Previous Events

July 30, 2008	Happy Hour to Benefit The Blue Card All proceeds went to benefit The Blue Card, which provides financial assistance and day-to-day services to local Holocaust survivors in need. We are proud to report that we raised $400 in this effort! This money will finance Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERSYS) for 16 survivors for the month of August. Some Background, from the Blue Card: The Blue Card provides the system to Holocaust survivors in need, but who do not have the financial resources to pay for installation, service, and maintenance. Many survivors live alone and have no one who can come to their rescue in an emergency. It is the highest level of tzedakah to help people to help themselves. An alert button is worn around the wrist or around the neck. In an emergency, the client presses the button, activating a speakerphone. One of the key elements of the program is that the in-take operator speaks the native language of the survivor. This is crucial because it allows the client to communicate any instructions or answer questions that are essential to obtaining a quick response. Another feature of the program is the installation of a safe lock box outside the client's apartment. This becomes crucial when an ambulance comes and the survivor cannot get to the door. EMT has the code to the safe lock box which contains a set of keys, enabling the paramedics to enter without breaking down the door. If the survivor is taken to a hospital, the apartment is secure. The survivor is not faced with the added stress and cost of replacing the door upon return from the hospital. A success story of one of our Holocaust survivors and how the system helped save her life: Mrs. T was in a Romanian ghetto until the age of sixteen, after which she was deported to Auschwitz then Birkenau. As a Nazi slave laborer, she was forced to work in a munitions factory under hazardous conditions. After liberation, she had to march for two weeks, suffering from starvation and fainting, due to weakness. Now Mrs. T, a widow, lives in New York. She suffers from a heart condition, diabetes, colitis as well as poor dental health due to malnutrition in her early years. Last month, when Mrs. T fell and broke her hip, she used our personal emergency response system to call for help. Within 15 minutes help was at her door, and she was taken to the hospital where she received immediate attention. Since Mrs. T's English is limited, she was very grateful to have someone speak to her Romanian. Mrs. T is so happy with the system and attributes her survival to The Blue Card's SOS program. She says that she had suffered greatly during the Holocaust and knowing that she has this emergency response system helps her cope better with everyday stress and feel safer. * The system costs $25 per month. The contribution of $400 will help pay for 16 survivors for the month of August. *

July 15, 2008	Tuesday Night Coffee On behalf of Sivan Raviv, we'd like thank you for attending our discussion in which Sivan presented her 30 minute radio documentary about grandchildren of survivors. For those who could not attend, you can access the piece by going to www.sivanraviv.com and clicking on the "Audio" link. If you would like to contact Sivan with any questions, please email her at ravsiv@gmail.com. Background: Sivan Raviv recently received her Master's Degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. For her Master's project, Sivan put together a three-piece radio documentary about grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. Among the questions she addresses: - How does our generation identify with our heritage, with Judaism? - How do we form our political views in a post-Holocaust world? - Do we struggle with the idea of passing on a legacy? - How different are our experiences with our grandparents/parents? - How has the Holocaust impacted our career choices? - How do we react to Holocaust denial? We had an informal discussion after listening to each of the three 10 minutes segments. Interviewees from Sivan's documentary came and joined in the discussion. We thank Congregation Ramath Orah for hosting us.

June 22, 2008	2nd Annual Family Brunch We hosted our second Family Brunch – with four generations in attendance. Members and their families heard from the group's organizers about our past events. In addition they were presented with a slide show of two organizers' recent trip to Poland and the Czech Republic. We thank the JCC in Manhattan for hosting us.

