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Archives for December 2011

Few had the courage

December 28, 2011 by

Yediot Ahronot

December 23, 2011

By Limor Simon

88-year-old Ilya Lieberman wanted the world to know that his wife Klavdia and her parents had risked their lives to save a Jewish mother and daughter during World War II. Ten years ago, he approached “Yad Vashem” to have them recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations”. Last week, Klavdia was honored posthumously at a ceremony in Ilya’s home in Bat Yam, featuring students from the Elon School in Holon. “The Righteous Among the Nations are disappearing, but I’ve come full circle. I did it for her,” says Ilya.

 

Ilya arrived at the ceremony for the “Righteous Among the Nations”, his eyes glimmering and his heart pounding with excitement. Wearing a jacket adorned with medals of honor, most of which he had earned as a serviceman in the Russian Navy, he marched down the esplanade leading to the “Elon” school in Holon. He smiled to the students, saying only “Todah”- the Hebrew for “thank you”, among the few words he knows in this foreign tongue. [Read more…]

Filed Under: In the Press

ATZUM Launches “Jewish Tooth Fairy Fund” For Israeli Survivors of Terror

December 13, 2011 by

ATZUM has officially launched the ‘Jewish Tooth Fairy Fund,’ an initiative focused on providing a full range of dental services to Israeli survivors of terror attacks and their families who cannot afford the treatments and have no access to dental insurance.

In addition to actually funding the dental care of 10-15 survivors of terror per year – including routine dental treatments and endodontic, periodontic and prosthodontic services – the initiative also hopes to identify and recruit Israeli dentists and dental suppliers who would offer their services at a reduced fee to survivors of terror and their families.

“Due to the severity of their injuries, survivors of terror frequently suffer from acute dental issues that demand immediate and extensive treatment.  We have found that death or injury also leaves families unable to afford even the most routine dental care,” explained Rabbi Levi Lauer, Founding Executive Director of ATZUM.

“With the launch of this unique initiative, ATZUM will be able to provide these individuals with financial and practical assistance to obtain any necessary dental care services.” 

The ‘Jewish Tooth Fairy Fund’ is the brainchild of Rachel Rudman, Dara Freedman-Weiss and Dena Rapoport, graduate students who spent last year studying and volunteering in Israel.  Studying this year in New York, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. respectively, the three have begun fundraising for the project with the goal of collecting $50,000 by the end of 2012.  ATZUM seeks additional donors to augment their efforts.

“Though my original objective was to simply meet with the students to discuss ATZUM’s projects and the issues we are facing with our clients, it quickly became so much more,” said Karyn London, the coordinator of ATZUM’s Roberta Project for Survivors of Terror.

“The students chose to become actively engaged in our projects, focusing on the dental needs of survivors of terror and making it their mission to find a solution to this problem.  It is very inspiring to see young graduate students take on a project like this and commit themselves to seeing it through to the end.”

Filed Under: Blog

Tribute To Newly-Identified ‘Righteous Gentile’ At Unique Student Ceremony

December 12, 2011 by

On Friday, December 9, ATZUM honored newly-identified “Righteous Among the Nations” Klavdia Likholetova, for her heroism and selflessness in saving Jewish lives during the Holocaust, at a special ceremony at the Eylon School in Holon.

Likholetova, who passed away in 2003 in Bat Yam, was represented by her husband, Iliya Leiberman, at the student-run ceremony arranged by ATZUM and the Eylon school staff.  Likholetova was recently recognized by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among the Nations.  Leiberman accepted the certificate and medal on her behalf.

“It is vitally important that we honor the memory of each of these courageous rescuers, exceptional individuals who provided light in an era of unparalleled darkness and a moral compass to a lost generation,” said Rabbi Levi Lauer, Founding Executive Director of ATZUM. 

“We believe it is only fitting to celebrate Klavdia’s life with the children of Holon, the third generation of Jews she has a hand in saving and those she chose to make her neighbors later in life.”

In November 1941, Klavdia and her parents, Olga and Ivan, took in Maria Dawes, and her daughter Yekaterina, two Jews who were left homeless and penniless after a failed offensive by the Russian Red Army.  Though the Likholetova family home in the Ukrainian port city of Feodosiya was small and cramped, and they were in mortal danger for harboring Jews, they willingly hid and cared for Maria and Yekaterina for over two months.

Like more than 130 other rescuers, Klavdia chose to deepen her solidarity with the Jewish people following World War II and took up residence in Israel in 1998.  Her story remained a well-kept secret until recently. 

At the ceremony, opening remarks were made by Ronit Haimov, principal of the Eylon School; Miri Moshkowitz, the teacher who worked with ATZUM to organize the ceremony; and Yael Rosen, coordinator of ATZUM’s Righteous Among The Nations Project. The students then told the story of the Likholetova family, screened a presentation that they prepared with pictures of the family, read Haim Heffer’s poem on Righteous Among the Nations and sang a musical tribute to rescuers.

It was not clear until the last moment if Mr. Leiberman, who is in very poor health, would be able to attend the ceremony.  In the end, he not only attended but pooled his strength in order to stand and sing Hatikvah at the end of the ceremony with the students.  Following the ceremony, Russian speaking students approached Mr. Leiberman to thank him for coming and express how much Klavdia’s sacrifice meant to them.

Filed Under: Events and Announcements

Students Thank A Righteous Gentile Who Chose Israel as Home

December 12, 2011 by

Arutz 7

December 12, 2011

By Chana Ya’ar

Newly-identified, little-known “Righteous Among the Nations” Klavdia Likholetova was honored at a unique student ceremony last week by students who came to say “thank you” for the miracle of life, in the upcoming season of miracles.

Likholetova was recognized for her heroism and selflessness in saving Jewish lives during the Holocaust at a special ceremony held at the Eylon School in Holon on Friday — but it was her husband, Iliya Lieberman, who attended the ceremony arranged by the ATZUM organization, the students and schools staff.

Likewise, Lieberman had accepted the certificate and medal on behalf of his wife when Likholetova was recently recognized by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial as a Righteous Among the Nations.

Likholetova herself had passed away in 2003 in Bat Yam, having made her home in the Land she had grown to love, had fled to herself after the end of World War II, together with the husband for whose people she had been willing to sacrifice her own life. [Read more…]

Filed Under: In the Press