The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

UJA Federation of New York

A Summer Celebration for Holocaust Survivors at Young Israel of White Plains

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Approximately 70 Holocaust survivors enjoyed a summer celebration on Wednesday July 13 featuring lunch, live music, socializing, and a special address by State Senator Shelley Mayer on July 13, 2022, at Young Israel of White Plains. The event was hosted by Westchester Jewish Community Services, in partnership with UJA-Federation of New York.  The joyous and meaningful event  was a tribute to the hope, strength, and resilience of the survivors and the courage and determination with which they build constructive lives and families after experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust. 

Allison Danzig, Coordinator of Holocaust Services at WJCS, welcomed everyone to the event and shared how honored she is to know the survivors, have them share their past experiences with her, and trust her to be a “memory keeper of their stories.” (Click here to hear Allison’s welcome speech.)

New York State Senator Shelley B. Mayer told the survivors how inspired she is by them and of her commitment to ensure that Holocaust education is a mandated part of New York State public school curriculum. Rabbi Michael Goldman, Director of the Spiritual Healing Center at WJCS, led the guests in saying Kaddish for loved ones who were lost in the Holocaust as well as a prayer of thanksgiving for reaching this day. The festivities included joyous music, played by fiddler Ted Kessler, a second generation Holocaust survivor, beautiful singing by Cantor Daniel Mendelson from Congregation Kol Ami,
 a delicious lunch catered by Seasons, and words of warmth and passion by Halina Rosenkranz, who leads WJCS support groups for Holocaust survivors and members of the Second Generation. 
 
We are so grateful to UJA-Federation of New York and the Claims Conference for partnering with us on this wonderful event. As WJCS CEO Seth Diamond  said, “All of us in the county are tremendously inspired by all you have lived through, all you have taught us, and what you have done for all of our communities. The life you have lived and what you bore witness to inspires us to remain resilient and strong in the face of life’s challenges. You are a gift to all of us.”

The event was a huge success. Survivors, many of them accompanied by aides or family members, were thrilled to be together, especially because many have felt so isolated since the pandemic began. Here’s what one attendee wrote:

“Everything at today’s luncheon was just perfect. The food  was delicious. The chance for all of the survivors to get out and interact with each other was priceless. I can’t thank you enough for putting it all together. Bravo! My uncle has been raving all day long about how thankful he is for all the support and help that WJCS offers.”

State Senator Shelley Mayor speaks during a summer celebration for Holocaust survivors at Young Israel of White Plains.
A fiddler performs for Holocaust survivors at the summer celebration.
Holocaust survivors Eliezar (center) and Gesya Raninobich (right) enjoying the summer celebration.

UJA-Federation of New York’s 2021 Westchester Women’s Symposium

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Turning ideas into action: That was the core message of UJA-Federation of New York’s 2021 Westchester Women’s Symposium on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. Local female thought leaders addressed an audience of more than 200 about the passions they pursued in order to create an impact in their communities.

In the panel “Building Bridges and Fighting Hate,” Atiya Aftab and Annette Rotter, of The Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, discussed their commitment to building relationships between Muslim and Jewish women. Alexandra Rosenberg and Stacey Saiontz, of the Town of New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee and E.N.O.U.G.H – Educate Now On Understanding Genocide And Hate, talked about their work to educate local children and create community awareness about the Holocaust. The panel was moderated by UJA’s Hindy Poupko.

The panel “Advocating for the Vulnerable” featured Cindy Kanusher, Esq. of PACE Women’s Justice Center, Robi Schlaff, Esq. of Westchester County Office for Women, and Judy Siegel, Esq. of Pro Bono Partnership speaking on their legal and advocacy work to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and to support nonprofits that serve vulnerable populations. The panel was moderated by Beth Goldman of New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG).

UJA’s event chairs were Michele Gregson, Giselle Weissman, and Nicky Ziman.

About UJA-Federation of New York 

Working with a network of hundreds of nonprofits, UJA extends its reach from New York to Israel to nearly 70 other countries around the world, touching the lives of 4.5 million people each year. To date, UJA has allocated $64 million to help respond to the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Aid has supported New Yorkers facing food insecurity, UJA partner organizations providing essential health and human services to New Yorkers, Jewish Community Centers, low-income students, single parents, and ensuring dignified Jewish burials. For more information, please visit www.ujafedny.org.

