FRIENDS WORLDWIDE

USA

The Young Leadership Associates (YLA) of the American Society for Yad Vashem sponsored an evening of art and culture for some three hundred people at Sotheby’s Auction House in June. The evening included a guided gallery walk and tour of Sotheby’s current exhibition “Old Masters to Contemporary Art.” Proceeds from the event went to YLA and Education Department Programs, advancing Holocaust remembrance through education. Pictured left to right: Events Coordinator, American Society for Yad Vashem Randi Halperin, YLA member Morris Massel, YLA Co-Chair Caroline Arfa Massel, Director of Education, American Society for Yad Vashem Marlene Warshawski Yahalom Ph.D. and Senior Vice President and Director, Arcade Fine Arts, Sotheby’s, Jennifer Roth.

Dr. John Grossman, Dr. Jacqueline Green and their daughters visited the construction site of the new Learning Center endowed by Jacqueline’s aunt and uncle Stella and Sam Skura.

Gary (second from right) and Kim (left) Heimann and their children visited Yad Vashem together with an extended family group who came to Israel to celebrate the bat-mitzvah of their daughter Thea (second from left).  Kim Heiman is a member of the American Society for Yad Vashem’s Executive Committee. The family is pictured here at the Munich wall in the Valley of the Communities, where the group lit candles in memory of family members who perished in the Shoah.

Dr. Lu Steinberg and Dr. Michael Schulder and their daughters visited the “No Child’s Play” exhibit during a recent tour of Yad Vashem.  Lu’s parents, Lillian and Milton Steinberg are major Yad Vashem supporters.

Brenda Mandel (center) and Lou Frock (left) hosted a parlor meeting in their home in Baltimore for the Maryland chapter of the American Society for Yad Vashem. Guest speaker was Chief Fiscal Officer of the State of Israel in the Western Hemisphere Harry Langman (right), a child survivor of the Holocaust. Guests included Jean and Ben Schreibman, Regina and David Weinberg, Amy Gur, Joshua Mauer and Dr. John Mann.

Yad Vashem mourns the loss of Sol Silberzweig z”l, who passed away in New York in August. Sol and his late wife, Gloria z”l, were Benefactors of Yad Vashem. He was also a board member of the American Society for Yad Vashem.

Born in Warsaw, Sol (Szulem) Silberzweig survived the ghetto uprising, and later endured seven concentration and extermination camps and two death marches.  He lost his entire family in the Holocaust except for one brother who left for America before the war. A book about Sol’s remarkable survival during the Shoah is due to be published by Yad Vashem.

Before he passed away, Sol spoke of his excitement at attending the opening ceremony of Yad Vashem’s new Holocaust History Museum on March 15 2005—his birthday. Yad Vashem remembers Sol as a dear and generous friend and joins his three surviving children, Rochelle, Rivkah and Moe, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren in mourning his passing.

AUSTRALIA

Alan Schwartz (pictured at the Cattle Car – Memorial to the Deportees) received an overview of Yad Vashem's development plan and activities and toured the route of the Path of Remembrance and Reflection, endowed by his parents Baba and Andor Schwartz (see p.17). 

UK

On a recent visit to London, Director of the English Desk, International Relations Division Solly Kaplinski presented Executive Trustee of the Yad Vashem UK Foundation Jeffrey Pinnick (left) with the new Holocaust History Museum Preview Portfolio, published in anticipation of the opening of the new museum next March.

CANADA

David Asper (second from right)—son of Izzy z”l and Babs Asper—visited Yad Vashem with his family, pictured here by the plaque recognizing the Asper International Holocaust Studies Program. The program was endowed by the Asper Foundation, of which David Asper is a trustee.

LIECHTENSTEIN

In June Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein held a reception for the Liechtenstein Society for Yad Vashem at his castle in Vaduz. Left to right: President of the Yad Vashem Society in Liechtenstein Markus Buechel; producer of the film Babij Jar (showed in Liechtenstein) Artur Brauner; Mrs. Gvir; Mrs. Brauner; Prince Hans-Adam II; Ambassador Raphael Gvir (ret.) and Director of the International Relations Division’s German-speaking Desk Arik Rav-On.

MEXICO

Oscar and Janette Gorodzinsky visited Yad Vashem in August, pictured here at the entrance to the Valley of the Communities. Oscar’s parents David and Bashe Malka Gorodzinsky are major supporters of the Valley as well as other Yad Vashem activities. 

VENEZUELA

During their visit to Yad Vashem, Simon and Mariana Sultan and their son Gabriel, together with Mariana’s parents Sara and Arie Birnbaum, were accompanied by Director of the International Relations Division Shaya Ben Yehuda (center) and Director of the Division’s Iberoamerican Desk Perla Hazan (right)—pictured here at the exit from the new Holocaust History Museum.

Yad Vashem supporter Miryam Birnbaum de Macias (center) dedicated a plaque in honor of her grandparents. The Birnbaum family was in Israel for the wedding of Hani Segal Birnbaum (second from left) to Sasha Vitali (right).