May 9, 2008	Shabbat Dinner We heard from Martin Greenfield, a survivor of Auschwitz and a noted clothier. Since the war, Mr. Greenfield has made a name for himself as a noted clothier – manufacturing special-label suits for Brooks Brothers, Neiman Marcus and individual customers, such as Paul Newman and President Bill Clinton. Mr. Greenfield learned to sew while ironing shirts and placing buttons for the Gestapo as a teenager in Auschwitz. For 60 years, since he came to New York as a teenager, Mr. Greenfield has been working as a tailor in a factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This is the factory Mr. Greenfield went to work in 1947 as a war refugee, and has since bought. We thank Mr. Greenfield for sharing his story with us, as well as Manhattan Jewish Experience for hosting us and co-sponsoring the dinner. A piece on Mr. Greenfield in the New York Times: Public Lives: Helping Presidents and Others Look Their Best

March 17, 2008	The Swiss Banks Settlement - Panel Discussion with the Judges We heard from two prominent jurists reflect on one of the most important recent cases involving the Holocaust. Two United States federal judges, the Hon. Edward Korman and the Hon. Frederic Block discussed their decisions in the landmark cases involving Swiss banks charged with profiting from the confiscated property of European Jews during World War II. Justice Edward Korman presided over the $1.25 billion settlement with the banks as well as the distribution of payment to survivors while Justice Frederic Block handed down the decision in the settlement regarding attorney fees. Although the verdict against the banks was handed down in 1998, the decisions about the distribution of funds and attorney fees were not handed down until December 2007. Controversy surrounds these recent decisions among Holocaust survivors and others, who feel their decision does not do survivors justice. During the Q&A, pointed questions were asked of the judges by Leo Rechter, executive director of the National Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors. Some survivors in attendance also expressed to the judges their disappointment in their decision. Others simply asked detailed questions about the case. This event was evenly divided between all three generations. We thank Professor Harry Reicher of University of Pennsylvania Law School, who served as moderator. We also thank the JCC in Manhattan for hosting us. For more background on the case: Final Approval on Swiss Holocaust Claims Deciding Which Wrongs to Right; Brooklyn Judge Has to Winnow Requests for Holocaust Fund Holocaust Survivors in U.S. Say Settlement Slights Them Survivors Ask Court To Alter Swiss Bank Settlement Judge is Assailed Over Holocaust Fund Judge Block Awards Legal Fees

January 27, 2008	Hearing From Mrs. Gene Meisner, Survivor We thank Mrs. Gene Meisner, grandmother of 3GNY member Justin Waiser, for sharing with us her inspiring and courageous story of survival. Gene Meisner is an 87 year old Holocaust survivor born in Kalish, Poland. She is a survivor of the Lodz Ghetto, as well as several different work camps, including the notorious women's concentration camp Ravensbruck. During the war, she was separated from her husband Sam Meisner and miraculously found him afterwards. Mr. and Mrs. Meisner immigrated to the United States shortly after the war. They are the parents of a son and daughter: Michael Meisner, the first child born to Holocaust survivors in the United States, and Paulette Waiser. Gene Meisner is currently a Vice President of Investments at Smith Barney. Thanks to the JCC for hosting us.

October 18, 2007	Israeli Wine Tasting It was a lovely evening of socializing, with a little learning too. Thanks to the Jewish Enrichment Center for hosting us.

September 9, 2007	Jewzapalooza For the third straight year, 3GNY had a booth at Jewzapalooza, part of the New York Jewish Music and Heritage Festival. Thanks to all those who came to visit and who signed up for our mailing list. We look forward to seeing you at future events!

August 14, 2007	Walking In His Footsteps We attended a performance of fellow member Joan Fishman's one-woman play, "Walking in His Footsteps". This very personal, semi-autobiographical play is based on Joan's childhood experiences with her grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, who never spoke of the fate of his family during the war. After the show, we joined Joan and other group members at a nearby lounge for a post-discussion. More About the Show: The play was selected to be part of the NYC Fringe Festival that began August 10th. The play's main content is about Joan's looking into the past to find clues about her grandfather's mysterious history: growing up as a Jew in Lithuania, escaping the fate of his family during the Holocaust, meeting her grandmother in a Displaced Persons camp in Munich, and coming to America to start a new life. Yiddish text and song, as well as evocative images projected on a screen are all part of the performance. NY-based writer Malka Percal recently wrote on her blog "Jewess" about Joan. In the interview, they discussed the play, her other work and 3GNY. Jewess is a blog about Jewish women's issues.

