It has been a busy three months since the last Kol Israel Kveller hit your inbox and we anticipate the summer and fall will be equally as exciting. KIF has continued efforts to gain national recognition for the Holocaust Memorial, wrapped up a successful school year, celebrated student artists, and sponsored meaningful memorial and educational programs. It remains our privilege to further KIF's mission of Resilience, Remembrance, and Holocaust Education. We would be honored if you would join our efforts.
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Discount Tickets Available
The Sparks Fly Upward
The Maltz Performing Arts Center
June 9-12 | Various Curtain Times
1855 Ansel Road
Cleveland 44106
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Kol Israel Foundation is a Presenting Partner for the opera, The Sparks Fly Upward. Set in Berlin, the story follows two Jewish families and one Christian family during the Holocaust. It is a story of courage, friendship, love, faith, hope, and the power of one person to alter the course of another person's life.
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The first 50 tickets purchased using the code KOL will save $30 per ticket! To purchase online, use the purple button below. A coupon code box will appear once you add tickets to your cart. NOTE: You must click APPLY to activate the code. Alternately, call the box office at 216-368-6062.
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What a banner year for Kol Israel Foundation--and the upcoming year promises to be even better! Join us for an update on KIF's many programs and initiatives.
June 15 at 7 p.m.
B'nai Jeshurun Congregation
27501 Fairmount Boulevard
Zoom option available
RSVP by June 10 to [email protected]. Indicate whether you will be attending in person (include number of attendees) or via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent the day of the meeting.
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Attention Teachers
Democracy at Risk: Holocaust and Human Behavior
June 21-22
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Join the Ohio Council on Holocaust & Genocide Education, Facing History and Ourselves, Kol Israel Foundation, Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, and The Temple-Tifereth Israel for a truly special summer workshop. This opportunity is intended for those who teach 6th- to 12th-grade history, humanities, language arts, or religious school. Get your PD or CEU credit coupled with an amazing experience. Graduate credit available.
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A dedicated committee is planning an exciting in-person fundraiser to support KIF's mission. We are keeping the details under wraps for a little while longer, but here's the deal: We expect a full house!
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KIF's quest to gain national recognition for the Holocaust Memorial at Zion Memorial Park is gaining traction, but there is still a long way to go as it wends its way through the legislative process. Here is an update.
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March 30: Ohio Sens. Kenny Yuko (D), above, and Matt Dolan (R) sponsor SCR 11, and the Ohio Senate votes unanimously to ask the United States Congress to designate Kol Israel Foundation's Holocaust Memorial a National Memorial.
April 5: SCR 11 is introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives and referred to the Committee on Government Oversight.
April 27: Legislation is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Shontel Brown (D) and Dave Joyce (R).
April 28: U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R) and Sherrod Brown (D) introduce a companion bill in the Senate.
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Cleveland Commemoration of the Holocaust & Heroism
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Yom HaShoah V'Hagvurah 2022 was both an in-person and virtual commemoration with nearly 200 people in attendance at Fairmount Temple and an equal number tuned in to the Zoom broadcast. Adhering to this year's theme of Resistance, attendees heard from Manli Ho, daughter of the late diplomat, Feng Shan Ho, who helped save Jews during the Holocaust by issuing visas to Shanghai. Consequently, 18,000 European Jews escaped to Shanghai in 1938 and 1939.
Following the community's longstanding tradition, the program also featured a moment of silence, the sounding of a siren, a color guard, a Torah scroll procession, the March of the Generations, speakers, prayers, and the lighting of memorial candles. Additionally, winners of the Creative Arts Contest were announced.
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During the Torah scroll procession, Survivor Sam Burke, in flannel shirt, accompanies a Torah rescued during the Holocaust. Also that evening, WKYC's Lydia Esparra interviews Sam about his experiences in Auschwitz.
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Cantor Vladimir Lapin of Fairmount Temple performs a moving rendition of Song of the Partisans.
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Above, the fourth candle is kindled in memory of Milya Solyar and Simon Okun by their son, Alex. At right, Nat Lypsic, who survived the Holocaust as a hidden child, lights the third candle.
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Creative Arts Contest Opening Event
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A steady stream of students, parents, community members, and supporters gathered at 78th Street Studios on May 1 for the opening of the 2022 Creative Arts Contest student exhibit. About 200 attendees viewed 71 inspiring works of art created around the theme of Resistance. The art show, co-sponsored by Kol Israel Foundation and Jewish Federation of Cleveland, ran through May 21.
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Shawna Polster, a freshman at Solon High School, stands by the QR code for her first-place video, But We Persevered.
