The History of the American Society for Yad Vashem
Eli Zborowski Founder and Chairman
Founded in 1981 by a group of Holocaust survivors, and spearheaded by Eli Zborowski, the American Society for Yad Vashem works in partnership with Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem to support their efforts in the areas of commemoration, education, research, capital improvement and special projects.
Yad Vashem was established in 1953 by the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) and was entrusted with the task of commemorating the six million murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. It mandates Holocaust remembrance, commemoration, and education to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are secured for posterity.
Twenty-five years have passed since a few of us came together to begin what is now the American Society for Yad Vashem. From this handful of dedicated people, we have grown to almost 150,000 individuals from small rural hamlets to major metropolitan centers such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Miami, Boca Raton, Chicago, Memphis, Houston, Baltimore, and Cincinnati.
The Jewish Fighters Monument was our first project to be completed at Yad Vashem. Dedicated in 1983, it is the only monument in tribute to the Jewish soldiers, Ghetto-fighters and Partisans worldwide who fought in World War II. When we dedicated the monument, Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin delivered the major address.
In 1987, the now legendary Children’s Memorial was opened. The Memorial is dedicated in memory of the one and a half million children who perished in the Shoah.
In December 1977 I discussed with Yitzhak Arad, the Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate, the need to memorializeall the Jewish communities that were destroyed during the Holocaust. Yad Vashem’s Valley of Communities, which commemorates over 5,000 communities was a major endeavor made possible by support from the American Society. The Valley, dedicated in 1992, symbolizes a world that no longer exists.
Located in the center of the Valley is the Beit Hakehilot which provides information about the inhabitants of the communities and the Jewish religious and cultural life that thrived before the war.
The American Society for Yad Vashem has been in the forefront of sharing current news and features about all aspects of the Holocaust and resistance through its publication, Martyrdom & Resistance. Inaugurated in 1974, it is the first and oldest continuous periodical devoted to the Holocaust.
Our achievements are evident throughout the Yad Vashem landscape. They include more than thirty projects which are featured in the pages of this journal render Yad Vashem as the Global Guardian of Holocaust Remembrance. For this, I owe a personal debt of gratitude both to those that stood with us at the beginning as well as those who joined our cause as we traveled this important journey. This partnership with Yad Vashem encouraged and nurtured by Dr.Yitzhak Arad and Avner Shalev, Chairmen of the Yad Vashem Directorate, was forged with outstanding leaders in the Survivor community. It is equally significant that we have been joined in recent years by prominent families in American Jewish philanthropy who have linked their fate with ours in the commitment to the collective memory of those who perished during the Shoah.
The Board of the American Society for Yad Vashem has directed its efforts to developing the leadership potential of the next generation who serve on our Executive Board. In this regard, we proudly point to the Board of Trustees, chaired by Leonard Wilf, who has assumed leadership of the recently created 21st Century Fund, established in 2004. This endowment fund will enable Yad Vashem to continue its critical work of Holocaust education, documentation, research and commemoration. The 21st Century Fund will ensure Yad Vashem’s mission and programs for the next 100 years and beyond.
Looking toward to the future, in 1997, we inaugurated our Young Leadership Associates. This group of young people, in their 20s and 30s, the majority grandchildren of Survivors, now numbers almost 800 members.
We are encouraged by the support we have received over the years from our Donors, Patrons, and friends. We invite you to join our Circle of Remembrance to perpetuate our legacy and mission. Holocaust commemoration and education will be secured for the future with your help. Chapters exist in major cities throughout the United States.
As future generations continue to learn more and endeavor to understand their parents’ and grandparents’ world, their heritage, their Holocaust experience and their rebirth to life, I have every confidence that the light that is slowly fading in our tent will be brightly rekindled anew in theirs. To the incoming leadership, I say, “May you go m’chayil l’chayil – from strength to strength.”
