USHMM Western Region Dinner, SWC Calls for Hostages’ Release, Shared Heritage Shabbat

On March 12, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) held its 2024 Western Region tribute dinner — the theme of which was “Together We Can Do More” — at the Beverly Hilton, during which it honored Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren. 

“Ever since I was 14 years old, I have felt very connected to the Jewish community as two things dawned on me. One, the horror of the Holocaust, and the other was the incredible tenacity, courage and creativity of the Jewish community,” Mirren — who portrayed real-life Holocaust survivor Maria Altmann in the 2015 film “Woman in Gold” — said in her prerecorded acceptance speech. As she’s gotten older, Mirren’s feelings about the Jewish community have only “grown in admiration,” she said.

Mirren — who more recently played Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in the film “Golda” —said the work of USHMM to preserve the memory of the Holocaust while educating younger generations about what occurred is of “paramount importance.”

More than 350 guests turned out to help raise more than $850,000 for USHMM, which, based in Washington D.C., is the United States’ official memorial to the Holocaust. USHMM, a nonpartisan, federal educational institution, provides for the study, documentation and interpretation of Holocaust history and is dedicated to ensuring the permanence of Holocaust memory, understanding and relevance.  

The evening in Beverly Hills honored Mirren, who could not appear in person, with the museum’s National Leadership Award. Philanthropist and real estate developer Moses Libitzky was also a recipient of the museum’s National Leadership Award. 

Appearing in person, Libitzky used the opportunity to denounce the rise of antisemitism, in the aftermath of Oct. 7, on both the left and the right. “Anti-Jewish hate, we get it from the right, and we get it from the left,” Libitzky, wearing a dog tag in solidarity with the Oct. 7 hostages, said during his acceptance speech. 

Additionally, the Bay Area-based honoree denounced what took place on Oct. 7 as a “pogrom” and condemned the current situation in which it is “unsafe to be visibly Jewish on college campuses.” Of the current spike in antisemitism — “Sometimes this is disguised as anti-Zionism, and sometimes it’s not well disguised,” Libitzky said.

The USHMM honoree also questioned why there is a disproportionate focus on events happening in Israel while human rights abuses all over the world largely go ignored. In Sudan, Libitzky said, “there’s a real genocide there … [but] how much do you hear about that?”

Additional speakers included David Makovsky, a distinguished fellow of Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who presented Libitzky with his award, and Carol Stulberg, senior advisor for leadership giving at USHMM Western Region. 

In unannounced special remarks, actor Liev Schreiber — who co-stars with Mirren in “Golda,” as U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger — delivered a prerecorded speech ahead of Mirren being honored. For his part, Schreiber highlighted Mirren’s achievements onscreen and off and said it was the opportunity to work with Mirren that led him to appear in “Golda.” Additionally, Brown University student and TEDx presenter Emma Blankstein (“Why Gen Z needs to talk about genocide”) delivered the keynote address.

Event Chairs Linda and Tony Rubin also appeared and spoke about their dedication to the mission of the D.C.-based museum. 

Attendees included State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, local philanthropist Barak Raviv and Journal Editor-in-Chief David Suissa. 

A joyful, music-filled “Shared Heritage of Freedom” Shabbat Service, organized by Temple of the Arts, was held on March 15 in Beverly Hills at the Saban Theatre. 

Participants of the evening, which brought together Jewish and Black community leaders, included Temple of the Arts Rabbi David Baron; Greater Zion Family Church Senior Pastor Michael Fisher; Temple of the Arts Cantor Ilysia Pierce, who celebrated her 25th year as cantor of the congregation; Temple of the Arts President Brian Weinstock; Former President James Blatt and Music Director Sharon Farber; as well as actor Michael Bell and Oct. 7 survivor Michel Ohana.

“The Shared Heritage service celebrates the struggle for freedom from enslavement,” Baron said. “At this time of rising antisemitism, we reach out to our friends and neighbors and the African-American community for their support.”