The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Westchester

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

 

 

Spooky Times Arrive at the ‘Twilight Village’ of Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow!

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Sleepy Hollow, NY– At the expansive “Twilight Village” now at the historic Philipsburg Manor, through November 3, grab family and friends for a chance to mingle with ghostly creatures and spirited legends! The event is appropriate for all ages even little ones!

Traveling solo? That’s fine! Buddy up with your fertile imagination as you stroll across the dimly lit bridge, contemplate lights bouncing off water or the neon shadows cast on tall imposing trees and the dare-to-enter ‘residences’, all on a perfect autumn night. It’s rather… romantic. Think… date night!

If your imagination goes into overdrive, no worries. Several pop up shops will delight and calm you.

There are games (the teens will especially love) to blow off earthly steam.

But first… consider treating yourself  and your entourage to a clever magic show in which human hosts call upon spirited characters of Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow, while also enlisting audience members participation to achieve feats that will leave you positively agape…

The heart of the evening’s experience includes sightings of a most spirited Headless Horseman, a group of flame throwers, and an animated story teller in the old Barn!

Reach for apple cider donuts  if hunger pangs kick in. This correspondent, starved after the tour, and it being only 7 p.m., also suggests that you be sure to visit one of Sleepy Hollow’s many fine restaurants.

It takes a village. A village devoted to its legends, too.

Either upon arrival, or before you leave, do stop by a packed gift shop for a multitude of colorful gift ideas for everyone on your list, too!

This is one of those ‘you can’t go wrong’ evenings.

May the Spooky Mood Stay with You! 

For more information and for tickets, visit https://hudsonvalley.org/events/twilight-village-at-sleepy-hollow/

 

Holocaust Survivors Join HHREC Speakers Bureau

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The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) of White Plains, NY has announced three Holocaust Survivors have joined their Speakers Bureau.

Dr. Victor Borden (lower right above) is the son of Holocaust survivors Rywen (Roman) and Mina Bornsztajin (Bronstein), who were born and raised in Lodz, Poland from prosperous families. Victor tells the chilling story of his parents’ journey that started in Poland, as they survived imprisonment in the Soviet Union and eventually immigrated to America, where their son enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served as a physician.

Ernest “Ernie” Brod (upper left) is a Holocaust Survivor who was born in Vienna, Austria in 1938. As a young boy he had to confront the grim realities of his father being among the first Jews killed in the early days of the Holocaust and seeing his brother sent off on a Kindertransport to England. A series of near miracles saved him and his mother from serving time in a concentration camp, and they made their way to Lisbon, Portugal before they finally immigrated to America in 1941. Ernie tells the story of how he and his family struggled to survive and eventually resettle in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn where he met his brother for the first time. A lawyer by training, he has spent the past 40 years as a corporate investigator and has been widely recognized as a leading expert in the field.

Charles Srebnik (upper right) is a Holocaust Survivor who was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1934 to Maria and Leon Srebnik. On May 10, 1940 German forces invaded Belgium, and by October the occupying military government began instituting anti-Jewish measures. His family went into hiding to escape the German onslaught by living at a cottage overlooking a lake near Genval.

Charles shares his story of being saved by a Catholic priest by hiding in orphanages to survive and eventually immigrating with his mother to America.

“We are very pleased to have such distinguished Holocaust Survivors who are witnesses to history join our Speakers Bureau and share their experiences with area high school and college students, and people who gather in our local communities.” said Millie Jasper, Executive Director, HHREC. “here stories will endure as they are of historical significance, and we need to hear them today more than ever.“

For more information about the HHREC Speakers Bureau, and to schedule an appearance at area schools, synagogues, churches and civic centers visit 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

 

At the Newly Renovated Jacob Burns Film Center: New Children’s Programs Are Designed to Delight the Eye and Enrich the Mind

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Renovations PHOTO BY JESSE LOCASCIO

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire,” wrote the Irish poet William Buter Yeats.

