Los Angeles, U.S.A. - Arnold Spielberg, father of USC Shoah Foundation Institute Founder Steven Spielberg, was honored Thursday, April 26 with the Institute’s inaugural Inspiration Award at a private luncheon in Los Angeles. Arnold was recognized for his many years of mentorship and support of the Institute’s work, especially in the area of humanity through technology.

A computer pioneer and former electrical engineer, Arnold was a volunteer and guiding light helping inspire the early team at the organization to overcome technical and logistical hurdles. Phil Rosenthal, creator of the highly acclaimed hit comedy series Everybody Loves Raymond, who is a longtime supporter of the Institute, served as the master of ceremonies for the event. He is also the son and grandson of Holocaust survivors. Olga Kern, internationally renowned concert pianist, was the special musical guest and gave a stellar performance.

The Inspiration Award, which will hereafter be known as the Arnold Spielberg Inspiration Award, was established to honor friends who have supported and inspired the Institute, including community leaders, Institute volunteers, teachers, scholars, survivors, and other unsung heroes, and to raise awareness of the Institute’s goals of promoting tolerance, cultural understanding, and mutual respect through the educational use of the testimonies in its Visual History Archive.

The USC Shoah Foundation Institute has collected and maintains an archive of nearly 52,000 video testimonies of Holocaust survivors and other witnesses, from 56 countries in 32 languages–the largest visual history archive of its kind in the world.

“Arnold’s contribution not only to the Institute, but also to the world, through his pioneering work in the field of technology has created a lasting legacy for current and future generations,” said Stephen D. Smith, executive director of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute. “Arnold provided mentorship and support when it was greatly needed, and his astute council helped move the organization in the right direction and frame the groundwork upon which the Institute’s Visual History Archive is built.”

“I am so pleased and touched to be able to recognize my father’s vital contributions to the organization,” said Steven Spielberg, founder of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute. “With this Inspiration Award that will carry his name in perpetuity, my father will continue to be a beacon as we pursue our mission.”

Microsoft served as presenting sponsor of the event. “It is a great privilege to be a part of this special celebration to recognize Arnold Spielberg for his contribution to the Institute by building upon the promise of transforming and promoting humanity through technology,” said Don Mattrick, president of interactive entertainment business, Microsoft.

“We are proud to support the important educational work of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute and Steven Spielberg’s visionary purpose to transform people’s attitudes, beliefs and the way we learn through eyewitness testimony.”

During World War II, Arnold served with the 490th “Skull & Wings” Bomb Squadron, known as the “Burma Bridge Busters,” and became communications chief. Arnold helped design and build the first business computer. He also invented and patented the first electronic library system and designed the first electronic cash register, transforming the “point of sale” retail industry.

“I am very proud that my son Steven had the foresight to record the stories of the survivors so that future generations could learn lessons from the voices of those who were subjected to intolerance and hatred, and scholars could research the archive and use the content in whatever way they could to benefit humanity,” Arnold said.

“Eisenhower told his commanders to take many pictures, because in the future the Holocaust would be denied, as it is even now. I believe the power of the Institute’s Visual History Archive, like those photographs, remains a testament to the truth that no one can deny.”

The Award Luncheon highlighted some of the organization’s milestones and educational programs while allowing Arnold’s friends and colleagues to share personal anecdotes about working with him at the Institute. His son, filmmaker and Institute founder, Steven Spielberg, and his three daughters, Anne, Sue, and Nancy, presented their father with the award, with his extended family in attendance.

The article USC Shoah Foundation Institute Inspiration Award for Arnold Spielberg appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

AJC applauded the Norwegian prime minister for publicly apologizing for his country’s role in the Holocaust. ”Without diminishing the Nazis’ responsibility, it is time to recognize that police and other Norwegians took part in the arrest and deportation of Jews,” said Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. “I find it appropriate to express our deep apology that this could have happened on Norwegian soil.”

The prime minister was speaking yesterday at a Holocaust remembrance ceremony at the site where, 70 years ago, 532 Norwegian Jews were forced onto the Donau ship and sent to Auschwitz. ”During the war, a total of 772 Norwegian Jews and Jewish refugees were arrested and deported. Only 34 survived,” said the prime minister. ”The murders were without a doubt the Nazis’ work, but it was Norwegians who arrested. It was Norwegians who drove the cars. And it happened in Norway.”

