The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

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Cleaning Up the Hudson River… One Bit of Trash at a Time 

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Kayaker collecting trash at Annsville Creek, Peekskill Photo by Makiko Parsons

The Inside Press is again pleased to shine a spotlight on Sweep, the annual mega volunteer event sponsored by Riverkeeper.org, which ‘brings together science, law, and advocacy to heal the Hudson River and safeguard drinking water.”   

With those worthy goals, is it any surprise that Sweep, now entering its 14th year, attracts volunteers who care enough about the Hudson River to devote a day in May to remove trash and debris from its shores and tributaries? 

LET’S GO, VOLUNTEERS 

The Sweep event attracts both families and singles. This past May 4, a record-breaking number of everyday people — 2,720 all totaled — came out. Ages ranged from under a year old to 90.  Katie Leung, the Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator for Riverkeeper.org, estimates that 600 volunteers were new to Sweep. 

While those numbers alone are impressive, even more impressive is the level of commitment demonstrated by the stalwart band of local volunteers. 

Leung says, “When volunteers get together at these cleanup sites, there is a sense of community building and partnership that drives them to pick and dig up every single piece of litter and debris that pollutes the river or the tributaries. They want to do a good job cleaning their sites and leave them better than when they found them.” 

Adds Char Weigel, Sweep leader from Sleepy Hollow: “The beauty of Sweep is not just that thousands of people work together to improve the health of our Hudson. It is that thousands of strangers, who might never otherwise meet, find common purpose and a shared soul for a few hours every year on a spring morning.” 

Organizing and coordinating Sweep takes a lot of hard work.  Leung says: “However, I am not alone in this effort, and I’m lucky to have amazing support from the numerous Sweep leaders, as well as my Riverkeeper colleagues. Sweep leaders are a critical part of the event, making sure their volunteer groups are safe while having fun.” 

A SITE TO BEHOLD 

If anyone doubts Sweep is a large-scale endeavor, try coordinating 150 project sites throughout what’s called “the New York City and the Hudson River Watershed.” Each year, Sweep has added more and more sites. This year, the southernmost location was in Staten Island, and the northernmost was in the Adirondacks. 

Leung says, “One of the biggest hurdles is making sure that all the sites get the volunteers that they need. This year, we’re thinking of new ways to recruit more volunteers to some of the less busy sites.” 

Given the “generous support from the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, Riverkeeper expanded Sweep into an ongoing program, conducting cleanups, native tree plantings, and invasive species removals throughout the year,” according to Leung. On top of expanding Sweep, Riverkeeper has given it a new name: Sweep + .  

The ultimate goal is “to continue to grow the number of project sites, volunteers, and impacts each year until Sweep+ is the largest volunteer clean-up program in New York State.“ ‍‍ ‍‌ ‌‍ ‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌ ‌‍‌ ‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍ ‍ ‍‌ ‌‍ ‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌ ‌‍‌ ‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍ 

No update on Sweep 2024 would be complete without hearing about the 27 tons of trash that were collected. In addition to the typical debris like cigarette butts, tires, paper, and plastic, this year’s notables included a VHS tape of “My Cousin Vinny” in surprisingly “perfect” condition; mannequin legs; a playground set; lottery and parking tickets; a metal safe; and a set of house keys. 

 

Volunteers with trash collected at Yonkers Riverfront  Photo by Jasmine Olmo

PLAYING A ROLE 

Let’s face it. Volunteering isn’t for everybody. If that describes you, Leung suggests other helpful things readers can do to protect the Hudson River, along with helping Riverkeeper: 

  1. Stay informed on the latest clean water fights and ways to take action
  2. Become a riverkeeper by donating and becoming a member
  3. Get involved in community science by collecting water quality data at a tributary or waterfront
  4. Report a polluter by submitting a report to the Riverkeeper Watchdog team
  5. Shop for Riverkeeper gear on their website to support their work.

Everyone can play a role in helping to safeguard our precious water resources. 

Leung is correct when she says, “Sweep has so many moving parts and can get pretty hectic, but what overshadows that is the untiring and unrelenting commitment I’ve seen from everyone caring for the river.” 

Let’s hope that Sweep+ 2025 proves to be another record-breaking event! 

Eldest volunteers cleaning up at Sleepy Hollow River Walk    Photo by Char Weigel

 

 

 

Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center Announces New Board of Directors Chairperson

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HHREC new Board of Directors Chairman, Daniel Weinreb

The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center  (HHREC) has elected Daniel P. Weinreb as their Board Chairperson. Weinreb is a Principal at Paragon Realty Group LLC, a real estate company based in Westport, CT that specializes in acquiring and developing retail and commercial properties.  Weinreb will serve a three-year term effective January 1, 2025.  He has been serving as a board member since 2005, and succeeds Michael Gyory, who served as Board Chairperson since 2021. Gyory will continue to serve as Vice Chairperson of the HHREC Board.

Weinreb is the son of a Holocaust survivor, Bernie Weinreb, who escaped from the Vilna Ghetto in Lithuania in 1943, fought with the Partisans, and eventually came to live in America in 1947. 

