A strong sense of community permeated the Kennedy Caucus
Room of the US Senate (June 18, 2015), as an array of prominent officials
representing a cross section of House and Senate leadership. Members of
Congress joined with civic, religious, and communal leaders as they
commemorated the 30th anniversary of the U.S.
Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.
L-R:Louis Kestenbaum, U.S. Commission Chair Lesley Weiss, U.S.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
In 1985,
Congressman Steve Solarz along with
Senator
Ted Kennedy were instrumental in passing legislation that
established the Commission. It was included in the
International
Security and Development Act of 1985.
L-R:Louis Kestenbaum, U.S. Commission Chair Lesley Weiss, U.S.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
The mandate of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s
Heritage Abroad (
http://heritageabroad.gov/) is to preserve and
protect monuments, cemeteries, synagogues, and churches in Central and Eastern
Europe. The Commission’s current chair is
Lesley Weiss.
L-R:
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer presenting award to Louis Kestenbaum
The Commission’s members are
appointed by the President of the United States and Congressional leadership.
It is noteworthy to highlight that a Chasidic individual, by the name
of Rabbi Zvi Kestenbaum, was the catalyst whose efforts
ultimately led to the Commission’s establishment
Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, MC, commenced with a clear
message – identity is something that we must hold on to and value. Otherwise,
it will simply and tragically be left behind.
The theme echoed throughout the program was the tenacity of Rabbi Zvi
Kestenbaum and his ability to communicate so effectively with powerful
officials and ultimately establish an official U.S. agency.
L-R: Lesley Weiss, Warren Miller, Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz,
Michael Lewan, Louis Kestenbaum, Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, Ezra Friedlander
Members of Congress that participated included:
Senate Foreign
Relations Committee Ranking Member Ben Cardin,
Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand,
House Foreign Affairs Chairman &
Ranking Member Rep. Ed Royce and Eliot Engel,
House
Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Democratic National
Committee Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz,
Rep. Grace
Meng and
Rep. Kay Granger, who chairs the powerful
Foreign
Operations Appropriations sub-committee.
L-R: Stanley Treitel, Rabbi
Levi Shemtov, HE Ambassador Peter Gandalovic of the Czech Republic, Rep. Ted
Lieu, Louis Kestenbaum speaking, Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, Michael Lewan,
Lesley Weiss, Warren Miller
Senator Cardin,
who mentioned his family’s own Eastern European roots, said, “Our past gives us
strength and instructions that we carry into the future.” Democratic Whip Hoyer discussed
how efforts to destroy cultural sites are not only attempts to destroy objects,
they are attempts to destroy the faiths the sites symbolize. He further
mentioned “Rabbi Zvi Kestenbaum, a Holocaust survivor, was greatly pained by
the destruction of cemeteries throughout the post Holocaust era, and how as an
individual, he single-handedly was responsible for the reconstruction of
cemeteries, yet felt there should be an official US entity to preserve the
heritage sites of millions of Americans in Eastern Europe, as this heritage was
in danger of being further neglected and ultimately destroyed.”.
L-R: Louis Kestenbaum, Rep. Kay Granger Chair House
Appropriations Subcommitteeon Foreign Operation presenting award to Lesley
Weiss – Chair U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad
“Rabbi Zvi Kestenbaum was not only a visionary leader but an intelligent and
wise person. He knew he had to actually do something not just speak about it,
he knew how to organize the Commission and most importantly he knew how to be a
voice for the people” said
Rep. Ed Royce.
Former chairs of the Commission,
Warren Miller and
Michael
Lewan, who was also chief of staff to the late Congressman Steve
Solarz, were honored alongside its current chair
Lesley Weiss.
Mrs. Kestenbaum, Louis Kestenbaum, House Ranking Member on Foreign
Affairs Eliot Engel, U.S. Commission Chair Lesley Weiss
Ezra Friedlander, CEO of The Friedlander Group,
in conjunction with Project Legacy coordinated the planning of
the event. He shared a personal memory of the effect Michael Lewan of the
Commission and Rabbi Zvi Kestenbaum played in preserving the cemetery in Liska,
Hungary, a site of grave reverence for Hungarian Jewry.
Mr. Lewan shared interesting anecdotal details of how Rabbi Kestenbaum
convinced Senator Ted Kennedy to support the creation of the Commission. “I
remember as if it were this morning, Rep. Solarz with Rabbi Kestenbaum and I
walking over from the House side to this very building to meet with Senator
Kennedy to convince him.”
Howard Tzvi Friedman, Lesley Weiss, Rep. Debbie
Wasserman-Schultz, Louis Kestenbaum
“I guess I could say that Kennedy was interested but not convinced,” said
Lewan.
Rabbi Kestenbaum addressed Senator Kennedy directly, “Just yesterday I
visited Arlington cemetery and saw the magnificent graves to your brothers who
are great American heroes and deserve the honor. Don’t all G-d’s children
deserve the same honor?”
Those words moved Kennedy. He ultimately agreed to sponsor the bill which
President Reagan signed into law, and later appointed Rabbi Kestenbaum as
deputy chairman of the Commission.
Members of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of
America’s Heritage Abroad and Chair Lesley Weiss
Rabbi Kestebaum’s son
Louis Kestenbaum was the
30th Anniversary Tribute Chairman. He is Chairman of
Fortis
Property Group, that controls a portfolio of assets valued at
approximately $3 billion. At the event, he announced the restoration and
preservation of the Jewish cemetery in
Slubice, Czech Republic,
as well as the restoration of over 200 graves in
Ostroh, Ukraine. The initiative
was warmly praised by
Ambassador Gandalovic of the Czech
Republic and Yaroslav Brisiuck , Charge d’Affaires
of the Embassy of Ukraine.
Louis Kestenbaum shared his father’s determination with the audience
declaring, “My father did not understand the meaning of the word ‘no’. He
convinced local officials to cooperate. He built relationships with police to
make sure that the graves would be watched.” He also remembered his father’s
time in the Holocaust, recalling how his father knew that “G-d kept him alive
to fulfill a purpose – and that has become very apparent to all of us.”
L-R:
Rep. Ted Lieu, Louis Kestenbaum , HE Ambassador Peter Gandalovic of
the Czech Republic speaking, Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, Michael Lewan, Lesley
Weiss
In his closing remarks Louis Kestenbaum said, “There was nothing he could do
to bring back the millions of lives that had been lost during the war, but
their legacy, the cemeteries and holy places that had been destroyed this could
be recovered, restored and preserved. He felt that it was his moral duty
as a Jew to see that this was done. I thank Chair Weiss and the U.S.
Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad for its efforts to
continue my father’s legacy.”
Friends and Colleagues of Tribute Chair Louis Kestenbaum
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