June 18, 2007	Genealogy Workshop HIAS Young Leaders and 3GNY co-sponsored "Discover Your Roots". Valery Bazerov, Director of HIAS Location & Family History, gave us a backgrounder on genealogy research and shared with us anecdotes of his and others’ research – examples of success and frustration. We learned about what questions we need to ask and what tools are available to us. Providing a demo, several participants were chosen to conduct brief searches online for everyone to see. As this was a beginner workshop, we anticipate that the follow-up event will be more hands-on, and that we may need to come with relevant family info. We’re looking forward to the next one.

May 20, 2007	Intergen Brunch This was our first event to include three generations: Holocaust survivors, their children and grandchildren. The JCC’s Beit Midrash was filled to capacity as 3GNY’s Daniel Brooks and Leora Klein spoke to the gathering about the group’s beginnings, its mission, accomplishments and future. A PowerPoint presentation helped provide a vivid picture of our community’s first two years. Following the presentation, a Q&A led to the emotional testaments of several Holocaust survivors expressing their gratitude and pride in the activism of this generation. Their sentiments were returned by the grandchildren, who expressed appreciation at having been inspired by their grandparents’ stories of courage and hope.

April 19, 2007	Yiddish Cabaret A group of us met up at Helen’s Restaurant in Chelsea to see a performance unlike anything we’ve seen: Kleynkunst! Warsaw’s brave and brilliant Yiddish Cabaret. As Generation X and Y’ers, we rarely experience Yiddish in forms like cinema, theater or Klezmer, let alone cabaret. The songs, in both Yiddish and English, offered us a glimpse of one of the most unique periods in Jewish history. Spanning the 20s and 30s, Yiddish Cabaret reflected the sophistication, as well as the politics and changing social status of Warsaw’s Jews. In the Warsaw Ghetto, Jews, imprisoned, starved and faced with death, showed their will to live by clandestinely putting on cabaret shows. This was a form of resistance, alongside the armed resistance that began soon after. In fact, this show was performed in honor of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which began on the same date, 64 years ago. Following the performance, we were able to meet and talk with the performers, Rebecca Joy Fletcher and Stephen Mo Hanan. For two wonderful reviews of Kleynkunst, please read 3GNY’s Rivka Schiller’s reviews in the Yiddish Forward, from February 16, 2007 and March 2, 2007.

March 16, 2007	Shabbat Dinner We had another successful Shabbat dinner – our third! Our topic at this dinner was how the Holocaust fits into our identity. Makor's rabbinic intern, Rachel Silverman, asked us to consider the different aspects of our Jewish identity and the influence on our lives -- socially, professionally, politically, etc. The sense of community at these dinners was apparent. Many friends, old and new, stayed around well after the dinner and talked and connected with each other in Makor’s Lounge.

February 25, 2007	Teaching the Holocaust & Telling Our Family Stories We went on a guided tour of The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust (MJH). The group was big so we split up. One tour was led by Lori Kass, and the other by Dan Brooks, and as we all walked through the exhibits, everyone shared parts of their family stories. Afterwards, we discussed our impressions of the museum. We talked about the differences of message between MJH and Yad Vashem and the museum in DC. We observed that MJH is geared more toward a younger audience, and maybe leaves one with a message of hope, while the other two are much larger and more similar to each other than to MJH. . We discussed how we, as a group mostly of non-educators, can make a lasting impact on Holocaust education. Some felt that if we talk about our connection to the Holocaust to younger people, the impression we make may be more enduring. We discussed state-mandated Holocaust education: how it’s taught, its importance and the influence individual teachers can have.

January 25, 2007	Film Screening: America and the Holocaust It was our first event of 2007, and our first at the JCC in Manhattan. We watched the PBS documentary "American and the Holocaust". The film addresses America's reaction to the plight of European Jewry, from Kristallnacht to the end of the war: American anti-Semitism, economic considerations, the politics of the State Department and White House and the conscious effort to cover up the evidence of genocide. The film also tells the stories of those in America, notably the Bergson Group, who worked to open doors for refugees and stop the Holocaust. German-Jewish refugee Kurt Klein is featured throughout the film. Klein managed to emigrate to the US from Nazi Germany in 1937. He unsuccessfully struggles against the U.S. government's bureaucracy to bring his parents to America. Afterwards, we discussed whether the film changed the view we had about America's in the Holocaust as one of liberator. We felt it did, but minimally. Some of us had already known about the U.S. military choosing not to bomb the rail lines to the camps, and we debated what went into that decision. Some of us felt that this shameful episode further highlights how the Jews were, on a whole, left to their own fate. We ended up discussing whether some of these same social, political and bureaucratic problems during World War II have repeated themselves in subsequent genocides, with specific references to the Rwandan genocide in '94 and the one going on in Darfur since '04.