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Eighth grader Sarah Korland, of Ballard Brady Middle School, displays her piece, Sign of the Times (top), which earned third place in the Middle School division.
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Teacher Tammy Sparks of St. Joseph Academy poses with students Rachel Garlock, in jumper, and Reagan Casper.
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Lindsay Lebowitz with The White Rose, second-place winner in the High School division. Lindsay is a junior at Solon High School.
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KIF Education Director Marianne Lax, third from left standing, and Survivor Erika Gold, seated, are all smiles as they recognize the accomplishments of the students artists.
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WKYC Highlights KIF Memorial and Mission
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KIF was featured April 28 on WKYC's Front Row/A Turning Point: Antisemitism. Reporter Laura Caso spoke to KIF's Helene Frum Pincus and Jeremy Joseph at Zion Memorial Park about the organization's efforts to memorialize Survivors, educate the public about the consequences of hate, and gain national recognition for the Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust Memorial.
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Kol Israel Foundation and Congregation Shaarey Tikvah representatives recognized Face to Face® speakers and docents during a casual get-together at 78th Street Studios on May 11. The group enjoyed touring the Creative Arts Contest student exhibit, lunching on wrap sandwiches, and catching up with each other. Volunteers are critical to the success of KIF’s Holocaust education program—whether interacting with students via Zoom, visiting classrooms, or presenting at our home base at Shaarey Tikvah.
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Dr. Irving Berkowitz Discusses Genocide
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A packed house filled B'nai Jeshurun Congregation on May 15 to hear Dr. Irving Berkowitz discuss, "The Genocide of Jewish Children During the Holocaust." Dr. Berkowitz is a renowned scholar of the Holocaust and contemporary anti-Semitism. The program, which included minyan and breakfast, was presented by The Dr. Yael R. Cohen Memorial Lecture Series in conjunction with Kol Israel Foundation and the Ida and Sam Zelwin Family Fund at B'nai Jeshurun Congregation.
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Making the Grade
KIF’s Face to Face® Holocaust Education Program Wraps Up 2021-2022 School Year With High Marks
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More than 1,400 students from 19 schools and 3 community organizations participated in virtual or in-person Holocaust education presentations during the 2021-2022 academic year. KIF volunteer docents and speakers, comprised of Holocaust Survivors and their descendants, deserve special recognition for their commitment to sharing their families' stories and applying the lessons of the Holocaust with middle- and high-school students. Here is a look back.
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< North Canton students take a field trip to Congregation Shaarey Tikvah to participate in KIF's immersive Holocaust education program. The teenagers are all ears during Survivor Armin Guggenheim's powerful presentation about his experience during the Holocaust.
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> Aaron Canowitz, the son of Survivors, explains how to recognize the warning signs of genocide.
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< New London High School students take advantage of KIF's virtual option by logging on to a live, interactive discussion with Holocaust Survivor Erika Gold.
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> Abbie Sender, at right wearing headband, addresses students during an evening visit to Western Reserve Academy. Her mother is a Survivor.
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Councillor Jake Sampson of Bedford, England, visits the KIF Memorial on April 20 as part of his tour of American communities also named Bedford. All the Bedfords are the namesake of the English community founded in 1066. During his stop at the KIF site, he pays tribute to liberators from the United States and United Kingdom. Pictured, from front left and proceeding around the semicircle: Pam Yuko, wife of State Sen. Kenny Yuko; KIF Past President Mark S. Frank; State Sen. Casey Weinstein; KIF President Robert Zelwin; Councillor Jake Sampson; and State Sen. Kenny Yuko.
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Survivor, Descendant, or Supporter: Supporter
Involvement with Kol Israel Foundation: Began in 2015-2016 when my wife, Dana, and I started working with Past President Mark S. Frank to have the Kol Israel Holocaust Memorial marked with an Ohio Historical Marker. I joined the KIF board in June 2021. Since then, I have served as the moderator of a discussion on combatting hate, which KIF co-sponsored with ADL Cleveland, and I am working with KIF's leadership team to have the KIF Holocaust Memorial designated as a National Memorial. We are also seeking two additional Federal designations.
Importance of Kol Israel Foundation: My relationship with and affection toward KIF and the Memorial have grown over the past 5-6 years. KIF gives a voice to those whose voices were silenced between 1939 and 1945, but also reminds the community that genocide should never occur again. My experience of learning about the Holocaust has come full circle in Bedford Heights: It began when, as an 8th-grade student at Heskett Middle School, I visited the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum one month after it opened as part of a class trip to Washington. Today, I'm advocating to Washington lawmakers, whose offices are a few blocks away from the Museum, about KIF's Holocaust Memorial in Bedford Heights.
