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Written by Silvia G. Golan

Published: 04 April 2021

The only Yom HaShoah event dedicated annually to commemorating the heroism of Jews who rescued fellow Jews during the Holocaust

The B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL-JNF) on Thursday, April 8, will hold, for the 20th consecutive year, a joint Holocaust commemoration ceremony on Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day.

This is the only Yom HaShoah event dedicated annually to commemorating the heroism of Jews who rescued fellow Jews during the Holocaust. The ceremony will take place at the B’nai B’rith Martyr’s Forest “Scroll of Fire” Plaza at 10 a.m. Israel time.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions this year's ceremony will be held at the forest with limited attendance and will be broadcast live on YouTube. 

The B'nai B'rith Martyr’s Forest is the largest joint B’nai B’rith and KKL-JNF project, which memorializes the victims of the Holocaust with six million trees planted in the picturesque Jerusalem mountains near Moshav Kesalon.

At the pinnacle of the forest stands the “Scroll of Fire,” created by renowned sculptor Nathan Rapoport, which invokes the destruction of the Jewish people in the Holocaust and their redemption in the State of Israel.

The event will commence with personal testimonies by Holocaust survivors and rescuers. 

This year's ceremony honors Wilhelm Filderman and Itschak Artzi (Romania), José Aboulker (Algiers) and 10 other rescuers who operated in Poland, France and Belgium.

For the first time, two rescuers from Mandatory Palestine – paratrooper Hannah Szenes and WZO official Moshe Shapiro – will be recognized with the Jewish Rescuers Citation.

Photo Andarta Courtesy: Yossi Zamir.

Hannah Senesh picture: Courtesy: Senesh family.

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Written by Silvia

Published: 20 January 2021

At their annual meeting, the Confederation’s board of directors voted to install entrepreneur David Yaari to serve as president and chairman of the board of the Confederation.  This transition of leadership is reflective of the board’s desire to expand the activities of the organization and help increase the influence of the Confederation in the Zionist world.

Yaari is the founding Director-General of the Arizona-Israel Trade and Investment Office with an extensive record of community engagement and leadership.   Named among the “Forward 50” of the 50 most influential Jews in America, Yaari has filled many senior roles in the business and philanthropic fields including currently serving as a director of the Israel Nature and Heritage Foundation, of the Society for International Development, and now a director of KKL - Keren Kayemet Leyisrael.

He is the proud father of Ori, Emily, and Adam and is married to Sivan Yaari, founder and CEO of Innovation Africa.   “I am thankful to the Confederation Board for entrusting me to advance the cause of General Zionism and to expand ways for the Jewish world to connect with Israel,” said Yaari.  “And I hope the Confederation can be such a bridge to engage the next generation and revitalize the Zionist movement.”

The board also voted to add two new directors: Sarri Singer, Founder and CEO of Strength to Strength, a not for profit that assists terror victims worldwide, and Ran Fuchs, a senior board member in the Israeli-American Council and Head of Capital Markets at IDB Capital.

As an additional step toward expanding the influence of the Confederation on the international Zionist movement, former Knesset member Dov Lipman was appointed to serve as the organization’s Secretary-General.  Lipman, the author of eight books about Judaism and Israel, has spent the last 8 years strengthening the connection between Israel and diaspora Jewry and teaching university students about Zionism and Israel.

Jesse Sultanik, who served as the past Chairman of the Confederation will continue as an officer along with Marlene Post, past president of World Hadassah.  It should be noted that Kalman Sultanik, Jesse’s grandfather, led the Confederation for nearly 60 years.

In a letter sent to the Chairman of the Zionist Executive Yaakov Hagoel, Yaari pledged to work with all the committees, leaders and departments in the national institutions to engage new constituencies and advance the Zionist movement.

Lipman commented, “I have long believed that Israel must serve as the great unifier of Jews worldwide and that an active Zionist movement is necessary to strengthen diaspora Jewry.  David is most welcome choice to take this organization forward.”

About the World Confederation of General Zionists:

The Confederation of General Zionists is a faction in the World Zionist Congress that focuses on pure Zionism and strengthening the connection between Israel and diaspora Jewry.  The Confederation does not represent any Israeli political party or religious stream and focuses on education, youth movements, next generation and future Zionist leadership and strengthening Zionist federations worldwide.

Picture of David Yaari (Courtesy: The Confederation of General Zionists).

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Written by Yad Vashem

Published: 25 January 2021

Yad Vashem Marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Israel's President will address the Diplomatic Corps serving in Israel at Yad Vashem's Online Symposium on Wednesday – broadcast live on Yad Vashem's YouTube Channel starting at 15:30

Yad Vashem launches new virtual tour of "Shoah"  located at Block 27 of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum

(25 January 2021 - Jerusalem) Despite the temporary closure of the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem as a result of the ongoing global health crisis, Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, is actively marking the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust through a range of online events and activities. January 27, chosen by the United Nations in 2005 to serve as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, is the anniversary of the liberation of the concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. "Seventy-six years later, the history and stories from the Holocaust are more relevant than ever," remarks Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev. "Today, as the world continues to battle expressions of hatred, antisemitism and xenophobia, the significance and meanings of the Holocaust are particularly relevant."

