Speaker makes positive change out of vegative past

Barbara Eisenbud spoke on Friday, Feb. 19 about the horrors in the pasts of her family members, who were prisoners of the Holocaust. With this, she made a positive change by founding the organization "Champions of Caring;' which honors high school students who volunteer for the community and change the lives around them.

by Julie Shallis news editor

It is vital to know where you came from.

Without this you will never know where you are going.

This is what Barbara Eisenbud imparted to her audience on Friday, -Feb. 19 in the Grace Hall Board

Room as a part of Cultural Kaleidoscope Week.

Eisenbud is the founder and executive director of "Champions of Caring," an organization that honors high school students who volunteer their time to the community in hopes of improving the lives around them.

Eisenbud's idea for this organiza- tion came from her personal history.

Her father and grandfather worked for Oskar Schindler during the Holocaust. The movie "Schindler's List" is partly based on their lives.

Her mother was the sole survivor out of her entire family of 65 people. Her uncle also survived.

This is Eisenbud's family.

Eisenbud has spent most of her life teaching, with a degree from Hunter College in New York. She has also volunteered her time in her community.

When "Schindler's List" was released, she wrote many letters to Steven Spielberg thanking him for creating the movie.

When she had the chance to meet Spielberg, she said, she was very influenced by what he had to say. His message to her was that silence and indifference are a disease. and the mindset of the culture should be changed.

With this she decided to make "heroes out of high school kids who care," she said.

With the help of friends with connections, like Pat Ciarocchi of KYW news in Philadelphia, her small. If you dream big, it will become big," Eisenbud said. This is her message to her high school students.

She honors these children for doing something good in their community, not because they have done it once, but because they keep with it and have a drive to change things.

She has changed the horror of her background into something positive, according to Eisenbud. Through Champions of Caring, there is hope.

Barbara Eisenbud, Founder, Champions of Caring dream started to come true. Spielberg also donated millions to the organization.

She has bad help from Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, Philadelphia Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and David Hornbeck.

"If you dream small, it will be

She wants everyone to ask themselves, "Am I a bystander or do I do something?"

"Know you can make a stand. Write a plan and make it happen," Eisenbud said.

Right now she is looking to build her partnerships and honor as many kids as she can that do great thing to change lives.

''Alone you're an island. Together you're strong," Eisenbud said.