups to improve behavioral health literacy and promote early intervention. Goals for 2025 include the opening of a comprehensive child and adolescent psychiatric practice and establishing a stand-alone behavioral health center for rapid crisis care. In addition, an intensive outpatient program will be launched for patients who do not require hospitalization but would benefit from more structured support.

To meet these objectives by spring 2025, the Northern Westchester Hospital Foundation aims to raise $1.1 million over the next several months to achieve its total fundraising goal of $7 million for this initiative. To date, $5.9 million has been pledged with donations coming from individuals, private foundations and corporations.

“Young people make up approximately 25 percent of our population, but they will be 100 percent of our future,” said Ms. Schwartz. “Addressing their mental health crisis is our moral responsibility, so we are continuing to ask for the support of our community to make this bold vision a reality. Lives depend on it.”

A similar behavioral health program launched by Northwell Health in other regions of downstate New York in 2020 has led to a 60 percent average reduction in emergency room visits for child and adolescent behavioral health concerns. Northwell has committed to investing $500 million over the next several years to expand pediatric and adolescent behavioral health services across its network.

If you would like to contribute to NWH’s mental health initiative, please contact Whitney Hartmann-Peris at (914) 242-8382 or whartmann@northwell.edu.

About Northern Westchester Hospital:

Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH), a member of Northwell Health, provides quality, patient-centered care that is close to home through a unique combination of medical expertise, leading-edge technology, and a commitment to humanity. Over 700 highly skilled physicians, state-of-the-art technology and professional staff of caregivers are all in place to ensure that you and your family receive treatment in a caring, respectful and nurturing environment. NWH has established extensive internal quality measurements that surpass the standards defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) National Hospital Quality Measures. Our high-quality standards help to ensure that the treatment you receive at NWH is among the best in the nation. For more information, please visit Northern Westchester Hospital and connect with us on Facebook.

 

News and Photo Courtesy of Northwell Health

Visit us at Northwell.edu

Nova Music Festival Survivor Shared Harrowing Accounts of Survival at New Castle October 7th Memorial

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“AND YET…”  A Message of Hope in the Words of Elie Wiesel per Town Supervisor Victoria Tipp

On Monday October 7, 2024, over 450 community members filled the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center for an October 7th Memorial program.  Over 200 additional community members watched the program on live stream. The program was sponsored by the Town of New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee and Horace Greeley High School’s ENOUGH Club (Educate Now On Understanding Genocide & Hate) in partnership with the Antioch Baptist Church, Bet Torah Synagogue, Congregation B’nai Yisrael, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, the First Congregational Church in Chappaqua, Temple Beth El, Temple Shaaray Tefila, and Horace Greeley High School’s Jewish Student Union.

Ali Rosenberg and Stacey Saiontz, Co-Chairs of the Town of New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee, began the evening by recognizing that during difficult times like these community brings us comfort and gives us strength to believe in a better future.

Eva Millerman, Co-President of ENOUGH explained that “We have seen antisemitism rise throughout our country and world. This is why the students of ENOUGH are committed to continuing to fight antisemitism and all hate wherever it arises by bringing speakers and educational programs to our fellow students and community members.” Jared Saiontz, Co-President of ENOUGH added, “Today, Elie Wiesel’s words echo louder than ever: Action is the only remedy to indifference:  the most insidious danger of all.”

The community listened to Nova Music Festival Survivor Maya Izoutcheev who shared her harrowing story of survival. Starting at 6:29 am, after spending the night in platform heels while working as a bouncer, Maya luckily changed into New Balance sneakers, which ultimately saved her life. For over six hours Maya dodged terrorists’ bullets and missiles and ran for over four and a half hours to safety. The room was silent as Maya shared her story, minute by minute, and all were in awe of Maya’s strength as she relived her horrific experience. Despite her trauma, Maya shared that she still has hope for humanity and a better world.   