Twenty years ago, as the Prime Minister noted, Norway’s parliament provided both private and communal restitution for the “economic liquidation” the Norwegian Jews had been subjected to, which signified, “a moral acceptance of the state’s responsibility” for what had befallen the country’s Jews.

“Now, 20 years later, Prime Minister Stoltenberg has gone an important step further with his expression of regret for the role played by some Norwegians in the Holocaust,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris. “His words on International Holocaust Remembrance Day are a powerful reminder that the Nazi evil was too often assisted by some locals in occupied countries. We welcome the prime minister’s apology, as well as his forthright call for vigilance against those who continue to hate.”

In his speech, Stoltenberg said, “Seventy years later, it pains me to say that the ideas that led to the Holocaust continue to live on.” He expressed concern that Norwegian Jews have said they live in fear today. “We shall not have it like this in Norway,” said the prime minister. “No one should have to hide his own faith, cultural identity or orientation.”

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/statsministerenskontor/

The article Norwegian Prime Minister Gives Holocaust Apology to Jews appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

In observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, AJC issued the statement below, and re-released its short film on the Nazi death camp, Belzec. More than 500,000 Jews were slaughtered there in less than a year. Only two Jews survived.  The full text of AJC’s statement follows:

We Remember

In the Jewish tradition, we are commanded to remember (zachor) and not to forget (lo tishkach). On January 27, we commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this solemn occasion, 67 years after the liberation of Auschwitz:

We remember the six million Jewish martyrs, including 1.5 million children, who were exterminated in the Holocaust.

We remember the entirely new alphabet created by the Nazis for the Final Solution — from the letter “A” for Auschwitz to the letter “Z” for Zyklon-B.

We remember not only the tragic deaths of the six million Jews, but also their vibrant lives—as shopkeepers and craftsmen, scientists and authors, teachers and students, parents and children, husbands and wives.

We remember the richly hued and ancient Jewish civilizations that were destroyed—from Salonika to Vilna, from Amsterdam to Prague.

We remember the slippery slope that began with the rantings of an obscure Austrian-born anti-Semite named Adolf Hitler and led, in the course of less than 15 years, to his absolute control over Germany.

We remember the fertile soil of European anti-Semitism—cultivated over centuries by cultural, political, and religious voices—that created an all-too-receptive climate for the Nazi objective of eliminating the Jewish people.

We remember the courage of Denmark, as well as Albania, Bulgaria, and Finland, for their extraordinary efforts to protect their own Jewish communities.

We remember the courage of thousands of Righteous Persons—whom we call, in Hebrew, Hasidei Umot Ha’olam—who risked their own lives that others might live.

We remember the millions of non-Jews—Poles and Russians, Roma and the disabled, political opponents and homosexuals—murdered under the relentless Nazi onslaught.

We remember the valiant soldiers of the Allied nations who, at such great human cost, vanquished the Third Reich.

We remember the survivors of the death camps, who endured such unimaginable suffering and who have inspired us all with their indomitable courage, spirit, and will to live.

We remember the absence of an Israel in those war-time years—an Israel that, had it existed, would have provided a haven when so shamefully few countries were willing to accept Jewish refugees.

We shall never forget those who perished.

We shall never forget those who saved even a single life. As it is written in the Talmud: “He who saves one life has saved the world.”

We shall never forget the importance of speaking out against intolerance, whenever and wherever it occurs.

We shall never forget the inextricable link among democracy, the rule of law, and protection of human rights.

We shall never forget the age-old prophetic vision of a world of justice, harmony, and peace.

And we shall never forget that each of us, in ways large and small, can help bring us closer to the realization of that prophetic vision.

The article International Holocaust Remembrance Day appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Adorno’s significant question, “can one live after Auschwitz?”, discloses the dreadfullness of the Holocaust. Yet, when the dimensions of the Holocaust is thought, another issue also comes up which questions Hitler’s responsibility for the most terrible human extermination. Is Hitler the only one who is to blame for the Holocaust? Some authors do not accept that the extermination of millions of Jews was not Hitler’s idea, but his people’s.