November 15, 2006	Community Planning Meeting We had a productive meeting. We'd like to thank everyone for attending, and for sharing all of your ideas.

September 17, 2006	Jewzapalooza 3GNY had a booth at Jewzapalooza, part of the New York Jewish Music and Heritage Festival. Thanks to all those who came to visit and who signed up for our mailing list. We look forward to seeing you at future events!

July 26, 2006	A Jew Grows in Brooklyn Thanks to everyone from the group who made it to this performance of "A Jew Grows in Brooklyn". Also, thanks for taking part in the special Q&A with Jake Ehrenreich after the show. We look forward to seeing everyone at future events.

May 5, 2006	Shabbat Dinner Thanks to everyone who made it to 3GNY's second Shabbat Dinner. We'd like to thank Makor for hosting us and offer a special thanks to our guest speakers: -Donald Cohen-Cutler from the Union of Reform Judaism's Commission on Social Action -Arielle Cahill from the American Jewish World Service -Rachel Silverman from Makor, who led our Shabbat service (She also headed the Makor contingent to the Save Darfur Rally in Washington.) On the heels of the successful Save Darfur Rally on April 30, the evening's theme was social justice. Specifically, how Jewish tradition and social justice are connected. The evening began early with a screening of "Paperclips," the inspirational film documenting a Tennessee middle school's efforts of commemorating the Holocaust. After the meal, 3GNY led a panel discussion with Donald, Arielle and Rachel. Each described the work they've done in helping to end the Darfur genocide and whether they felt their Judaism led them to their positions serving the cause of social justice. They also shared with us their impressions of the Darfur Rally.

April 30, 2006	Darfur Rally Draws On Lessons of the Holocaust There were many interesting and memorable images at the Save Darfur Rally in DC on April 30. Local residents of the Fur tribe mingled with the crowd, thousands of young children carried signs of protest and Elie Wiesel, Al Sharpton and George Clooney all spoke at the same podium. For me, what stood out most were the widespread references to the Holocaust. When survivors Elie Wiesel and Nesse Godin finished their remarks early in the program, a young lady walked to the microphone and addressed the crowd of more than 75,000. She identified herself as a grandchild of Holocaust survivors and mentioned that this nation was silent when the Holocaust was taking place. "Today, we have no excuse," she said, followed by thunderous applause. Echoing her sentiments, a nearby sign stated "Last time we couldn't stand up. This time we will." This sign stood out, as it was immersed in a sea of signs reading "Never Again." All of the Holocaust imagery was an unfamiliar sight in such a public setting. While the Holocaust was primarily a Jewish experience, the lessons of the Holocaust are universal and should be applied that way. At the rally, the Holocaust's lesson of silence was rightfully held up as an example of how humanity, through its silence and passivity, failed those in need before and since. Tens of thousands at the rally loudly declared that humanity would not be silent again. This brought to mind the words of Albert Einstein, himself a refugee from Nazi tyranny, who said, "the world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." On April 30th, the memory of the Holocaust could not have been honored more appropriately. When the Holocaust is spoken of, people listen. For many, hearing from Holocaust survivors and descendants of survivors about Darfur might have heightened their awareness of the crisis and if anything, added to their urgency in helping to stop it. There seemed to be no better venue than our nation's first anti-genocide rally that we helped to shape one aspect of our unique legacy.

April 26, 2006	Speaking with Survivors 3GNY's discussion, "Defining the Legacy," followed Makor's "Asking the Survivors" program. Makor's program was a panel discussion led by two journalists (Liel Liebowitz with the Jewish Week and Gabrielle Birkner with the New York Sun) who interviewed two survivors who have recently written their memoirs: Aharon Golub, author of the memoir "Kaddishel: A Life Reborn"; Fanya Gottesfeld Heller, author of "Love in a World of Sorrow: A Teenage Girl's Holocaust Memoirs." After the program ended, we moved to Makor's reading room to discuss the program we had just seen, as well as a range of other issues dealing with the legacy.

