Netanyahu to Hezbollah: "Enough is enough"
Voices for Truth and Humanity’s President Proposes the Greatest Comeback of All Time
By Henry Levy
Voices for Truth and Humanity honorees (left to right) Tom DiNapoli, Roger Tilles and Rabbi Joe Potasnik
Jack Britvan, Voices' founder welcoming Assemblyman Steve Stern, Good Guy Award Winner
Gary Glick, Jewish War Veterans Commander, Dan Frankel, vocalist and Rabbi Ron Csillag
Rabbi Deborah Bravo, recipient of the 2nd Annual Rabbi Mark Golub Person of the Year Award
Essay Committee Members Glen Landow, Voices' VP, Andrea Bolander, Voices' Board Member and Mark Meirowitz, Professor of Humanities at SUNY Maritime College
Emcee Lisa Morris welcoming Ethan Behling, National Director of Israel Bonds Professional Division
It was at the all-volunteer non-profit, Voices for Truth and Humanity’s (V4TH) 5th Annual Remembrance Awards Dinner, where over 200 people including elected officials, university presidents, leaders of major Jewish organizations, Rabbis, media, business owners, educators, and others concerned with the safety of Jewish people and the anguish of citizens of Israel, came to hear words of inspiration and honor those who have stepped up to make a difference.
Among those being honored were Roger Tilles, NYS Regent representing Long Island with the Humanitarian Award, Tom DiNapoli, NYS Comptroller with the Public Service Award, Rabbi Debbie Bravo, Founder of Makom NY with the 2nd Annual Rabbi Mark Golub Person of the Year Award, and Steve Stern, NYS Assemblyman who was surprised with the Good Guy Award.
V4TH’s president and founder, Jack Britvan, showed the audience a portion of his speech from the year prior, just 11 days before October 7th when he had said, ”In the past, many of us avoided talking about the Holocaust so when our children would go off to college, they would do so with no knowledge of the Shoah. They would likely have never seen Schindler’s List and if they did, they wouldn’t believe it.”
He spoke about the apathy of people who are relying on someone else to take care of fighting the rapid spread of Jew hatred.
Jack recalled speaking with Rabbi Mark Golub, of blessed memory, in 2022 when he was honored by Voices when Golub asked what Jack thought about antisemitism and BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions targeting Israel). Jack’s answer was, “We do some things right but we are losing. The universities do nothing about it whatsoever. People just lie, spread propaganda, and we don’t do anything. There are organizations with one person handling four states and we are nowhere.” He continued, “Those of you who are going to have children and grandchildren going off to college, be prepared because we are not doing anything. So the question is, are you going to get involved or, I hate to put it this way, are you going to let Hitler win because he’s dead but he’s winning, and that’s where we are right now?”
That was almost one year ago, just before the horrific events of October 7th. Look at what has occurred on college campuses since where students, professors, administrators, and spineless college presidents have allowed their Jewish students to live in fear of being physically and emotionally abused. The are no significant consequences for these rabble rousers. The situation appears to be getting worse because these antisemitic acts are beginning to manifest in public high schools. Britvan mentioned recent incidents which took place in two local schools just miles away in Commack and Dix Hills, both in Suffolk County. In one, a symbol which has proliferated as a means to intimidate the Jewish community was painted in the school parking lot and within an hour of it being erased according to Britvan, “A letter representing twenty mosques was immediately sent to the district condemning the removal of the symbol and demanding an apology. Not one, but twenty. They are organized. They know what they are doing. There is a major game plan, not just throughout the United States but throughout the world. They are doing that and we are doing nothing.”
Rabbi Joe Potasnik spoke of three claims during his invocation. One for Holocaust education. “But,” he cautioned, “it is not enough to just have education. Educated people built death camps and educated people wrote the Jim Crow laws in this country. Part of the education we need is moral education.” The second was for the friendship of those who stood with their Jewish neighbors before and after October 7th. For example he noted, “Timothy Cardinal Dolan asked every church in the NY Archdiocese to give the money they had collected to the State of Israel.” The third was to claim Jewish pride which, he said, “is the only answer to Jewish persecution.
To stand proud not only when we mourn but also when we celebrate Jewish life.”
Jacob Adler, the director of Jewish Affairs for Governor Kathy Hochul, praised the work and dedication of V4TH as he introduced NYS Regent Roger Tilles who he said “is owed a tremendous debt by everyone on Long Island.” During Tilles’s acceptance speech, he described how as a Regent he felt an obligation to strengthen the mandate to teach the Holocaust in schools and take the lead in establishing a comprehensive curriculum which can be implemented in every district throughout NYS. He too praised the work of V4TH and acknowledged the organization’s role helping bring this to fruition. His speech appears in a separate sidebar.
Ethan Behling, the National Director of Israel Bonds Professional Division, conveyed the warm wishes of Israel Bonds’ president Dani Naveh and VP Stuart Garawitz to honoree Tom DiNapoli. He praised DiNapoli’s “remarkable dedication to Israel, and to the Jewish people.”
DiNapoli pointed out that V4TH is playing such a pivotal role and has been for many years, and that they could not have imagined that in 2024 there would be such an urgency and need for its vital work. He reflected on his first job out of high school at the age of 18 registering voters in Long Beach when, for the first time he saw a woman with a short sleeve shirt with a number tattooed on her forearm. When he moved to Great Neck at a local dry cleaners he saw a gentleman with a tattoo on his forearm as well. Seeing these reminders of the horrors that took place sunk in and he recognized how very important the witness of survivors is to our understanding of what the Holocaust was about. Tom said he had been to Israel 6 times and thanked Rabbi Michael Miller, president emeritus of the JCRC who was also present, for hosting him on 4 of those trips. Tom said, “The last trip was in February after October 7th and it was the shortest but the most impactful.
To be at the Nova Festival site. To meet with families who had lost loved ones or had loved ones held hostage. I could not imagine what happened there. And I still can’t accept how some people are reacting to this.”
DiNapoli also spoke of a report his office just issued based on data collected by the NYPD and the Commission on Hate Crimes which showed that 88% of hate crimes in NYS are directed against Jewish victims. He said, “The kind of hate crimes we see used to be directed against property, vandalism, but now it is against people, assault. There is something horrible going on and the word has not gotten out as to what October 7th is all about. The word has not gotten out as to what the founding of the State of Israel is all about. That again underscores what this organization is all about. Those of us who have gone to Israel cannot be shy about speaking out.”
DiNapoli concluded by saying that New York is a leading state in the purchase of Israel Bonds. He said, “Within a week of October 7th we purchased $20 million and subsequently another $150 million. Adding in state pension funds, which are making money for our retirees, the total is about 1.5 billion dollars. We are making the bond of New York’s connection to Israel secure in each and every way. I try hard to do my part and I am appreciative that Jack and his team at V4TH has not given up. In fact, they have redoubled their efforts to recognize that there are existential threats going on now against Jews and against humanity, unfortunately against Israel, and too often against our friends and neighbors. Let’s all be optimistic. Times will get better and let’s not forget what the past is all about.”
Rabbi Potasnik then introduced honoree Rabbi Debbie Bravo, founder of Makom NY as a person who speaks out on behalf of the hostages, speaks out whenever there is a need for a blood drive, and speaks out for those who need support during a difficult time.
Rabbi Bravo said about V4TH, “When you started V4TH you might have imagined the need and imagined the importance, but you didn’t quite yet know you would be as necessary as you are.” She said we are in a moment in time she never imagined would happen in her lifetime, and that, “we as Jews are used to being uncomfortable, but not like this. I don’t want to be on defense anymore. I’m uncomfortable because I’m saying the words in a moment in time when the words need to be said and the actions need to be taken. We can’t sit back and wait anymore.”
Rabbi Bravo acknowledged Peter Tsadalis, the owner of the Golden Globe Diner in Huntington (365 W Main Street, 631-421- 1508), who stood up for Israel after October 7th and plastered “Kidnapped” signs that included names and photos of the victims all over the diner’s front window and placed Israeli flags next to those of the United States. For this he was targeted, lost customers, had property damaged and yet he doubled down and replaced torn down posters and vowed to keep them up until all the hostages are freed. Bravo called Peter, a non-Jew, a mensch who stood up for the Jewish community and stood up for what is right. She urged the community to support this good man and added, “In order for us to make sure we are listening to these voices for truth and humanity, our community is hosting them on Yom Kippur Day, to be able to share their story because that’s what we as Jews have to do.”
Bravo mentioned a message she had received from a student at Syracuse University distressed about a “Week of Hate”
from October 7-11, during the High Holidays, sponsored by Hamas. She asked, “So we sit here and say what is it that we are supposed to do? We cannot sit back and wait for someone else to do the work.
This has got to be done right now and it is up to each and every one of us to do it.
What is it to speak truth? What is it that defines humanity? How amazing that there is an organization for us to be able to bring our voices together in a sense of truth and humanity. All I can say is there is a lot of work to be done, but thank you to those individuals at V4TH that have begun the work that will forever be there. We are not helpless because we know that together we are stronger than we are as individuals and we know that our history, the learning of the Holocaust, the learning of the history of antisemitism, that is what will make tomorrow a better day.”
Glen Landow, V4TH Vice President, who established the organization’s Sam and Martin Bloch Essay Contest Awards Program for Long Island high school students to demonstrate their knowledge of the Holocaust, announced this year’s winners along with judges Andrea Bolender and Mark Meirowitz. The two winners, Emilia Viders and Paula Araujo, were each awarded $1000. The topic of the essay was, “What do you believe are the lessons society should learn from the Holocaust, and how do you think those lessons are still relevant and applicable today? What might be some examples from history and today that can help us better understand these events? What inspired you to participate in this essay contest? Please use personal observations in your response.” Landow said that next year the goal is to expand the contest statewide.
Landow emphasized that V4TH is a 100% volunteer organization with no paid staff and all funds going directly to support the mission, a powerful framework that has led to such enormous success in a short period of time. He highlighted one example, the Light Up Yellow program, an effort that was the brainchild of V4TH Secretary Hank Levy. On January 27th, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, prominent buildings and monuments were bathed in yellow light in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Through perseverance, connections and participation by partner organizations V4TH convinced the Empire State Building, Freedom Tower, Niagara Falls, NYS Capitol Building, NY City & Borough Halls, Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Executive Buildings, and other landmarks to participate, with official ceremonies held a numerous locations.
Landow said, “That was year 1. Last year 8 different states participated with major locations lit up in yellow. Through networking, connections, and reaching out to friends and other organizations – that is what made this grow and grow, and we expect it to continue to do so. And I’m going to tell you this right now. Our goal is not just to have monuments lit in every state, but when we see the White House lit up in yellow on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we will have achieved our goal.”
A special thanks to the exceptional emcee of the evening Lisa Morris, actress, founder of Road Concierge, and philanthropist.
Thanks also to Dan Frankel for his stirring renditions of the National Anthem and Hatikvah, to Gary Glick and the Jewish War Veteran’s Color Guard, and to Rabbi Ron Csillag who gave a moving prayer for the perseverance and safe return of the hostages.
To volunteer or learn more about Voices for Truth and Humanity visit their website: http://www.v4th.org or call 516-864-0011.
