JPEF Celebrates 10 Years with New York Gala Dinner

From the humble beginnings of JPEF in my basement to 280 donors people filling up Park Avenue Synagogue ballroom in New York for our 10^th Anniversary Celebration,  this has been quite an experience.

Charlie Blaichman with "Defiance" screenwriter/producer Clay Frohman and JPEF honoree Frank Blaichman with the Lev Aryeh Award.

Dana Tyler, senior news anchor from New York's WCBS was our emcee and engaged everyone during our program with her poise and charm. Clay Frohman, screen/writer of "Defiance" shared his long history with JPEF and read a letter from Liev Schreiber to the audience as Liev could not attend. JPEF board co-chair, Paul Orbuch did a fantastic job with heart felt remarks about growing up as a son of a Jewish partisan.

JPEF board co-chair Paul Orbuch stands between two former
Bielski partisans -- Charles Bedzow and Sam Bloch

Our honorees, Rose and Frank Blaichman and Rose and Joe (z''l) Holm families we chosen as the first recipients of the Lev Aryeh (Heart of the Lion), were very deserving of this award that recognizes Jewish partisans, their families, and those who stand up and make a difference. Varda Yoran, wife of partisan Shalom Yoran designed our award, based on one of her sculptures, and we were very lucky to have this. I know the JPEF staff and board looks forward to next year's award dinner. In fact, I heard a few people talk about "next year's dinner" to my pleasant surprise.

Steven Holm with his mother, JPEF Lev Aryeh Award Honoree
Rose Holm.

At one point during my remarks, I asked all of the partisans, then all the survivors, then the 2nd and 3rd generation to stand up together. It was powerful as about 70 people were standing.

JPEF produced two films for the event narrated by Ed Asner -- first cousin of a Jewish partisan (Abe Asner). One was about our 10 Anniversary --featuring Michael Berenbaum and Clay Frohman-- and the other was the introduction of the honorees. Each film is 4-5 minutes and are below.

Thank you for making it a great 10 years. 


--Mitch Braff
Founder and Executive Director

On the Set of JPEF's E-Learning Shoot

Mourning the Passing of Jewish Partisan Cesia Blaichman (z''l)

             On October 4, 2010, the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation is honoring the Blaichman and Holm families at our annual Tribute Dinner. 


Cesia and Frank Blaichman and Rose and Joe (z"l) Holm fought alongside each other as Jewish partisan fighters in Poland during World War II. As second cousins, Cesia and Joe had a special bond--Joe rescued Cesia and her brothers from the hands of the Nazis bringing them into his all-Jewish partisan group. Frank's Jewish partisan group joined up with Joe, Rose and Cesia in April of 1944. Their extraordinary story of combat, heroism and ultimate triumph is retold in Frank's recently published memoir Rather Die Fighting (Arcade Publishing).

           The Holm and Blaichman families mourn the passing of Joe on December 3, 2009. The Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation is truly privileged to be honoring the Blaichman and Holm families who have dedicated their lives to preserving the heroic struggle of Jewish partisan for future generations. 






Joe Holms' memory and legacy as well as the life lessons of tens of thousands of partisans will continue to be perpetuated through the work of JPEF.






To view the electronic invitation, click here.

"I can do anything."

JPEF visited Mercy High School in San Francisco to film a scene for our ongoing e-Learning project. While on the set, students learned about the partisans and JPEF's mission. One reflected:

 It definitely is inspiring because it makes you—it makes you realize that young people can do this and that means if they can do it, I can do it. And if I can do that, I can do anything.

-10th grade student from Mercy High School, San Francisco.

"Against All Odds" at the Breman Museum

Atlanta's Breman Museum has a special upcoming exhibition involving JPEF's traveling photography exhibit Pictures of Resistance. Along side Jewish partisan Faye Schulman's photographs, will be a multi-media presentation called Courage and Compassion: The Legacy of the Bielski Brothers. Both of these exhibits will run from September 19, 2010 through January 13, 2011. To learn more about these exhibitions and the Breman Museum, please visit their special events page.

Forests of Belarus: Sanctuary and Weapon

Ray Mears Extreme Survival - Belarus (BBC)


Ray travels to Belarus to meet with some of the surviving partisans of the Second World War. For the Jewish partisans, the forests of Belarus became a sanctuary and weapon in their fight against oppression.

Two Inspiring Events at The Hampton Synagogue

JPEF had a non-stop weekend with Pictures of Resistance at the Hampton Synagogue.

Curator Jill Vexler, PhD.  Spoke to a standing room only crowd at Rabbi Marc Schneier’s congregation in Westhampton Beach on Saturday, July 24th.

The beautiful display of 'Pictures of Resistance'

Deeply engaged in the exhibit 

"Everyone in attendance at "Pictures of Resistance" opening reception at the Hampton Synagogue was deeply engaged by the images of Jewish resistance. Curator Jill Vexler was an amazing part of the evening, illuminating Faye Schulman's moving photographs that visually document lives of Jewish
resistance." Congregant Shelley Holm

The evening program on Monday, July 25th included a screening of ‘Broken Promise’ – the 2009 official Slovak entry for the Academy awards and a film JPEF produced about partisan Martin Petrasek. The film was followed by a lively discussion and question and answer session.

Slovakian partisan Joe Garay & Jan Greenfield JPEF Director of Special Projects

The work of JPEF  was well received at this event . People were deeply moved with our educational programming and many of them expressed interest for the October 4^th event in New York City honoring two partisan families, the Blaichman’s and the Holm’s, partisans that exemplify the theme of “Perpetuating the Legacy ; Standing up and Making a Difference” .

By Jan Lauren Greenfield