Shalev will participate in Yad Vashem's annual symposium for the International Diplomatic Corps serving in Israel, this year to be held online due to the current lockdown in Israel. Israel's President H.E. Mr. Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin and H.E. Ambassador Gil Haskel, Chief of State Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs will address the participants.  Yad Vashem Senior Historian Dr. David Silberklang will also present a lecture, entitled "The Path from Mass Shootings to the Final Solution," relating to the central theme of the upcoming Holocaust Remembrance Day to be observed in Israel on April 8, 2021. The public is invited to watch this event live on Yad Vashem's YouTube channel on Wednesday, 27 January 2021 beginning at 15:30.

Online

Yad Vashem has created a mini-site marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, featuring a variety of resources the public can view, share and engage in, including online exhibitions, educational resources and the unique IRemember Wall .

Yad Vashem will be hosting for the first time ever an online virtual guided tour of the permanent exhibition "Shoah" located in the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. The virtual tour will take visitors through the Jewish Pavilion known as Block 27 in Auschwitz I, exploring the central themes of the Holocaust, offering insights into the rich Jewish life that existed prior to 1939 and the world of children during the Shoah, and showcasing the monumental Book of Names.

In addition to the virtual tour, Yad Vashem has curated and uploaded "My Lost Childhood," a new online exhibition featuring seven children's homes established after the end of WWII. Through the voices of survivor testimony, as well as artifacts, photographs and documents from Yad Vashem's unrivalled collections, this moving exhibition brings to life the terrifying ordeals of the children brought to the homes, and how they were gently assisted – often by survivors themselves – to re-enter normative society.

Worldwide

Members of Yad Vashem's senior staff, historians and educators will participate in various events and ceremonies around the world marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

 Yad Vashem's Ready2Print exhibitions will be displayed in dozens of community centers and institutions around the world, including locations in Spain, Germany, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, was established in 1953.

Located in Jerusalem, it is dedicated to Holocaust commemoration, documentation, research and education.  www.yadvashem.org

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Written by Silvia G. Golan

Published: 18 January 2021

The largest foreign direct investment conference in the U.S., the 2021 SelectUSA Investment Summit, will be held from June 7 to 11, 2021. 

While traditionally held in Washington D.C., the conference will be held virtually for the first time this year and will enable wider participation of international investors.

SelectUSA promotes and facilitates foreign direct investment in the U.S. for foreign investors from around the world.

At the SelectUSA Investment Summit, companies can get advice regarding starting a business or expanding operations in the U.S. Attendees can also learn about incentives available in different U.S. states, receive advice on legal issues, taxes and logistical considerations, plus an analysis of trends and latest developments in the U.S. economy and from C-suite industry executives and government leaders. SelectUSA participants can also participate in one-on-one virtual meetings with leading U.S. EDOs from all 50 U.S. states and territories. This year's Investment Summit will feature more than 100 sessions and is expected to be attended by 3,000 participants from over 80 markets.

Of particular significance to Israel, this year’s conference will once again feature SelectUSA Tech, designed for international start-up companies with a maximum of 40 employees and annual revenue of up to $ 10 million. These companies will have the opportunity to present their latest developments to potential investors in a unique virtual pavilion and to engage with tech incubators and industry executives. SelectUSA Tech sessions will focus on industries that are of key importance to the Israeli business community: aerospace, cyber security, e-commerce, fintech, software, 5G, AI, energy storage, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and more. Selected start-ups will pitch their developments to a special panel of 4-6 judges, including investors from venture capital funds and executives from the high-tech industry. SelectUSA Tech featured 93 start-ups from 29 countries at the last Investment Summit.

Robyn Kessler, Commercial Counselor at U.S. Embassy Jerusalem: "The U.S. is the largest consumer market in the world and is a natural choice for any Israeli company looking to grow globally. During the five days of the virtual conference companies will gain the information needed to get started with their U.S. expansion.”

Sigal Mendelovich, SelectUSA's representative at U.S. Embassy Jerusalem: "Bilateral investment and trade relations with Israel are highly valued in the United States. The economic impact of Israeli companies in the United States is evident with Israeli investments of $36.6 billion, which has generated approximately 27,000 American jobs. Israeli investment has also led to around $1 billion in investment in research and development plus $ 750 million in exports from U.S.-based Israeli companies."

Apply to the SelectUSA Investment Summit thru the following link:

https://www.selectusasummit.us/

In the picture: Robyn Kessler, Commercial Counselor at U.S. Embassy Jerusalem

(Courtesy: U.S Embassy Jerusalem).