Reflecting the responsibilities, lessons and core values instilled in him by his father, he has, for over 25 years, helped spearhead a Yom HaShoah program designed to educate and enlighten the congregants and children , on behalf of his synagogue, the Jewish Community Center of Harrison; the Community Synagogue of Rye; KTI Synagogue of Port Chester; and Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester. He is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and has lived in Purchase, NY for the last 36 years with his wife, Wendy.

“I am who I am because I am the son of a Holocaust survivor.” said Weinreb. “Nothing has had as important an impact on me as the fact that my father lived through what he did and managed to survive the Holocaust. Along with my mother, he instilled in me the basic understanding of good and evil, what is important – and what is not.  I am truly honored to be elected as the new Board Chair of the HHREC and look forward to continuing working with our talented, diverse, and dedicated Board members. I especially want to thank Michael Gyory, Joseph Kaidanow and Millie Jasper for all their inspired work as well as the leadership they provide.  Rising antisemitism and hatred continue to remind us all how important the work of the HHREC is and, together with our Board, staff, and supporters, we will continue to carry on our mission – to teach the lessons of the Holocaust and encourage students to stand up and speak up for dignity and respect, and against prejudice and bigotry.”

“It has been a tremendous privilege to be Chairperson of the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center for the past four years” said Gyory. “I look forward to working closely with Daniel and HHREC to share the lessons of the Holocaust, genocides and human rights crimes to teachers and students in Westchester County and the greater Hudson Valley area.” 

Weinreb previously served on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Community Center of Harrison and is a past Chairman of the Real Estate Executives Division of UJA. He and his wife Wendy were among the initial volunteers who worked with Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center to help with fundraising and the development of community awareness activities. They were also founding members of the Parent’s Advisory Council at the Children’s Hospital. 

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

 

 

HHREC Selected by New York State Education Department To Revise Curricula For Teaching History of the Holocaust

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The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) of White Plains has been selected by the New York State Education Department to revise and update all curricular resources to teach the Holocaust and other genocides in order to meet the 1994 mandate. Steven A. Goldberg, the HHREC Director of Education, serves as the project manager. The Archives Trust under the leadership of Janet Braga is designing a unique platform to house the project.

HHREC will work with 29 active and retired educators from New York State to research and write materials for elementary, middle, and high school social studies and ELA teachers. One of the guiding principles is the notion of unique people rather than anonymity, reflecting the importance of case studies of individuals as lenses into a better comprehension of the enormity and complexity of these historical events. In addition to chronological segments on the Holocaust, the Resource Guide will also include sections on the Nature of Human Behavior, Literature and Art, The United States and the Holocaust, and “other genocides,” such as Armenia (1915-17), Holodomor (1932-33), Rwanda (1994), and Rohingya (2016).  A special template for the analysis of genocides will be included. The guide will contain glossaries of terminology, lessons, activities, primary and secondary source readings, with questions, visual documents (i.e. photographs, maps, political cartoons, graphs, and charts), and hyperlinks to both personal testimonies and films.

“We are very excited to share the news that HHREC has been selected by the New York State Education Department to work on this important initiative.” said Millie Jasper, HHREC Executive Director. “As we have seen a significant rise in antisemitism and a growing number of people questioning the history of the Holocaust and other genocides, it is important now more than ever to educate students about these historic events, and their relevance today in our schools and communities, here in New York State and across the country.

 

NEWS COURTESY of the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center

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 or call 914.696.0738 email info@hhrecny.org

 

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.”

Holocaust Second Generation Survivors Join HHREC Speakers Bureau

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The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center  (HHREC) of White Plains, NY has announced Max Friedman and Renee Pessin have joined their Speakers Bureau.

Max Friedman’s parents were Polish/Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in Sweden (where he and his sister were born) after their liberation from Bergen-Belsen. Friedman tells the story of how his parents survived five years of ghettos, slave labor and concentration camps and the loss of everyone and everything they had ever loved. Emigrating to the U.S. in 1952, his parents spoke very little about their past – though their physical and psychological wounds were apparent every day to Max and his older sister.

Friedman has worked as a journalist, publicist, corporate editorial director and memoir ghostwriter. His family memoir, Painful Joy: A Holocaust Family Memoir tells the story of a journey that began when he was nearly 70 years old. Early in his career, he worked in  journalism and has had articles featured in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and TV Guide. He also served as Director of Editorial Services at PBS’s Channel 13 and as unit publicist for Bill Moyers Journal. Most recently, he held the position of Vice President, Communications at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Max holds a BA in English and Asian Studies from Columbia College and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of California at Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

Renee Bronner Pessin, a Connecticut resident, is a descendant of two Holocaust survivors. Pessin’s mother Helen was the only survivor of her immediate and extended family of more than 50 people In Poland. Her father Sam, along with one brother were the only survivors of their large immediate and extended family. Pessin feels it is more urgent than ever to share her parent’s story, especially to community listeners, to ensure that history does not repeat itself. She is able to do so through excerpts from her mother’s video testimony to the Shoah Foundation and family pictures saved through the horrors of the Holocaust. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Pessin has worked as a registered nurse, editorial associate for scientific journals and most recently, for over 20 years, as a freelance biomedical grant and manuscript editor.

For more information about Friedman, Pessin, and other HHREC GenerationsForward Speakers, visit their website at HHRECNY.org  

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