Submission #15810 by Beth Shalom Mens' Club - Santa Clarita, CA -DISAFFILIATED
I have read the 2021 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.
Holocaust Memorial Dedication
FJMC - other
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• CBS Men’s Club saw the need for a permanent memorial to victims of the Holocaust in the Santa Clarita Valley (N. Los Angeles County, CA)
• Our idea was presented to Congregation Beth Shalom’s Board of Trustees and received unanimous support to move forward.
• Research was done and an idea was selected to commission an abstract thought-provoking metal sculpture.
• Detailed fund-raising, outreach, marketing, construction, and dedication event tasks were discussed and time-lined (aimed at a January 2019 dedication)
• Overall cost of the memorial display was approximately $14k and our fund-raising efforts covered the entire expense.
• Additional costs associated with our Sisk Plaza initiative (approximately $6k incremental) were covered by a generous donation of one of our congregants, Mr. Arnold Sisk, in memory of his late wife.
o His donation made it possible for us to complete various aspects of the entire project that we would have not otherwise been able to do (for example, our 4 steel reinforced concrete security benches).
• Many Federal, State, and Local government VIPs and dignitaries were invited.
o 8 were able to attend the event and each spoke.
• Our dedication event on January 20, 2019 was attended by over 200 people and was featured on CBS/KCAL and ABC7 News programs that evening.
• SCVTV (Santa Clarita Valley TV) is currently in the process of producing a special to be aired in late April/early May around the actual Yom Hashoah Remembrance Day. A CBS congregant who works in the film industry also had a professional team on hand to capture footage which has been forwarded to SCVTV for inclusion in their piece.
• Our idea was presented to Congregation Beth Shalom’s Board of Trustees and received unanimous support to move forward.
• Research was done and an idea was selected to commission an abstract thought-provoking metal sculpture.
• Detailed fund-raising, outreach, marketing, construction, and dedication event tasks were discussed and time-lined (aimed at a January 2019 dedication)
• Overall cost of the memorial display was approximately $14k and our fund-raising efforts covered the entire expense.
• Additional costs associated with our Sisk Plaza initiative (approximately $6k incremental) were covered by a generous donation of one of our congregants, Mr. Arnold Sisk, in memory of his late wife.
o His donation made it possible for us to complete various aspects of the entire project that we would have not otherwise been able to do (for example, our 4 steel reinforced concrete security benches).
• Many Federal, State, and Local government VIPs and dignitaries were invited.
o 8 were able to attend the event and each spoke.
• Our dedication event on January 20, 2019 was attended by over 200 people and was featured on CBS/KCAL and ABC7 News programs that evening.
• SCVTV (Santa Clarita Valley TV) is currently in the process of producing a special to be aired in late April/early May around the actual Yom Hashoah Remembrance Day. A CBS congregant who works in the film industry also had a professional team on hand to capture footage which has been forwarded to SCVTV for inclusion in their piece.
Yom Hashoah, by definition, is a somber event to remember the victims of the Holocaust. Noting there is no permanent memorial honoring the victims of the Holocaust in the Santa Clarita Valley, the Board of Congregation Beth Shalom’s Men’s Club motioned to explore different ideas as to how to best utilize funds collected from previous Yom Hashoah Yellow Candle programs to honor and remember all victims of the Holocaust.
Our idea was presented to Congregation Beth Shalom Board of Trustees in May, 2018. See Holocaust Memorial Plaza Board Solicitation pdf submitted with this submission..
Upon receiving unanimous support from our Board and after reviewing several different ideas presented by Mr. Rob Cohen (MC VP as well as CBS’ President) and Mr. Joshua Kaplan (MC Secretary), an abstract metal sculpture artist was commissioned to design and build a thought-provoking memorial statue befitting of the victims of the Holocaust. Our artist’s concept as sketched in his notepad:
At that time, a “gant” chart of main tasks and timelines was constructed which, over the course of the project was manually maintained and adjusted based on continuous updates. File attached with this submission.
Mr. Cohen sought advice from The Simon Weisenthal Center as to parameters of such a project and, in doing so, was advised to contact Dr. Michael Berenbaum, internationally noted Holocaust scholar. Being a resident of Los Angeles, Dr. Berenbaum came to CBS early on in the process, met with our Men’s Club Board, our Rabbi & Cantor, and our artist, Mr. Granville Ames Beals, to review preliminary plans and ideas.