March 29, 2006	Israel from a 3G Perspective Our group discussion was a success as everyone had their voices heard on several important issues. We'd like to thank the Jewish Enrichment Center for hosting us. Please view the attachment for a full event summary.

February 21, 2006	Darfur Action Meeting 3GNY would like to thank everyone who made it to the Darfur Action Meeting. We'd also like to thank Makor for hosting this meeting and offer a special thanks to our guest speakers Ira Horowitz from American Jewish World Service and Elise Keppler from Human Rights Watch. For those unable to attend, Ira and Elise shared with us valuable info and insights about Darfur. Of note: Ira provided us with some background: - Darfur is a region in the far west of Sudan -- Africa's largest nation. - Darfur is about the same size as Texas and is home ("Dar" in Arabic) to the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa tribes. - Since February 2003, a government-backed Arab militia known as janjaweed has been engaging in a brutal campaign to wipe out communities of these African tribal farmers in Darfur. - The perpetrators and victims are primarily Muslim, and black in skin tone, but the victims identify as African and the perpetrators identify as Arab. - Some say this is really a competition for land and resources between nomadic cattle herders (the janjaweed) and sedentary farmers (the tribes). However, both race and land are contributing factors. - Up to 90% of all villages in Darfur have been destroyed. - Government air raids frequently precede or follow these militia attacks. - The reason some feel it's not genocide is because some are unsure if there's intent to kill or destroy all (or part) of the African tribesmen. and some numbers (since February 2003)... - 1.83 million IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) in Darfur - 3.5 million Conflict-Affected Persons in Need of Assistance - 400,000+ Deaths -- men, women and children Elise described the reaction of the international community and the difficult effort in prosecuting those responsible: - Since brokering a deal to end the two-decade old civil war in the South of Sudan, the US and other powers were initially reluctant to pressure the Sudanese government on Darfur, for fear of disrupting the peace in the South - The most effective vehicle for prosecution is the ICC (International Criminal Court). Many proposed that the UN Security Council pass a resolution referring this crisis to the ICC. However, due to perceived political leanings of the court, there was concern that the US would most likely veto such a resolution. - However, the resolution referring Darfur to the ICC was able to pass with the US abstaining in March 2005. - There are continuing challenges though. It will be difficult to obtain evidence and ensure witness protection in Darfur, given the role the Sudanese government has played in perpetrating abuses. and the most realistic action we can still take to save Darfur... - Put on the ground a UN force, which would be better able than the smaller, existing African Union force, to intervene to stop the killing. - However, putting UN forces on the ground would take a year, at least, and that's if the Sudanese government doesn't obstruct the effort -- which it most likely will. To get the UN moving on this, our government needs to apply pressure. By showing our strength in numbers, we can stir our government to push aside its politics and act. Here are several things we can do to make our voices heard: 1) To sign the Million Voices postcard click here 2) Phone Calls (most agree these are more effective than letters) - US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton: 212-415-4050 - President Bush, 202-456-1111 - AJWS has been a leader -- on the ground and behind the scenes -- in the effort to save Darfur. To learn how to host your own Darfur Awareness event, order "Not On Our Watch" wristbands, donate to relief efforts, and more, please visit the AJWS website. - The Human Rights Watch website, provides excellent background about Darfur and also offers information on what we can do. - The US Holocaust Memorial Museum's Committee on Conscience, is a great resource for us to learn more about genocide around the globe and how we can help fight it. The Committee on Conscience was the first to point out that what's going on in the Sudan is genocide. The committee has been vigilant in raising awareness about Darfur since it first issued a "genocide warning" for Sudan in October 2000.

