Second Generation

Dear Friend;

The Fifth Commandment instructs us "To honor thy Father and Mother". As children and families of Holocaust Survivors, this commandment has added meaning. That added meaning is to honor our parents memory by remembering the Holocaust; "Zachor."

"To honor thy father and mother" is not just something we do while our parents are alive. It is something we do long after they, and our grandparents and great-grandparents are gone. We honor them by never forgetting their memory or all that they suffered and endured to give us our freedoms, liberties and of course, Israel. We owe them much more than honor and thanks. We owe them a debt of gratitude that will never be re-paid until all racism, hate and prejudice is erased in this world. Until that day, the Holocaust must be taught and talked about. It must be remembered.

We remember the Holocaust in several ways. We hand down to our children the stories we have learned. We teach Holocaust education in our schools. We pause and take time to remember on Yartzheits, Yom Hashoah and the anniversary of Krystal Nacht . We do many things, but the question is do we do enough? Can we do more?

Here at the Zachor Foundation, we believe that we can do more and that is why we exist. We have discovered that doing one small thing can have a huge impact on Holocaust education programs here and around the world. I know this is true because I am a Holocaust survivor and have been telling my story to audiences around the country for more than 15 years. But just over a year ago that all changed…for the better.

Just over a year ago I began ending my presentations by handing out a small pin with the Hebrew letters of the word "Zachor"…."remember". I never could have anticipated the responses gotten by giving out this small, tangible memento at the end of my presentations. Students of all ages respond saying "I will never forget what I have learned today", "I will cherish this pin forever" and "This pin will be handed down to my children." My presentations have always generated a response, but never like this.

It was then that I knew what needed to be done and started the Zachor Foundation. In less than twelve months, we have manufactured and given out, free of charge, more than 35,000 of these pins. Schools and Jewish organizations all over the world are calling and requesting these pins and we want to fill every request. Also, our goal is to provide grants, scholarships and to host other Holocaust education events. However we cannot do this alone and need your help.

Please join us in this worthy cause and help us continue to make a difference and have an impact on students around the world. Support us by making your tax deductible donation to us today. Also, you can join our Chai Society and make a monthly contribution of $18.00 or more. Become a part of our movement to end prejudice, hate and to stop the world from ever getting amnesia, forgetting the Holocaust and allowing history repeating itself.

With your help we can do this. With your help we can change the world for good. With your help, we can honor our parents and all those that came before us.

Baruch Hashem,

Ben Lesser