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Los
Angeles, CA
(June 7,
2016) – American Society for Yad Vashem, the organization
dedicated to advancing Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’
and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority on the Mount of
Remembrance in Jerusalem and The Jewish Life Foundation
which funds the creation of Jewish-themed cultural and
educational programs on Jewish Life Television (JLTV) hosted
their third annual benefit gala, A Salute to Hollywood,
last night (Monday, June 6th) at The Beverly
Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills. The evening, which raised
over $600,000, honored Holocaust survivors including
Hollywood producers Meyer Gottlieb and Branko Lustig with
the Legacy Award; Entertainment Group President/COO
Janice Min and EVP/Group Publisher Lynne Segall, on behalf
of The Hollywood Reporter, with the Vanguard Award
and real estate developer and philanthropist David
Wiener with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Actor
Tony Goldwyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg presented. Elissa and
Edward Czuker Co-chaired. Fela Shapell who, with her late
husband David, are pillars of Yad Vashem was a major
supporter of the evening.
The more
than 350 guests were greeted by MC Mike Burstyn who went on
to introduce Michael Libow, singing the National Anthems and
Jack Nagel for Hamotzi. Leonard Wilf, Chairman, American
Society for Yad Vashem, spoke passionately about the work of
both The American Society for Yad Vashem and The Jewish Life
Foundation and the significance of advancing Yad Vashem. He
was joined on the stage by the evening’s Co-Chairs, Elissa
and Edward Czuker who recognized the 16 Holocaust survivors
seated in the audience, describing them as “The strong men
and women who survived under such dire circumstances and
persevered.”
Actor,
director and producer Tony Goldwyn presented the Legacy
Award to Meyer Gottlieb. Co-founder and former
President and COO of Samuel Goldwyn Films, Gottlieb survived
a childhood in Poland where he and his family were forced to
flee the Nazis, losing his father and younger brother before
landing in a Ukrainian labor camp. Immigrating to Los
Angeles, he went on to eventually build a successful career
in the entertainment industry, producing a host of feature
films including Master and Commander: The Far Side of
the World; The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Lolita
and Tortilla Soup. Gottlieb was the distributor of
Amazing Grace; The Squid and the Whale; Super Size Me; Eat,
Drink, Man, Woman, Mystic Pizza and the
Oscar-winning documentary Hotel Terminus, exposing
Gestapo Chief Klaus Barbie. He also produced or distributed
Walk on Water, the highest grossing Israeli film;
O Jerusalem, based on the creation of the state of
Israel and Rosenstrasse, the true story of German
women in 1943 Berlin who protested to save their Jewish
husbands. Gottlieb noted, “It was Samuel Goldwyn who taught
me the meaning of loyalty.”
“The
inspiration for this year’s gala came straight from the
pages of The Hollywood Reporter,” said Ron Meier,
American Society for Yad Vashem Executive Director, “Their
groundbreaking story, ‘The Last Survivors’
appeared in December, 2015 and chronicled the stories of the
11 Holocaust survivors alive today who had each forged a
prominent place in the entertainment industry. Two of those
featured, Meyer Gottlieb and Branko Lustig, are among our
honorees this year. It is through their stories and those of
all Holocaust survivors that the history and significance of
the Holocaust is imparted to our future generations.”
Jeffrey
Katzenberg presented the Vanguard Award to The
Hollywood Reporter’s Janice Minn and Lynne Segall. In
referencing the Holocaust survivors in the audience and
around the world, Katzenberg noted, “I don’t call these
individuals ‘survivors,’ I call them ‘triumphers’ as they
have done more than survive, they have triumphed.”
Janice
Min, Entertainment Group Co-President and Lynne Segall, EVP/Group
Publisher accepted the Vanguard
Award presented to The Hollywood Reporter,
the award-winning entertainment industry publication whose
feature story The Last Survivors served as the
catalyst for the evening’s event. The Hollywood
Reporter brings an insider’s point of view and is the
definitive voice in entertainment. The digital reinvention
of the iconic brand has positioned itself as a true original
in the entertainment landscape, where it has pioneered the
marriage of insider breaking news with smart content that
film, TV and music lover’s crave: quality journalism, videos
and photography from all award shows, film and music
festivals, premieres and parties. Loaded with everything
from proprietary lists, reviews, blogs and podcasts — all
filtered through the brand’s discerning take on Hollywood —
The Hollywood Reporter is the authoritative
source that pop culture fans and industry insiders truly
trust.