January 20, 2006	Shabbat Dinner 3GNY would like to thank everyone who was at the Shabbat Dinner on the 20th. The turnout was incredible -- our largest yet - and we're very excited about the continued and growing interest. This was also the first event of what will be an important and productive year for our group. We'd like to thank Makor for hosting and organizing the dinner, especially Rachel Silverman, Makor's rabbinic intern who lead the service. We'd also like to offer a special thanks to Thane Rosenbaum for giving a novel and thoughtful talk about his book "The Golems of Gotham". He read a chapter from "Golems" and he also brought up several Holocaust-related issues we have yet to discuss as a group. Of note: the use of the Holocaust in works of fiction, how and where it's been trivialized (Thane touched upon Anne Frank's diary and how the version most of us know was watered down for public consumption - by her father) and how suicide among Holocaust survivors is extremely rare. This fact came up as Thane discussed the book's main character, Ariel, trying to bring back to life her grandparents - survivors who committed suicide before she was born. These topics got people talking. To continue discussing these issues and others, please visit the discussion boards on our website.

November 29, 2005	(Re)discover Yiddish We had fun learning a little Yiddish -- about its roots and how mainstream it's become. Some of us also shared the Yiddish we heard growing up. A special thanks to our guests, Myra Mniewski of Yugntruf (Call to Youth), and Corey Breier of the Yiddish Theatrical Alliance. We learned about its background, place in American culture, place in our lives, and briefly discussed its future. You can download a full meeting summary by clicking here.

October 27, 2005	3GNY Launch Party Thanks to everyone who made it out to the 3GNY Launch Party at Black Door last Thursday. It was great seeing so many new faces along with many familiar faces. It was the first of many fun social events to come.

September 25, 2005	Jewzapalooza 2005 3GNY had a booth at Jewzapalooza, part of the New York Jewish Music and Heritage Festival. Thanks to all those who came to visit and who signed up for our mailing list. We look forward to seeing you at future events!

August 24, 2005	Video Testimony Thanks to all those who made it to Makor Wednesday, August 24. For those unable to attend, we watched video testimony of Serena Farkas. Serena is a survivor of Auschwitz and the grandmother of member Gabe Farkas. In the four-part video, produced by the Shoah Foundation, we learned of Serena Farkas's experiences. Of note: · Born in 1922, she is originally from Tirgo Mares in the Transylvania region of present-day Romania. · In 1940, the Hungarian army moved her and her family to a ghetto in the forests of Romania. · In 1944, they were sent to Lodz, Poland where she worked making munitions. · Soon after, she and her family were deported to Auschwitz. With her were her parents, four siblings, aunt, uncle, grandmother and grandfather. · She was the only one of her family to survive when Auschwitz was liberated by the Russians in '45. She soon returned to Romania. · In 1961, Serena and Jacob (Gabe's grandfather) left Romania for America. Gabe's father was 14 at the time. Watching the film prompted some questions: · Should there be criteria for the label "survivor"? We reached a consensus that the term survivor does and should include anyone who was in Nazi-occupied Europe (or nations allied with Hitler) and lived through it regardless of whether they saw a camp, or a ghetto or a Nazi. · What and when did she know of her family's fate? How did our grandparents cope with not knowing the fate of family members for so long? · Why did the Nazis tattoo numbers on inmates they were sending to the gas chambers? Serena told how the Nazis would mark a "K" on those destined for the crematorium, to ensure that they "wouldn't get lost" along the way. Serena then showed her tattoo. She had an "A" for "arbeit" (work). Towards the end, we discussed what's coming next for our group: 3GNY’s September event will be a little different. We will be a part of “Jewzapalooza” on Sunday, September 25th. We have reserved a booth and will have members there to meet, greet and answer questions.

July 27, 2005	The Museum of Jewish Heritage Thanks to all those who made it out to the museum Wednesday, July 27. It was great to see so many new faces. For those unable to attend, we went on a guided tour of the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. Meeting Summary: - Before the tour started, we all met and introduced ourselves in the lobby. We were greeted by our guide Inge Oppenheimer. Inge grew up in Cologne, Germany and survived Theresienstadt and Auschwitz. - The tour spanned three floors. The first held beautiful relics of Jewish cultural and religious life from last century. One that struck me was an ornate wedding dress, made in Bombay, that a recent emigre to Palestine had ordered for her wedding. There were also photos of old synagogues from such diverse locales as Turkey, Afghanistan and Cologne (the same shul Inge attended as a child). There was also a section devoted to the influence and inspiration Jews brought to political movements such as Socialism and Liberalism. - The second floor was devoted to the Holocaust. There were sections, or panels, focusing on lesser known themes such as the war against children, the pattern of deception the Nazis used and the difficulty that many faced in trying to escape before the war. Throughout this section, tv monitors played survivor testimony. The impact of seeing and hearing lived evidence throughout the floor is tremendous. This is what truly makes this museum a "living memorial". - The third floor was a helpful reminder of the hope and optimism that exist in a post-Holocaust world. A large part was devoted to the founding of Israel, the fight to save Soviet Jewry and the contributions that Jews have made to the modern world.