 

News courtesy of the UJA-Federation of New York

Nearly 800 Attended Community-Wide Program to Learn About Initiatives to Combat Antisemitism and Hate

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(l-r) Mark Weitzman; Audrey Stein, Regional Director, UJA-Federation; Hindy Poupko, Elliot Forchheimer, CEO, Westchester Jewish Council; Westchester DA, Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr.

WHITE PLAINS, NY (January 10, 2019) Nearly 800 members of the Westchester community attended “Anti-Semitism: What We Face and How We Fight It,” a discussion about the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States and abroad, and Westchester’s efforts to combat hatred. The event, presented by UJA-Federation of New York in Westchester, in collaboration with Westchester Jewish Council, took place on Wednesday, January 8, at Temple Israel Center in White Plains.

(l-r) Mark Weitzman; Lisa Roberts, President (Mahopac), Westchester Jewish Council; Hindy Poupko; Arlene Kleinberg (New Rochelle), Cindy Golub (Mamaroneck), Westchester DA, Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr.

Cindy Golub of Mamaroneck, UJA Regional Chair, welcomed the attendees, and Arlene Kleinberg of New Rochelle, UJA Westchester Annual Campaign Chair, introduced the evening’s guest speakers. The program featured three experts who provided insight into the rise of anti-Semitism and what is being done to address the challenge.

Westchester District Attorney, Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. opened the program and shared insights into the work that his office does to create a safer and more secure community. The Westchester Intelligence Center, a unit of the DA’s office, ensures hate crimes are prosecuted appropriately and justice is served. Mark Weitzman, Director of Government Affairs for the Simon Wiesenthal Center provided historical context about anti-Semitism, reminding the audience that anti-Semitism is not new – we are simply seeing the growth of what has always been present.

(l-r) Laurie Girsky (Mamaroneck), Chair, UJA Women; Tris Berger (Scarsdale), Chair, Westchester Women; Arlene Kleinberg (New Rochelle), Cindy Golub (Mamaroneck)

Hindy Poupko, Deputy Chief Planning Officer at UJA-Federation of New York concluded the formal remarks with an overview of the many initiatives that UJA-Federation is undertaking to combat anti-Semitism including making a major investment in security. “We are embarking on a new, multi-million-dollar effort to engage in a wholesale upgrade of our community security infrastructure”, said Poupko. This includes the hiring of former NYPD director of intelligence analysis, Mitchell Silber, as UJA’s new Community Security Director to lead a team of five locally based security directors. In addition, a new position will support the specific security needs of Jewish day and residential camps.

Beyond enhancing security, UJA is strengthening community relations efforts with non-Jewish groups, advocating for critical government support, helping organizations access government security funding and empowering college students with tools to engage in healthy discourse about Israel on campus.

The program concluded with the speakers responding to questions submitted by the audience.

Nearly 800 people attended “Anti-Semitism: What We Face and How We Fight” presented by UJA-Federation of New York in collaboration with Westchester Jewish Council.

 

About UJA-Federation of New York

For more than 100 years, UJA-Federation has brought New Yorkers together to solve some of the most pressing problems facing our community. Through UJA, more than 50,000 donors impact the issues that matter most to them, pooling their resources to care for Jews everywhere and New Yorkers of all backgrounds, respond to crises close to home and far away, and shape our Jewish future. Working with a network of hundreds of nonprofits, UJA extends its reach from New York to Israel to nearly 70 other countries around the world, touching the lives of 4.5 million people each year. For more information on how to donate or volunteer, please visit our website at www.ujafedny.org.

 

News courtesy of the UJA-Federation of New York

 

Remember the Partisans

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Chappaqua Resident Meryl Lefkowitz with her great uncle Michael Stoll, a Bielski partisan
Chappaqua Resident Meryl Lefkowitz with her great uncle Michael Stoll, a Bielski partisan

A packed audience recently gathered at the Dewitt Wallace auditorium at Chappaqua Crossing to watch The Bielski Brothers: Jerusalem in the Woods, a documentary film based on the lives of the Bielski partisans during the Holocaust. The event was sponsored by UJA-Federation of New York’s Westchester Women chapter in an effort to raise awareness about the remarkable story of the Bielski brothers who were Jewish partisans that survived in the Belorussian forest during World War II. The four Bielski brothers managed to rescue 1,200 Jews in the neighboring Jewish ghettos of Lida and Nowogrodek, the largest rescue effort by Jews for Jews in World War II.

