LIVING
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Presents
‘2021 Western Region Virtual Event’
A
t this historic time for reflection and action – members of the Western Region community supporting the efforts of the D.C.-based United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) will come together virtually on March 11 at 8 pm. The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly changed much of how the USHMM does its work, but not why it’s done. Eric and Suzi LeVine, from Seattle, will represent the Western Region Leadership Committee and join Museum supporters from 10 western states including, Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington to renew its pledge to ensure that the critical lessons of the Holocaust – lessons about the fragility of societies, the nature of hate, and the consequences of indifference – help shape our nation’s way forward. The annual “What You Do Matters” Western Region Dinner normally held in Los Angeles and historically attracts up to 1,000 guests in-person, including many Holocaust survivors, will this year feature the theme of “Survival, Hope and Resilience” with special guests; compelling Holocaust testimonies from survivors and liberators told by celebrities Morgan Freeman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Camryn Manheim and Tim Matheson, among others; inspiring specialty music; and important messages about the museum’s role in these challenging times. Emmy Rossum will emcee the “2021 Western Region Virtual Event.” Rossum has been captivating audiences with her varied and exceptional talents for more than a decade. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance as “Christine” in The Phantom of the Opera and starred in nine seasons of Showtime’s critically-acclaimed dark comedy series, “Shameless.” She has been an outspoken critic of anti-Semitism and bigotry in Hollywood. Gerda Weissmann Klein, Holocaust survivor and 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient R. Derek Black, renounced white supremacist movement 62 MARCH/APRIL 2021 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE
