Anita Schorr was one of Westport’s most remarkable citizens. The Holocaust survivor who survived slave labor, 2 concentration camps and the loss of her entire family, then educated countless area residents (especially students) about the dangers of hate and the power of positive thinking died last April at 85.
Anita Schorr lived through some of history’s most horrific times.
Her memory lives on. And on Sunday, November 6 (5:30 p.m., the Warehouse in Fairfield), the Anti-Defamation League honors that memory with a “Step in and Be a Hero” award.
Funds raised will support the organization’s education programs for teachers and students, and help ADL respond quickly to incidents of hatred.
She won’t be the only Westporter feted. Brett Aronow and Keith Stein will be honored too, with the Distinguished Community Leadership Award. It recognizes outstanding citizens who contribute to building strong communities open to people without regard to race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
Keith Stein and Brett Aronow.
Brett served on the Board of Education, where she championed social, civic and ethical education; been an active member of TEAM Westport, the town’s multicultural committee; and is a former member of Positive Youth Development, the Youth Commission, SpEd Parents and the Fairfield County Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse.
Brett’s husband Keith served the Westport Democratic Town Committee in many roles, including chair; been a board member of the Friends of Parks and Recreation and the Westport Weston Health District, and was commissioner of Westport Little League.
Brett and Keith were both heavily involved in PTAs. They moved to Westport in 1993. With 3 children in college, they’ll spend the next months traveling throughout Southeast Asia and Northern California.
Very quietly, the ADL is one of our area’s true forces for good. How great that next Sunday, they recognize a few of Westport’s real good folks.
(For more information or tickets, click here.)
Having had a family member murdered by the Nazis in the T4 program in Berlin (& another whose possible murder I am still researching: my mother’s Jewish uncle — the editor of a Berlin trade paper) I sympathise & have nothing but admiration for people who turn their family tragedy & personal trauma into human rights awareness such as Anita Schorr. It is an indescribable pain to lose one’s family in this manner & to be the target of this kind of hate & indifference: it takes a LOT of bravery & fortitude & unfailing resilience to address that day after day after day.
Coming from a mixed culture family which includes ‘Arab’ Americans (really Syrian Lebanese) — I am cognisant of the hatred Arab Americans & Palestinians & Muslim Americans experience (inc. toward myself locally — despite being Orthodox & my father’s side of the family having been here for over 120 years) and loss of civil & human rights of Palestinians in their ancestral homeland. Hence as I have said to perplexed (toward me) Jewish Americans in conversations throughout the years: “I don’t have a *side*.”– after they repeatedly addressed me w/ “…your *side*…”.
The ADL has in the past not spoken against that very intense hatred and more importantly they have accused Arab American & pro-Palestinian & muslim human rights activists of being antisemitic. For these reasons as a person who has family from both sides of the coin I have found interaction w/ organisations such as the ADL to be a delicate & VERY painful task in life. My hope is that in future the ADL takes a far more empathic position towards EVERYONE experiencing hatred. LOVE is the cure for “hate” & to truly love one must have empathy including for ones supposed & imagined *enemy*.
PS: I should clarify: I believe that the *ancestral homeland* of the Palestinians is also the *ancestral homeland* of the Jews & historic evidence supports this: a multiplicity of people since pre-history.
*Re. “slave labour”. I forgot to mention: my grandfather was also taken as “slave labour” but by the Allies/Russians from Berlin to Russia at the end of the war. He was in his fifties & when he injured his arm they released him. He had to walk all the way back to Berlin & when he got there my mother & grandmother had left for his childhood & ancestral home city of Frankfurt (Berlin neighbours told him). He then had to walk from Berlin to Frankfurt & got as far as my grandmother opening the door until he fainted.
There is no mention of Anita Schorr on the ADL website
Brooke Kessler, Junior at Staples High School and ADL teen leader, will will be speaking at the ADL event honoring Anita Schorr. Brooke will speak about her experience with discrimination and her special relationship with Anita.
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dan are tix needed for this event? if so where from? FTC? ADL? ?
I’m interested Roger
Roger Kaufman rzktroger@aol.com
Yes – here’s the link: http://www.cvent.com/events/2016-upper-fairfield-award-reception/event-summary-afbc0d3847a2400285a3aa3cadeafd6b.aspx