From Memory to Action

POSTPONED: JCRC Community Holocaust Commemoration of Yom HaShoah on Sunday, April 19th JCRC is postponing our Community Holocaust Commemoration of Yom HaShoah on Sunday, April 19th, given recommendations from public health officials regarding the Coronavirus outbreak. Please rest assured that we will find a way to convene our community to mark this important anniversary, transmit the legacy of the Holocaust, honor our local survivors, and lift their voices. We are actively looking for alternative dates later in the spring or fall of this year for a community gathering. We will keep you informed with plans for a virtual recognition of the day.

Sunday, April 19th, 2020

2pm | Great Hall, Faneuil Hall

REGISTER Support the Commemoration

City Councilor Andrea J. Campbell, Josh Kraft, and Reverend Nancy S. Taylor, Co-Chairs

Recognizing 75 years since the liberation of the concentration camps and 25 years since the dedication of the New England Holocaust Memorial. Registration is encouraged.

Survivor Speaker: Frieda Grayzel
Frieda Tenenbaum Grayzel was born in Poland in 1934 and was five years old when Nazi Germany invaded and occupied her country. Her family fled their hometown for Poland’s capital, but after the bombardment by the German military, they returned home and were interned in the Tomaszow ghetto. The family – with her sister Dorka who was born in Warsaw on September 7, 1939 – were taken to the Bliżyn labor camp, where Frieda’s four-year old sister was taken away and killed. After her father was deported for camps unknown, Frieda and her mother were deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Out of more than one million people sent there, she is one of only a few hundred children who survived. Frieda has worked as an arts administrator and as a social worker and psychotherapist, and has also spent years sharing her story to ensure that future generations know the past and understand the dangers that exist today. Musical Guest: The Boston Children’s Chorus
Boston Children’s Chorus (BCC) harnesses the power of music to connect our city’s diverse communities, cultivate empathy, and inspire social inquiry.

Special Tribute to Steve Ross

We will honor the legacy of New England Holocaust Memorial Founder Steve Ross.

From Memory to Action Host Committee (In Formation)

Boston City Councilor Andrea J. Campbell,
Josh Kraft, & Reverend Nancy S. Taylor, Co-Chairs (Bios)

Elected Officials

Governor Charlie Baker
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren
U.S. Senator Edward Markey
Congresswoman Katherine Clark
Congressman Joe Kennedy III
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh
Attorney General Maura Healey
State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg

State Senators

Senate President Karen Spilka
Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Stone Creem
Senator Joe Boncore
Senator Will Brownsberger
Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz
Senator Jo Comerford
Senator Brendan Crighton
Senator Julian Cyr
Senator Sal DiDomenico
Senator Jamie Eldridge
Senator Paul R. Feeney
Senator Barry R. Finegold
Senator Cindy F. Friedman
Senator Eric Lesser
Senator Joan B. Lovely
Senator Mark C. Montigny
Senator Michael Moore
Senator Marc R. Pacheco
Senator Becca Rausch
Senator Michael J. Rodrigues
Senator James T. Welch

State Representatives

Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo
House Minority Leader Bradley Jones
Representative Ruth B. Balser
Representative Christine Barber
Representative Natalie M. Blais
Representative Dan Cahill
Representative Michelle L. Ciccolo
Representative Mike Connolly
Representative Ed Coppinger
Representative Claire Cronin
Representative Michael S. Day
Representative Marjorie Decker
Representative Mindy Domb
Representative Paul J. Donato
Representative William J. Driscoll, Jr.
Representative Lori Ehrlich
Representative Dylan Fernandes
Representative Bill Galvin
Representative Sean Garballey
Representative Denise Garlick
Representative Carmine Lawrence Gentile
Representative Thomas Golden
Representative Ken Gordon
Representative Danielle Gregoire
Representative Pat Haddad
Representative Richard Haggerty
Representative Jonathan Hecht
Representative Natalie Higgins
Representative Kate Hogan
Representative Russell Holmes
Representative Kevin Honan
Representative Daniel Hunt
Representative Louis Kafka
Representative Hannah Kane
Representative Kay Khan
Representative Kathleen LaNatra
Representative Jay Livingstone
Representative Adrian C. Madaro
Representative Liz Malia
Representative Paul W. Mark
Representative Paul McMurtry
Representative Aaron Michlewitz
Representative Harold P. Naughton, Jr.
Representative Tram T. Nguyen
Representative Jerald Parisella
Representative Sarah Peake
Representative Alice H. Peisch
Representative Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.
Representative Maria D. Robinson
Representative Jeff Roy
Representative Lindsay Sabadosa
Representative Jon Santiago
Representative Angelo M. Scaccia
Representative Andy X. Vargas
Representative RoseLee Vincent
Representative Tommy Vitolo

 

Municipal and County Elected Officials

District Attorney Rachael Rollins, Suffolk County
City Council President Kim Janey, Boston
City Councilor At-Large Annissa Essaibi-George, Boston
City Councilor At-Large Michael F. Flaherty, Boston
City Councilor At-Large Michelle Wu, Boston
City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, Boston
City Councilor Frank Baker, Boston
City Councilor Kenzie Bok, Boston
City Councilor Liz Breadon, Boston
City Councilor Ed Flynn, Boston
Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, Easthampton
Mayor Paul Brodeur, Melrose
Select Board Member Heather Hamilton, Brookline