The Memorial has not been viewed as important enough to the Bedford Heights and Northeast Ohio communities. My job as a board member is to elevate the voice of the Memorial so this historical treasure, that is so important to the Jewish community, becomes meaningful and top-of-mind to the community at large.The site is a place where individuals and families can go to grieve their loved ones who were lost during the Holocaust. To those who do not have that connection, it is our responsibility to share why "Never Again" is more than just two words to stand behind. "Never Again" must be part of our daily ethos, especially with what is going on in the world today.
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Donating to Kol Israel Foundation is a meaningful way to memorialize a loved one or to honor someone on a special occasion. You may contribute to the:
* General Fund to support KIF programming across the board.
* Memorial Fund to maintain KIF's Holocaust Memorial at Zion Memorial Park.
* Education Fund to bring the lessons of the Holocaust to the community through our in-person and virtual Face to Face(R) program.
By credit card: Visit our secure website (www.kifcle.org/donate) or call the office (216.831.3754).
By check: Mail to KIF, 3681 South Green Road #306, Beachwood, OH 44122.
And remember … if your company has a matching funds program, be sure to ask your administrator whether gifts to KIF qualify.
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June
4: Erev Shavuot
9-12: The Sparks Fly Upward, Maltz Performing Arts Center
14: Flag Day
15: KIF Annual Meeting, 7 p.m., Congregation B'nai Jeshurun
19: Father's Day
21-22: Democracy at Risk: Holocaust and Human Behavior, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., The Temple-Tifereth Israel and Zoom
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July:
4: Independence Day
August:
6: Erev Tisha B'Av
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Taking a Break
KIF offices will be closed on Monday, June 6, in observance of Shavuot, and on Monday, July 4, in celebration of Independence Day.
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Spreading the word about KIF and issues relevant to Cleveland's Survivor community is as easy as 1-2-3!
- Follow us on Twitter: @kol_israelcle
- Like and/or comment on KIF's Tweets
- Retweet KIF's posts so we may garner more followers and greater exposure
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From the KIF Kitchen
Very Dairy!
It's customary to eat a milk meal on Shavuot. This year, we suggest trading the usual blintzes for Baked Macaroni and Cheese Casserole.
4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni or your favorite noodle shape (Choo-choo wheels, anyone?)
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup flour
Salt (optional) and pepper to taste
5 cups milk
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese or a mixture of your favorite cheeses
Bread crumbs
Additional cheese for topping
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions, drain, and empty into a 3-quart casserole. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, add flour, salt (optional), and pepper until incorporated. Continuing to stir, gradually add milk until the sauce thickens and just begins to boil. Add cheese and continue stirring until fully melted. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and mix thoroughly. Scatter bread crumbs over noodles, then scatter additional cheese over bread crumbs. Bake 30 minutes until bubbly. Can be made ahead and reheated.
Variations:
- Steam broccoli and/or cauliflower florets; add to pasta-cheese mixture before topping and baking.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg or curry powder with the flour, salt, and pepper.
- Make a more "adult" casserole with brie or gouda.
- For a gluten-free version: Use chickpea or brown rice pasta, replace flour with rice flour or another gluten-free option, omit bread crumbs or substitute gluten-free bread crumbs.
- Although not traditional for Shavuot, this can be made dairy/lactose-free with plant-based versions of margarine, milk, and cheese; however, it may not be quite as creamy as the full-dairy version.
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KIF welcomes your involvement and interest. Check out our online/social media presence or contact us with questions.
Phone: 216.831.3754
Website: www.kifcle.org (Links to blogs, news, and other KIF info)
Facebook: Kol Israel Foundation
Twitter: @kol_israelcle
Mail: 3681 South Green Road #306, Beachwood, OH 44122
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Board of Directors
President: Robert Zelwin
Vice Presidents: Rina Frankel, Ellen Nebel Jacob, Jeremy Joseph
Secretary: Courtney Mendelsohn
Treasurer: Muriel Weber
Past President: Mark S. Frank
Directors: Harry Abraham, Robyn Brenner, Mark Fixler, Arielle Goler, Alan Gottlieb, Michael Hennenberg, Nate Jones, Sylvia Malcmacher Kramer, Sean Martin, Hedy Milgrom, Andrew Mizsak, Gary L. Moody Jr., Helene Frum Pincus, Loree Potash, Betsy Potiker, Lee Rosenberg, Marcy Rosenthal
Lifetime Directors: Louise Gips, Avi Goldman, Anne Lukas, Muriel Weber
Staff
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We want to keep you informed about KIF initiatives and local programs of interest to the Survivor community. If you have items you would like us to consider for inclusion, email [email protected].
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