hamodia mayor bloomberg hosted in celebration of ... · david greenfield. the mayor, who was...

HAMODIA C53Community 18 ELUL 5772 SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

Mayor Michael Bloombergwas graciously hosted for break-fast at the home of WallenbergCommission Board MemberWilliam Nussen. The breakfastwas attended by numerousmembers of the RaoulWallenberg CentennialCelebration Commission,including: Steven Grauer;Yitzchok Fleischer; RyanKarben; corporate sponsors,Jonathan Zalisky, KathrynSoman from HealthPlusAmerigroup and Gil Cygler fromAllCar Rent a Car; leaders oforganizations servingHolocaust survivors and theirchildren; Rabbi Yeruchim Silberof the Boro Park JCC; RabbiShlomo Mayer of Chai Lifeline,and New York City CouncilmanDavid Greenfield.

The Mayor, who was formallywelcomed by William Nussenand Wallenberg CommissionChairman Peter Rebenwurzel,underscored the importance ofhighlighting Wallenberg ’sextraordinary heroism, a pointbrought out movingly by Mrs.Ruth Lichtenstein, Director ofProject Witness, a Holocausteducation resource center thatshe founded and directs. ProjectWitness is also a major organi-zational partner of theWallenberg Commission.

What is so unique aboutProject Witness is that it focus-es on the spiritual heroism ofHolocaust victims and sur-vivors, so that the courage of thepast becomes a guiding light forthe future. This message is par-ticularly apt for the commemo-ration of Raoul Wallenberg, ashe embodied strength andcourage in the face of darknessand evil. Ruth Lichteinsteinpresented Mayor Bloombergwith a canvas on which a poemand picture that appear inWitness to History is found.

Ezra Friedlander, CEO of theFriedlander Group, whichspearheaded the recent passageof legislation to award aCongressional Gold Medal toRaoul Wallenberg, praisedBaruch Tennenbaum of theInternational Raoul WallenbergFoundation for encouraginghim to create the Wallenberg

Commission.Speaking warmly and prais-

ing the importance of remem-bering Wallenberg, MayorBloomberg engaged in a discus-sion on individual Holocauststories of those assembled,allowing for an increased aware-ness of educating the next gen-eration not only about the hero-ism of Raoul Wallenberg butalso about those martyrs who

have almost been forgotten.It isanticipated that in the very nearfuture, Thirteenth Avenue willbe officially co-namedWallenberg Way, a major goal ofthe Raoul WallenbergCentennial CelebrationCommission. ThirteenthAvenue is the major thorough-fare of Boro Park, home of themost Holocaust survivors andtheir children.

Mayor Bloomberg Hosted inCelebration of Wallenberg Centennial

A picture with a poem, which appears in Witness to History, was presented oncanvas to Mayor Bloomberg by Mrs. Ruth Lichtenstein, Director of ProjectWitness (L-R): Matt Rothman; William Nussen, Host and Board Member;Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Ezra Friedlander, CEO, The Friedlander Group;Peter Rebenwurzel, Chairman of the Wallenberg Commission; NYC CityCouncilmember David Greenfield.

L-R: Gil Cygler, AllCar Rent a Car; Matt Rothman (standing); Reb Leibel Rubin; William Nussen, Host and BoardMember; Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Ezra Friedlander, CEO, The Friedlander Group (standing); Peter Rebenwurzel,Chairman of the Wallenberg Commission; NYC City Councilmember David Greenfield; Ryan Karben, Esq.; Ben Barber;Mendel West, CEO XChange Telecom.