Community Leaders

Stephane Acel-Green, Deputy VP, Regional Development, New Israel Fund
Dr. Lawrence Bacow, President, Harvard University
Rabbi Marc Baker, President and CEO, Combined Jewish Philanthropy
Anthony Barsamian, Co-Chair, Armenian Assembly of America
Jennifer Benson, President, Alliance for Business Leadership
David Bernat, Executive Director, Synagogue Council of MA
Frank Callahan, President, Massachusetts Building Trades Council
Lital Carmel, Regional Director, Israeli American Council
Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, President, Hebrew College
Lino Covarrubias, CEO, Jewish Family Service of Metrowest (JFS)
William “Mo” Cowan, President, Global Government Affairs and Policy, General Electric
Michael Curry, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, MA League of Community Health Centers
Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, Esq., Executive Director, Lawyers for Civil Rights
Ari Fertig, Executive Director, New England Jewish Labor Committee
Evelyn Francis, Co-Executive Director, The Theater Offensive
Valerie Frias, CEO, ETHOS
John Gatto, Senior Vice President of Community Health, Justice Resource Institute
Eric Giesser, New England Regional Director, AIPAC
Paul Grogan, President and CEO, The Boston Foundation
Janette Hillis-Jaffe, New England Regional Director, J Street
Justin Kang, Vice President, Economic Growth, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Barnet Kessel, Executive Director, The Vilna Shul
Idit Klein, President & CEO, Keshet
Dr. Adam Levine, Director, Global Emergency Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University
Robert Lewis, Jr., Founder and President, The BASE 
Emily McCann, CEO, Citizen Schools
Jill Medvedow, Director, The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston
Samuel Mendales, Executive Director, Hillel Council of New England
Eva Millona, Executive Director, MIRA Coalition
Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, President, Brigham Health
Lee Pelton, President, Emerson College
Julie Pinkham, Executive Director, Massachusetts Nurses Association
Bob Rivers, Chairman & CEO, Eastern Bank
Cindy Rowe, Executive Director, Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Jerry Rubin, President & CEO, Jewish Vocational Service
Ellyn Ruthstrom, Executive Director, SpeakOUT
Jeffrey Savit, President & CEO, Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
Carl Sciortino, VP of Government & Community Relations, Fenway Health
David Shapiro, CEO, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership
Peter L. Slavin, President, Mass General Hospital
Mark Sokoll, Executive Director, JCC Greater Boston
Jeff Sullivan, Business Manager, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), District Council 35
Tanisha Sullivan, Esq., President, NAACP Boston
Dr. Kevin Tabb, President & CEO, Beth Israel Lahey Health
Steven Tolman, President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO
Robert Trestan, Executive Director, Anti-Defamation League
Jagdeep Trivedi, CEO, Upham’s Corner Health Center
Adrian Walker, Metro Columnist, The Boston Globe
Dr. Ron Weisberger, Director, Bristol Holocaust and Genocide Center
Commissioner Ryan Woods, Boston Parks and Recreation
Jason Wu, Executive Director, GLAD
Alderman Mike Zwirko

Faith Leaders

Imam Taymullah Abdur-Rahman, Spentem
Imam Dr. Khalil Abdur-Rashid, Muslim Chaplain at Harvard University
Samuel Acevedo. Executive Director, Boston Higher Education Resource Center (HERC)
Reverend Arrington Chambliss, Executive Director, Episcopal City Mission 
Reverend Laura Everett, Massachusetts Council of Churches
Bishop Alan M. Gates, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Reverend Ray Hammond, Bethel AME Church
J. Bryan Hehir, Secretary of Health and Social Services, Archdiocese of Boston
Dr. Celene Ibrahim, Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy, Groton School
Salma Kazmi, Medullan
Imam Dr. Faisal Khan, Director of Religious Affairs, Islamic Center of Boston, Wayland
Reverend Roberto Miranda, Congregación León de Judá
Cardinal Seán O’Malley
Mahmood Rahman, Dar Al Islam of Boston
Reverend Dan Smith, First Church in Cambridge
Reverend Burns Stanfield, Co-Chair, Greater Boston Interfaith Organization
Amer Syed, President, Islamic Center of Boston, Wayland
Reverend Liz Walker, Roxbury Presbyterian Church.
Reverend Steve Watson, Reservoir Church
Beverly Williams, Co-Chair, Greater Boston Interfaith Organization
Reverend David Wright, President, Black Ministerial Alliance