Community member Alicia Sands, a  friend of the Goldberg-Polin family, shared poignant words of remembrance about Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Alicia stated, “As someone who does not relish public speaking, I wish I weren’t on this stage. But as a human being, I cannot believe that there is a reason for me to be up here, a year after the savage, unspeakable atrocities of Oct 7th, 2023. A year later, we are still waiting for 101 hostages, brutally stolen from their lives and their loved ones, to be returned.”

Westchester Shaliach (youth representative from Israel) Eden Edrei, said “I arrived here a year ago, just before the holidays, and just before everything I know and call home changed. One year- 365 days, 14 holidays, and 1,400 people who will never return.”  When speaking about the incomprehensible loss of family and friends during the war, Eden emphasized that “These are not just numbers; this is not just another story in a history class. This is my present, and this is my future. This will forever be a part of me.”   

During the program, Cantor Ezring, Cantor Szterenberg, Cantorial Soloists Stark and West filled the room with their beautiful voices.  The program included a memorial candle lighting followed by the reading of the October 7th Mourner’s Kaddish led by Rabbi Jaffe, Rabbi Linzer, Rabbi Londy and Rabbi Ross. The Reverend Dr. Martha Jacobs and The Reverend Alan Christopher Lee shared a meaningful psalm.

Town Supervisor Victoria Tipp thanked the community for joining and reminded us about the importance of bearing witness. She also shared that Elie Wiesel’s two favorite words “and yet” are important today as they serve as a symbol of hope. In the darkest of times, the human spirit can still say “and yet.”

As the program concluded, the ENOUGH students handed out packets of seeds. Jared Saiontz, Co-President of ENOUGH said “The seeds serve as reminder that even when the world feels dark, we must continue to look for the light within each other and know that together we can triumph over hate.

To watch Maya and the entire presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pog8ZXIfV3g

 

 

 

 

 

Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center to Honor Author, Philanthropist at Annual Benefit on October 30

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The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) will hold their annual Benefit on Wednesday evening, October 30th starting at 6:30pm at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York. This year HHREC will honor R. Derek Black and Elisha Weisel.

Derek Black (they/them) is the author of The Klansman’s Son, a book that  shares the story of being raised to take over the white nationalist movement in the US. Their father, Don Black, was a former Grand Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan and started Stormfront, the internet’s first white supremacist website.

 Elisha Weisel is Chairman of the Board of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, a philanthropist and former Wall Street executive. Since retiring from a 25-year financial markets career at Goldman Sachs at the end of 2019, he served in 2020 as one of the lead technologists in Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign. Elisha became philanthropically active through his board service with Good Shepherd Services, where he raised millions of dollars for New York’s neediest by convening “Midnight Madness”, inspiring hundreds of finance professionals to stay up all night solving elaborate puzzles on the city streets. When his father passed, Elisha realized how many others missed his voice––and so, when opportunities for impact arise, Elisha shares his father’s message and continues his legacy by standing up for persecuted communities.

In the last few years, Elisha has spoken at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum about the need to protect the LGBTQ community; shone a light while speaking at Auschwitz on the plight of Syrian refugees being denied Western asylum; written for the Financial Times about the urgency of upholding DACA; organized a Washington DC rally against antisemitism – including anti-Zionism; spoken at the United Nations about the persecution of the Uyghurs, and taken his son to peacefully march for Black Lives. https://eliewieselfoundation.org/about-elisha-wiesel/

The program will feature the annual presentation of the HHREC Eugene M. & Emily Grant Spirit of Humanity Awards. To register for this event, or for more information visit hhrecny.org email benefit@hhrecny.org or call 914.696.0738.

About The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center

The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in White Plains New York that serves schools, synagogues, colleges, churches and civic centers in Westchester and the greater Hudson Valley area. The HHREC Mission is to enhance the teaching and learning of the lessons of the Holocaust and the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect. HHREC works with teachers and students to help schools fulfill the New York State mandate that the Holocaust and other human rights abuses be included in their curriculum. Since 1994, the HHREC has brought the lessons of the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations to more than 3,000 teachers, and through them to thousands of students. For more information visit www.hhrecny.org call 914.696.0738 email info@hhrecny.org