The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) is trying to ignite the flame of kids’ imaginations in two ways this coming school year:  one, JBFC restarted its JBFC Kids programming in July, playing all kinds of fun, visually spectacular movies, including Mary Poppins, with the words to the songs on screen for singing along, The Muppet Movie and Where the Wild Things Are, showing a film every other Saturday a month; two, the center has created an emerging screenwriting fellowship program in collaboration with the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, for 10 students entering 10th and 11th grade, with the first class starting in October.

JBFC has also re-started its late-night weekend screenings, geared toward older kids and younger adults, called, “After Hours,” which was put on hold due to the COVID pandemic, with late night horror and cult films. Beginning in September, the movies the center will show include The People Under the Stairs, Teen Wolf, and Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead. Movies slated for the October Halloween season include Scream, The Exorcist, and The Wicker Man, said Monica Castillo, JBFC’s senior programmer.

The kids’ film slated for September 16th is Labyrinth, a film directed by Muppet Master Jim Henson, about a girl who wishes her baby brother would disappear. When he actually does, she has to find him, in the labyrinth. Many of the characters are puppets Henson’s shop built.

On September 30th, JBFC will show another Henson production, The Witches, a live-action movie based on a book by Roald Dahl about a group of witches who plot to turn all the world’s children into mice, but there is one brave boy who finds out about the plan and opposes them.

The October 14th movie is Coraline, an animated film about a girl who opens a secret door in her house and discovers an alternative reality that’s inviting at first but has a catch – just a little one. Coco is playing on October 28th, three days before Halloween. It’s about a boy who accidentally finds himself in the Land of the Dead, then goes on a quest there to find out why his family won’t let him play any music, which is a big problem, because he thinks he was born to do it.

Children who come to the show in costumes will get a “spooktacular” prize, said Denise Treco, JBFC director of communications and marketing. The prize during last Halloween’s showing, of E.T. The Extraterrestrial last year was a bendable monster figurine.

The screenwriting fellowship program offered slots to ten students, who had to apply by August 6th. NYU professor Jeremy Kamps will mentor the students as they develop their screen plays. Kamps has won several awards for his fiction and play writing. He’s worked with the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, the New York Theatre Workshop, the National Black Theatre of Harlem, and other theaters, from Los Angeles to Alabama.

There is no cost to the participating students or their families, Treco said. Students who earn a place in the program will receive a stipend for deferred wages and transportation to and from the JBFC’s Media Arts Lab twice a week for six weeks – 13 sessions in all. They will be able to use industry-standard equipment and software to do their work. Each student will be required to complete a screenplay for a short film. Professional actors will table-read the screenplays.

JBFC recently renovated its theaters and is opening up a wine bar in October. It will be in the Jane Peck Gallery on the third floor, which will have on display photography and poster exhibits.

“The idea is we will be serving wine and beer, cheese plates and other light fare,” Treco explained. “We’re trying to have a place where people can meet up before or after the movie to talk.”

“The theater renovation took three months,” Treco explained. “We started in January, and it went to the end of April.”

The center has installed new seats in its three ground floor theaters, and a new screen in Theater One. The center upgraded the lighting in the floors under the arm rests and improved its hearing loop technology in the ground floor theaters. People using T-Coil hearing aids will be able to tie into the movie’s sound system with their devices. JBFC also installed better sound acoustics in Theater Two, to block out exterior noise from outside the walls.

It all adds up to an improved experience for movie-goers and the possibility for kids to experience the adventure of a hero’s quest, defeat lots of bad guys, and in the process discover exciting new worlds or get a thrill, lighting the fires of curiosity within.

Sustainable Westchester Names Noah Bramson as its New Executive Director

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Mount Kisco, N.Y. –  After a thorough and rigorous search, Sustainable Westchester, the county’s leading climate action advocate and provider of renewable energy, today announced that City of New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson will take the helm of the organization as its next Executive Director effective January 2024. Interim Executive Director Jim Kuster will remain in place until Mayor Bramson completes his current term in office.