Phil
Blazer, Founder and President of JLTV, presented the
Legacy Award to producer Branko Lustig whose journey
took him from Nazi death camps to triumph at the Oscars
where he twice won the “Best Picture” award for
Schindler’s List and Gladiator. Born in Osijek,
Kingdom of Yugoslavia to a Croatian Jewish family, he was
imprisoned as a child during World War II in Auschwitz and
Bergen-Belsen. Most members of his family perished in the
camps. His mother survived the Holocaust and they were
reunited after the war. Beginning his career in the film
business in Croatia, he worked on Fiddler on the Roof
before moving to the United States in 1983 to work on the
miniseries War and Remembrance. He has also served
as a producer or executive producer on feature films
including The Peacemaker, Hannibal and Black Hawk
Down. In 2008, Lustig established Six Point Films, an
independent production company geared to producing
“meaningful, thought-provoking films.” In 2015, he presented
his Oscar for Schindler’s List to Yad Vashem “for
eternal safekeeping.”
Adam
Milstein presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to
successful businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist
David Wiener who lost every member of his family with the
exception of one brother in the Holocaust. Imprisoned at
Auschwitz, American soldiers rescued him just three weeks
before the war ended. Immigrating to the United States in
1946 with $2 in his pocket, his innate strength and
determination resulted in the eventual creation of thriving
furniture and textile businesses before establishing DW
Development in Beverly Hills, a real estate development
company responsible for major projects in the city of
Fontana including shopping and retail centers and apartment
buildings. Wiener is an avid supporter of the State of
Israel and a host of charitable organizations including Yad
Vashem, The Jewish Life Foundation, the FIDF, The Museum of
Tolerance and Magen David Adom, among many others.
The
evening concluded with guests singing “Happy Birthday” to
Wiener who was celebrating his 90th. Another
reason for celebration…he was married the day before!
THE
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR YAD VASHEM
was
established 35 years ago by a group of Holocaust survivors
to advance the crucial efforts of Yad Vashem through
Holocaust education, traveling exhibitions, programming for
the next generation and philanthropy. Since its
establishment, ASYV has grown from a handful of dedicated
members to over 65,000 passionate supporters throughout the
United States. www.yadvashemusa.org
JEWISH
LIFE FOUNDATON
funds the
creation of Jewish-themed cultural and educational programs
that are broadcast on Jewish Life Television (JLTV). Its
mission is to promote education and understanding among
cultures worldwide by utilizing all facets of the media to
provide community outreach programs, educational programs,
and cultural events that embrace, celebrate and share Jewish
values and traditions. This gala will help fund the new
documentary Holocaust Survivors: They Helped Build
America. www.jltv.tv
ABOUT YAD VASHEM
Since its founding sixty
three years ago, Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and
Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, on the Mount of Remembrance
in Jerusalem, has become synonymous with Holocaust
remembrance throughout the world. Courageously confronting
the annals of Nazi evil, it serves as the conscience of
humanity and the voice of the Jewish people in the vital
endeavor to transmit the history and the significance of the
Holocaust to future generations. With the help and support
of our generous donors, Yad Vashem stands as the
international community’s preeminent institution at the
forefront of Holocaust education, commemoration,
documentation, and research. As the responsibility for
preserving the memory of the Holocaust passes from the
remaining survivors to younger generations, Yad Vashem’s
landmark Museum, designed by world-renowned architect Moshe
Safdie, the International School for Holocaust Studies, the
Archives, and Research Institute provide the world with
essential knowledge and insight regarding the cataclysmic
events of the period. The Holocaust History Museum is one of
the most visited tourist destinations in Israel, drawing
dignitaries from around the world and close to a million
visitors annually. With unsurpassed skill and experience,
Yad Vashem succeeds in instilling the memory of the
Holocaust with depth and meaning, thus helping to ensure
that the memory of the victims and the voices of the
survivors will resonate and inspire for generations to come.
www.yadvashem.org
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