Those claims to be under the cloud nowadays, since the first document reveals Hitler’s anti-semitic ideas, acquired by Simon Wiesenthal Center, a global Jewish organisation headquartered in Los Angeles.

Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) declared that they acquired this crucial four-page letter for $150,000, through a dealer. The document is also known as Gemlich letter, which is written and signed by Hitler and adressed to a soldier named Adolf Gemlich who was in charge of the German army. According to SWC, the letter is Hitler’s first anti-semitic writing, written in September 16, 1919, six years before the publication of Mein Kampf. SWC claims that the letter could be the original version.

According to the founder of SWC, Marvin Hier, because “there is no document signed by Adolf Hitler, about the extermination of Jews”, some revisionists claim that Hitler’s involvement in the Holocaust is under suspicion. He also declared that this letter changes everything since Hitler mentioned in the letter, his demand regarding the legislation of total removement of Jews from the society: “It’s final aim, however, must be the uncompromising removal of the Jews altogether.”

In New York Times article, British writer Ian Kershaw’s (who is known for his Hitler biographies) statement about Hitler regarding the Holocaust is mentioned. Kershaw indicates, “not even Hitler was capable of imagining in 1919 what could be done.” But he emphasized on the importance of the letter, since according to Kershaw the letter shows that, “already in 1919 Hitler has a clear notion of removal of the Jews altogether.”

In July 2011, this historical document will be permanently displayed for public view, at the Museum of Tolerance, Los Angeles.

The article Adolf Hitler’s First Anti-Semitic Writing To Be Exposed appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Over the years, certain immigrants have always been targeted as scapegoats in America. Ben Franklin thought Germans should not be allowed into the country because of their “swarthy complexion.” Catholics were not well received because they only listen to the pope. Irish were not popular and thought to be just a small step above African Americans.  Southern and Eastern Europeans were hated and prompted the quota laws to be passed. Italians were thought to be violent. Only a small number of Jewish people were allowed into our country even during the Holocaust because of our ongoing xenophobia. We have discriminated against almost all Asians at one point or another because of fears. Our latest target is Mexicans and anyone that looks Hispanic. Although the U.S. is a nation of immigrants, they have always been very selective of who is okay.

The current fear mongering with Latinos is not justifiable.   Every year or so, illegal immigration gets brought up and spun around on all the media outlets by all sorts of politicians but for no good reason. Since 9/11 and the major recession, immigration to the United States is down.   Most undocumented immigrants do not become permanent residents. They come to the U.S. to be with family or to work. They stay a few years and leave.  It doesn’t sound so bad.  But, many people in America still feel that immigration is a problem.

Anti-immigration activist believe that immigrants sneaking over the border are more likely to take part in criminal activities.  It is unclear why someone would take all that time and energy to sneak over a border to get caught for a crime and be deported when they could be criminals in their own country.  Research also indicates that undocumented citizens are not more likely to engage in crime than natural citizens. The exact numbers vary but native born Americans are between 5 and 10 times more likely to be incarcerated than immigrants. In Arizona, state senators used crime to justify their “papers, please” legislation.  The lawmakers claimed that crime in Arizona had increased.  However, crime rates in Arizona have steadily decreased since 2006 for both violent and property crime.  Another reason anti-immigration activists want to seal the American borders is because of the economy.  They claim that undocumented immigrants are not paying taxes and draining the social services.  This again is false.  Immigrants contribute as much as $10 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Legalization of low skilled immigrant workers in the U.S. would result in a net increase in the U.S. GDP of $180 billion over the next ten years. Immigrants, legal and illegal alike, spend their money in the U.S. which is good for the economy.  Most immigrants come to U.S. for jobs so they are working and not using social services. Many are too afraid of deportation to take advantage of any programs even if they needed it.  Others against immigration worry about overpopulation.  They claim that with more and more undocumented immigrants, the public school system will be overwhelmed.  Yet, the U.S. continues to push fertility drugs, glorify families like the Duggars, and many want to outlaw abortion, so it cannot be a concern for overpopulation.

As the state of Arizona pushes a slew of more anti-immigration measures through, you can be sure that immigration fears are alive and well in the U.S.  However, the Hispanic community re-elected Senator Harry Reid during last midterm elections so they might not be such a good scapegoat any longer.

The article History of Immigration in the United States appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.