Mayor Bramson has led New Rochelle for the last 18 years, and is widely credited with advancing the city’s sustainability goals. Under his leadership, New Rochelle is experiencing its fastest growth in a century, serving as a regional and statewide model for environmentally-friendly, transit-oriented development.  Bramson was instrumental in adopting New Rochelle’s first-ever sustainability plan, GreeNR, now undergoing a comprehensive update to emphasize resiliency and climate justice.  And he has been a champion of open space expansion, including ongoing efforts to create new parkland on the Echo Bay waterfront and along the “LINC,” a reimagined Memorial Highway. 

New Rochelle was among the first large communities in New York to adopt the State’s Stretch Energy Code and is presently the second-highest scoring large community in the State’s Clean Energy Communities program.  In addition, as one of the founding Board Members of Sustainable Westchester, Bramson helped to establish the county’s innovative Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program, with New Rochelle one of the first cities to secure clean, renewable energy through CCA.

“I am thrilled to join Sustainable Westchester as its new Executive Director,” said Mayor Noam Bramson. “Sustainable Westchester is among the most impactful public interest organizations in our region, with a dedicated, highly-capable staff, a record of meaningful accomplishment, and a vital, growing role in helping localities, the County, and all of New York achieve ambitious climate and environmental goals. It will be a privilege to advance such an important mission, while working alongside colleagues, both in and out of government, whom I respect deeply.”

“Westchester is one of the state’s foremost leaders in combating climate change and Sustainable Westchester is an integral part of this work,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “Noam’s leadership driving New Rochelle’s sustainability efforts has been exemplary, and he will be an asset to the organization and all they are doing county-wide. We wish him the best of luck in this new endeavor.”

Sustainable Westchester is a hub of innovative climate tech programs and expertise designed to help local municipalities achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets mandated by New York’s landmark Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The nonprofit organization strives to improve clean energy solutions, save municipalities and consumers’ money, and promote equity and environmental justice within the communities it serves. Its popular and widely-used programs include Westchester Power; Community Solar; Building Decarbonization for commercial properties; Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure; EnergySmart Homes; GridRewards; and Zero Waste.

“New York State’s visionary climate objectives come with a host of unprecedented challenges and opportunities,” said Bramson.  “Sustainable Westchester is uniquely suited to make the most of this pivotal moment, position our region as a positive model, strengthen partnerships with aligned organizations and advocates, and encourage effective, collaborative policy-making at all levels of government.  It will be my goal to ensure that every municipality we serve has the information, tools, encouragement, and support to achieve our shared goal of a healthy, vibrant, equitable, and sustainable county.”

“Mayor Bramson’s vast experience in government and passion for leading impactful climate action initiatives will be of immense value to Sustainable Westchester as the organization continues to grow,” said Jim Kuster, who has served as Sustainable Westchester’s interim Executive Director since November 2022. “Under his leadership, we will strengthen and expand our innovative programming to help a broad range of municipalities meet the critical environmental and equity objectives contained in New York’s Climate Act.”    

“Mayor Bramson’s demonstrated track record of building consensus, attracting investment, and prioritizing healthy environments perfectly positions him to lead Sustainable Westchester’s continued growth and expand the great results we deliver to our members,” said Sara Goddard, Board Chair of Sustainable Westchester. “We are extremely excited to welcome him aboard.” 

 NEWS COURTESY OF SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER

About Sustainable Westchester

Sustainable Westchester is the county’s leading climate action advocate and provider of renewable energy. The nonprofit, membership-based organization is a hub of innovative climate tech programs and expertise designed to help local municipalities achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets mandated by New York’s landmark Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Sustainable Westchester continuously strives to improve clean energy solutions, save municipalities and consumers’ money, and promote equity and environmental justice within the communities it serves. Its popular and widely-used programs include Westchester Power; Community Solar; Building Decarbonization for commercial properties; Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure; EnergySmart Homes; GridRewards; and Zero Waste.