June 15, 2005	Israel's Survivor Community We met with Dubby Arbell, Director-General of the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel. Meeting Summary: - We went around the room and briefly exchanged family stories. Specifically, Dubby wanted to know where our grandparents/parents were from. Latvia, Poland, Romania and Russia were some of our answers. Dubby told us how his father, a Danish Jew, had been saved from deportation by being secretly ferried, under cover of darkness, over the straits to safe and neutral Sweden. - Dubby talked about Israel's survivor community: The not-so-warm response they initially received from the natives; The events that led to the gradual change in the way Israel views its survivor citizens: The Eichmann trial, the Yom Kippur War and the more recent John Demanjuk trial. He also mentioned that Israel's current Chief Rabbi, Israel Meir Lau, is a survivor and has recently put out his autobiography. - Dubby described his organization and the challenges it faces: The several channels of aid they offer survivors, from home nursing care, to an individual grants program to the "Flower for a Survivor" program, which provides survivors visits from teenagers, an enriching experience for both. He discussed the problem of solitude in particular. He noted that at least 20% of survivors in Israel have not rebuilt families since the war and survivors with families are, nevertheless, in need of special services. We also discussed the reasons why some survivors in Israel live below the poverty line, and how that's being addressed. In closing, Dubby stressed the importance of being close with our grandparents. We should take advantage of the fact that many survivors are more open with our generation and would be more than willing to meet with us and share their stories. Dubby urged that we all keep in touch with him and one day soon we'll all meet together again in Israel.

May 19, 2005	Film Screening: Children of Survivors Speak We watched the 2G documentary "Then and Now: Children of Holocaust Survivors Speak". (Thanks to Shoshana Romer for bringing her father's film.) In the film, 2Gs speak about their family history and the experience of growing up a child of survivors. Many of their experiences were similar, such as feeling different from their peers and their parents' pervasive silence about the Holocaust. Now, as part of a 2G community in Colorado, they have found solace and comfort in connecting with people like themselves. Afterwards, we discussed: - The film and the differences between us and the 2nd generation. We agreed that the generational gap won't seem as large with the arrival of the fourth generation, most of whom will never have known our grandparents. - Our sense of community and how we may have more in common with each other than we think, even though we're two generations removed from the Holocaust. - How we and our families view intermarriage - The role ordinary citizens, particularly Poles, played in helping to carry out the Holocaust. This topic stemmed from an astounding figure cited in the film -- the Jewish survival rate in Poland was 1.5%. There was interest in seeing the documentary "I'm Still Here", which aired on MTV earlier this month. I'm working on getting the video. If there are other relevant films or tv programs anyone would like to see, just let me know. I wrote the group's mission statement on the board and received some helpful feedback. I've attached a current draft. Your comments would be most welcome. We had a nice turnout Thursday -- 16 were there. I want to encourage even more people to come to our fifth meeting, since we'll have a very important guest.

April 18, 2005	General Meeting / Discussion Group After everyone introduced themselves and shared a little of their family history, we discussed the following: - Yom Hashoah and our past participation. There were also announcements of upcoming commemoration events. - Holocaust Denial, which included a reading of Deborah Lipstadt's letter to the Times about C-SPAN's coverage of her book "History on Trial". We talked about deniers, delegitimizers and their motivations. - What's the meaning of 3G Activism? We did try to define what activism would mean to this group. Is it enough to meet once a month and talk about issues or should our goals be more broad? There was a consensus not to rush into group activism until we have a well-defined purpose and message.

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