Armed with some of Dr. Berenbaum’s ideas and taken in conjunction with some early sketches from Mr. Beals, the project moved forward with mock-ups of various different ideas. Additionally, Mr. Beals – a non-Jew – fully immersed himself in the religion to more fully understand various different numerological aspects of the Jewish religion. Critical numbers (such as 18, “chai”) were incorporated into his design. Overview attached with this submission.
At the same time, work was being done on preparation of the memorial site in front of our new sanctuary which was dedicated in April 2015. Due to the generous donation of one congregant, we were able to create a Holocaust Memorial Plaza in memory of his late wife. 4 one-ton security benches were added for security, safety, and seating. A specially built steel reinforced concrete raised base was designed and built upon which our dedicatory statue would be mounted.
Concurrent with the development of the actual display, the CBS HCM management team worked on marketing our initiative. See files attached with this submission. Specific promotional materials were developed and mailed to all congregants asking for monetary support of the program. Outside organizations, friends, families, and local businesses were also contacted. Follow up mailings, internal email blasts, lobby posters, and take-with flyers were distributed to our congregants, Religious School families, USY, and others. The program was mentioned at every Friday evening and Saturday morning Shabbat service.
Marketing, outreach support pieces are attached with this submission.
As we drew closer to the actual memorial dedication date (January 20, 2019) plans were developed and implemented to invite local dignitaries, politicians, churches, synagogues, and the general community to the event via e-mail blasts, personal reach-outs to other local synagogues and churches, direct mail pieces, and other collateral.
Because of the nature of the event, especially in these times of anti-Semitic occurrences, our local Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was contacted and provided a visible security component for our ceremony. Several plain-clothes officers with weapons were also among the crowd.
Our idea was presented to Congregation Beth Shalom Board of Trustees in May, 2018. See Holocaust Memorial Plaza Board Solicitation pdf submitted with this submission..
Upon receiving unanimous support from our Board and after reviewing several different ideas presented by Mr. Rob Cohen (MC VP as well as CBS’ President) and Mr. Joshua Kaplan (MC Secretary), an abstract metal sculpture artist was commissioned to design and build a thought-provoking memorial statue befitting of the victims of the Holocaust. Our artist’s concept as sketched in his notepad:
At that time, a “gant” chart of main tasks and timelines was constructed which, over the course of the project was manually maintained and adjusted based on continuous updates. File attached with this submission.
Mr. Cohen sought advice from The Simon Weisenthal Center as to parameters of such a project and, in doing so, was advised to contact Dr. Michael Berenbaum, internationally noted Holocaust scholar. Being a resident of Los Angeles, Dr. Berenbaum came to CBS early on in the process, met with our Men’s Club Board, our Rabbi & Cantor, and our artist, Mr. Granville Ames Beals, to review preliminary plans and ideas.
Armed with some of Dr. Berenbaum’s ideas and taken in conjunction with some early sketches from Mr. Beals, the project moved forward with mock-ups of various different ideas. Additionally, Mr. Beals – a non-Jew – fully immersed himself in the religion to more fully understand various different numerological aspects of the Jewish religion. Critical numbers (such as 18, “chai”) were incorporated into his design. Overview attached with this submission.
At the same time, work was being done on preparation of the memorial site in front of our new sanctuary which was dedicated in April 2015. Due to the generous donation of one congregant, we were able to create a Holocaust Memorial Plaza in memory of his late wife. 4 one-ton security benches were added for security, safety, and seating. A specially built steel reinforced concrete raised base was designed and built upon which our dedicatory statue would be mounted.
Concurrent with the development of the actual display, the CBS HCM management team worked on marketing our initiative. See files attached with this submission. Specific promotional materials were developed and mailed to all congregants asking for monetary support of the program. Outside organizations, friends, families, and local businesses were also contacted. Follow up mailings, internal email blasts, lobby posters, and take-with flyers were distributed to our congregants, Religious School families, USY, and others. The program was mentioned at every Friday evening and Saturday morning Shabbat service.
Marketing, outreach support pieces are attached with this submission.
As we drew closer to the actual memorial dedication date (January 20, 2019) plans were developed and implemented to invite local dignitaries, politicians, churches, synagogues, and the general community to the event via e-mail blasts, personal reach-outs to other local synagogues and churches, direct mail pieces, and other collateral.
Because of the nature of the event, especially in these times of anti-Semitic occurrences, our local Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was contacted and provided a visible security component for our ceremony. Several plain-clothes officers with weapons were also among the crowd.
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Original Program