CNN poineer praises ‘Shoah volunteers’

By COL

iVolunteer, New York City’s visiting program for homebound Holocaust Survivors, hosted a fundraising dinner for their volunteer visitors, survivors and friends.

With over 100 in attendance, iVolunteer’s guests shared an evening of festivity and inspiration to honor their dedicated volunteers.

The event was chaired by Reese Schonfeld, Co-Founder of CNN and the Food Network, and was hosted in the Edmund J. Safra Synagogue on 11 East 63rd St in Manhattan.

Friends of the Julliard School of music played live music and General Oliver Lustig, Reserve General, survivor and author from Romania shared inspiring words with the crowd. Dr. Judy Tellerman, a guest from Chicago composed a song in honor of iVolunteer and taught the song to the guests.

“iVolunteer creates a sense of community by providing both our survivors and volunteers with social events and special programs,” iVolunteer Directors, Tzvi and Elisheva Tauby said.

“Many of the volunteers are professionals. Others are local high school and college students, who are excited by the chance to reach across the generations and establish a unique friendship with a lonely senior.”

These programs include monthly Friday night dinners for our volunteers and luncheons for our survivors. iVolunteer is not only a social network for the survivors, but for the volunteers as well.

“When I visit with a survivor, I feel so privileged to be able to get to know such unbelievable people and hope to assist them in any way I can,” Mrs. Tauby explains. “When I speak with volunteers they often say that they got a lot more than they gave.”

If you know of a Holocaust Survivor who would like to be a part of this program, or if you would like to volunteer for iVolunteer, please contact Chani Sacho at (646) 461.7748, [email protected]