Meet Our Co-Chairs

Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell

Andrea Joy Campbell was first elected as the District 4 Boston City Councilor on November 3, 2015, representing primarily the neighborhoods of Dorchester and Mattapan, as well as parts of Roslindale and Jamaica Plain. On January 1, 2018, at the start of her second term, Councilor Campbell was unanimously elected Boston City Council President by her colleagues. She is the first African-American woman to serve in this role. Born and raised in Boston, and educated in all Boston Public Schools, including Boston Latin School, Councilor Campbell went on to graduate from Princeton University and UCLA Law School. She began her career at a nonprofit in Roxbury, providing free legal services to students and their parents on education matters, including school discipline and special education needs. She has worked as legal counsel in both the public and private sectors, and before embarking on her run for City Council, served as deputy legal counsel for Governor Deval Patrick. On the Council, Councilor Campbell has established herself as an accessible, responsive, and pragmatic leader. She began her first term by chairing and expanding the Council’s Committee on Public Safety to include Criminal Justice in an effort to bring important conversations around re-entry services for returning citizens, solitary confinement, and the school-to-prison pipeline, to the Council. As one of the lead sponsors of the Community Preservation Act, she led the effort for its successful passage in 2016, which will generate millions of dollars annually for affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space in the City of Boston. And, in 2017 she secured the first-ever dedicated line item in the City’s budget to specifically fund youth development programming and youth serving organizations. Councilor Campbell continues to focus on issues of public safety and criminal justice, affordable housing, and racial equity initiatives. As Council President, works to ensure that the Council is accessible and transparent, has technological tools to do its work efficiently and effectively, and encourages the body to tackle issues through an equity lens.

Josh Kraft, President & CEO, Boys and Girls Club

Josh Kraft serves as Nicholas President & CEO for Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston. Josh started with BGCB nearly 30 years ago at the Edgerley Family South Boston Club, where he developed a passion for working with children. After graduating from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Josh returned to BGCB, running the Chelsea afterschool programming in the basement of a housing development. As Founding Executive Director, he spearheaded the construction of today’s state-of-the-art Gerald and Darlene Jordan Boys & Girls Club. During his 15-year tenure in Chelsea, Josh worked tirelessly to engage the community and build trust within the city. Today, as Nicholas President & CEO, Josh continues to do this for the more than 14,000 youth BGCB serves each year. Under Josh’s leadership, BGCB’s budget has grown from $14.8 Million to $25.7 million. From 2012-2017, Josh led the organization through a five-year, $125 million Opening Doors campaign which raised nearly $132 million. BGCB has added two shared space Clubs and Mattapan Teen Center, as well as expanded the South Boston Club for present and future members. With these accomplishments BGCB has broadened its reach and deepened impact—Club membership has doubled and BGCB has fostered a community of over 175 program partners throughout Boston and Chelsea. He serves on the boards of Brandeis University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Herren Project, and is a co-chair of the Hate Crimes Task Force for Massachusetts. Concurrently, Josh is the President of New England Patriots Charitable Foundation where he oversees numerous initiatives, such as Game Change: The Patriots Anti-Violence Partnership, the Community MVP Awards, and Celebrate Volunteerism. He received his Bachelor’s from Williams College, and his Master’s in Education and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Reverend Nancy S. Taylor, Senior Minister and CEO, Old South Church

Nancy S. Taylor has served since 2005 as the 20th senior minister and chief executive officer of Old South Church in Boston. She co-chairs the Dean’s Advisory Council at Yale Divinity School, is an independent trustee of Pax World Funds, and serves on the Advisory Boards of both Hebrew College’s Miller Center for Interreligious Life and Boston College’s Center for Religion in American Public Life. She a recipient of the Rabbi Murray I. Rothman Award for outstanding inter-religious leadership and co-founded the Idaho Human Rights Education Center. During her tenure as Senior Minister of First Congregational Church in Boise, Idaho, Nancy was instrumental in efforts that successfully defeated two anti-gay ballot initiatives and helped to secure a minimum wage for Idaho farm workers. Before her call to Old South Church, she served as Minister and President of the Massachusetts Conference of the UCC (2001-2005). During this time, Nancy was instrumental in introducing the legislation making clergy mandated reporters of suspected child abuse; worked to establish a public voice for the UCC; supervised a $1.5 million Lilly Endowment grant for pastoral excellence program; hosted Freedom Schooner Amistad’s visit to Boston Harbor; and worked with inter-religious leaders in the aftermath of 9/11.

Community Holocaust Commemoration for Yom HaShoah Committee

Planning Committee:

Rick Mann, Chair
Judi Bohn
Janet Stein Calm
Lora Tarlin

Advisory Committee:

Izzy Arbeiter
Jack Arbeiter
Herb Birnbaum
Fred Calm
Susie Davidson

 

Lillian Fox
Fred Manasse
Mark Rogozinski
David Schechter
Ludwik Szymanski

13th Annual Israel Arbeiter Holocaust Essay Contest

Each year, JCRC offers students in grades 6-12 in the Greater Boston area the opportunity to write a 400-800 word essay on a theme relating to the Holocaust. Click here to learn more. This essay contest is generously supported by the German Consulate of New England.

See photos and highlights from past Yom Hashoah Commemorations:

• Who Will Tell Our Story?, 2019
• Rededication to Resiliency, 2018
• Raising our Voices: Music, Art, and Remembrance, 2017
• From Holocaust to New Life: How Will We Remember?, 2016
• Liberation: From Darkness to Light, 2015