Aron (Bielski) Bell, the last remaining survivor of the Bielski brothers, was in attendance at the event along with several other Bielski partisans.

Chappaqua resident and one of the event chair’s Meryl Lefkowitz has many relatives who were saved by the Bielski brothers. “My father’s family including my grandmother, her parents, brother, sister and cousin were all Holocaust survivors and Bielski partisans. “The Bielskis were close to my family and saved them as well as countless others by creating their community in the woods,” said Lefkowitz. “My grandmother and her brother and sister and cousin are all still alive and to this day they keep the memories and stories alive. We are here (a family of more than 50 of their descendants) because of their determination to survive.” The number of Bielski descendants is approximately 20,000, according to historians.

Laura Kleinhandler of Rye Brook, UJA-Federation’s Westchester Women Chair; Aron Bell; Michele Gregson of Chappaqua, UJA-Federation’s Westchester Women Vice Chair; and Alan Bell Photo courtesy of UJA-Federation of NY
Laura Kleinhandler of Rye Brook, UJA-Federation’s Westchester Women Chair; Aron Bell; Michele Gregson of Chappaqua, UJA-Federation’s Westchester Women Vice Chair; and Alan Bell Photo courtesy of UJA-Federation of NY

Lefkowitz’s great uncle Michael Stoll attended the event. His story is featured in the documentary. He was on a cattle car about to be transported to the Majdanek concentration camp from the Lida ghetto and jumped from the train along with his sister, Lefkowitz’s paternal grandmother and her paternal great grandfather. Remarkably they reunited with their mother and other sister in the woods who had already joined the Bielski brigade. “I am proud of who I am and where I have come from. These are amazing people with an unwavering will to live and prosper and an unbelievable story to tell,” commented Lefkowitz.

The story of the Bielski partisans was popularized in the 2008 Hollywood film Defiance starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. The documentary film featured at the event follows the story of the Bielski brothers a Jewish farming family in the town of Stankiewicze. After the Nazis invaded their town and forced all Jews into the ghettos of Lida and Nowogrodek, three of the Bielski brothers escaped to the nearby forest. At first the brothers focused on just saving their immediate family members but eventually took it as their mission to save as many Jews as they could. With the brother’s farming background and intimate knowledge of the forest, they were able to ultimately evade the Germans and Belorussian collaborators.

Aron (Bielski) Bell, the last remaining Bielski Brother with his wife Henryka Bell
Aron (Bielski) Bell, the last remaining Bielski Brother with his wife Henryka Bell

Eventually with the help of some non-Jewish Belorusian friends they acquired guns and were soon able to obtain captured German and Soviet weapons and equipment supplied by Soviet partisans. The Bielski partisans actively scouted the Jewish ghettoes and helped several Jews escape. They constantly moved throughout the forest to avoid detection by the Nazis.

By 1943, the number of partisans in the Bielski brigade had increased to 700 Jews, and the Bielski brothers were fearful of the Nazis discovering their base so they relocated to a more remote part of the Naliboki Forest where they remained until their liberation. The partisans formed a Jewish community in this location dubbed “Jerusalem in the woods.” The refugees were organized by skill and they had cobblers, tailors, carpenters, leather workers, and blacksmiths all contributing to the overall well-being of the community. In addition, they even had a laundry, synagogue, infirmary and schoolhouse.

“This story is extraordinary in that the best of human qualities emerged in the darkest moments of history. The unanswered question surrounding the story of the four Bielski brothers whose efforts saved more than 1,200 Jews is how did they create a caring community in the midst of the Holocaust? Millie Jasper, Executive Director of the White Plains-based Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center, said: “It’s remarkable that the Bielski brothers created an environment where each member of the group chose not their personal survival, but the survival of the group.”

Stacey Pfeffer lives with her husband and three young children in Chappaqua. She has written for New York Family Magazine, Kveller.com, Westchester Parents and Inside Armonk. Both of her maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors.