Holocaust Museum LA (HMLA) held its 16th annual gala on Dec. 3 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, honoring four generations of survivors and their descendants for the first time in the history of the museum. The “Shaping the Future“ gala brought together survivors, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as nearly 600 attendees, and raised $1 million for HMLA, the first survivor-founded and the oldest Holocaust museum in the country.
The event honored technology studio Magnopus and its co-founders, Oscar winners Ben Grossman and Alex Henning, with the Social Impact Storytelling Award. Grossman and Henning collaborated with HMLA to create an augmented reality app that enables viewers to virtually tour the museum’s model of the Sobibor extermination camp. Rena Blatt Smith, daughter of Sobibor survivor Thomas Blatt, presented the award. Using his memory, Blatt’s late father had created the model for the Sobibor camp.
In her remarks, HMLA CEO Beth Kean observed that for the first time, “there are more 2Gs and 3Gs [children and grandchildren of survivors, respectively] speaking [about the Holocaust] than survivors.“ Third-generation survivors and first cousins Amy Conroy and Amanda Markowitz Wizenberg received the Jona Goldrich Visionary Award for sharing their family stories, especially through social media and public speaking, and fighting activism by engaging younger generations. Ninety-eight-year-old survivor Ella Mandel, who survived Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen with Conroy and Markowitz Wizenberg’s grandmother, Tonia Kohn Rosenblatt, presented the award. “Amanda, I know our grandparents are smiling down on us tonight,” said a touched Conroy.
The gala was hosted by comedian Ben Gleib, host of the online news and commentary network The Young Turks, and the grandson of Holocaust survivors.
— Tabby Refael, Community Writer
Courtesy of Pico Union Project
The Pico Union Project held its 11th annual FaithsGiving Festival, two days before Thanksgiving.
On Nov. 26, the interfaith arts-and-cultural center opened its doors and closed the streets for a celebration that embodies community and care, said Pico Union Project founder Craig Taubman.
Approximately “1000 free turkeys, fresh produce, clothing and school supplies were handed out,” Taubman told the Journal. “Most importantly, there was an atmosphere of warmth, love and a giving community.”
Some 5,000 guests over the course of the day also received free health screenings. And, true to the festive spirit of the gathering, there was a mariachi band!
Located within Los Angeles’ Pico Union neighborhood, the Pico Union Project is a diverse group of teachers, artists, professionals, volunteers, residents and workers who are dedicated to building an equitable community.
BJE: Builders of Jewish Education has named Miriam Heller Stern its incoming chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2025.
Stern, a longtime Jewish professor and academic leader, succeeds Gil Graff, who led BJE for more than three decades and in early 2023 announced his intention to retire by the end of the 2024-2025 academic year.
Stern, currently the director of the school of education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), where she also served as vice provost for educational strategy, brings two decades of experience in Jewish educational leadership to BJE, BJE Board President Craig Rutenberg said in a statement announcing Stern’s hiring.
“We are thrilled to have engaged Dr. Miriam Heller Stern, and excited to benefit from her vision, creativity, and demonstrated leadership skills, which will lead the BJE and ensure the continuing impact of BJE in advancing its vital mission,” Rutenberg said.
Two dozen Jewish American mothers from Los Angeles recently visited Israel as part of an emotional trip with organization Momentum. They were part of a group of 100 women from eight American cities who traveled to the Jewish state from Nov. 4-11.
A global Jewish organization, Momentum aims to inspire Jewish women to lead a Jewish future by becoming more connected to their identity, heritage, and Israel. The group’s recent trip to Israel was part of a year-long program known as the Journey of Growth, an initiative that provides women with the opportunity to delve into the spirit of Jewish unity that defines their homeland.
Many stops on their eight-day itinerary paid tribute to the victims and heroes of Oct. 7, including a visit to Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, where participants expressed their solidarity with the families of the hostages, and a day where they traveled to Israel’s southern Kibbutz Kfar Aza and the Nova festival memorial site.
“This trip exceeded my expectations,” Los Angeles participant Alissa Haroush said. “From the thought-provoking speakers, to hearing testimonies from the heroes of Oct. 7, to listening to combat soldiers tell their stories, to simply seeing Israelis leisurely sipping coffee alfresco, this trip has demonstrated that the state of Israel is alive and well.”
Momentum — formerly known as the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project — works closely with the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism. According to Momentum Chief Operating Officer Orit Mizner, Momentum has seen tremendous success in its mission of inspiring women to not only discover but become enchanted with Israel.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.