JEWISH WORLD

By WARREN STRUGATCH E ight six seven eight six. Those five digits were seared onto the left forearm of Benek Bolender, concentration camp survivor, wartime refugee, eventual father of four and ulti- mately American success story. Son of a kosher butcher in the town of Czyzew, Poland, Mr. Bo- lender lost his entire family in the Holocaust. Liberated from Ausch- witz by the Soviet army, he relocat- ed to the United States and became a butcher’s apprentice. After com- pleting his education in night school, he went on to become a suc- cessful business owner. With his American-born wife Ruth (Wein- stein) and a never-rest work ethic, he raised four children in Brooklyn and developed a small supermarket chain. The family moved to Roslyn. His children became his business partners, and the family prospered. Benek Bolender passed away in 1999 from a rare liver cancer caused by the dirty needles used to brand his number. Her mother, Ruth, passed away a few months later. In a way, “My dad was Hitler’s last victim,” said his younger daughter, Andrea. “However, you could never call him a victim. He never thought in those terms, though God knows he was entitled to.” I nspired by her father’s resilience, courage, and self-reliance, And- rea Bolender promised her father on his deathbed she would de-dicate herself to ad- vancing Holocaust edu- cation. A board member of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County since 2005, through the HMTC she has led multiple “March of the Living” tours of European sites, guiding Jewish vis- itors in exploring urban and rural locations that once supported bustling Jewish communities. She is also a supporting member of sev- eral Chabads, supports Christians United for Israel, and backs various projects and initiatives organized by friends involved in the U.J.A. and other Jewish communal organiza- tions. On Sept. 1 Ms. Bolender, an accountant and real estate entrepre- neur, began a two-year term as chair of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove. The third chair in the center’s histo- ry, she is the first woman to head the institution and the first second- generation survivor to take charge. As a young child, Ms. Bolender understood her father had survived Auschwitz. Because her dad never dwelled on victimization, she remained unaware of the Final Solution’s horrific scope until the day her father appeared at her Brooklyn high school as part of a Holocaust education program. Hearing her father’s testimony that day at South Shore High sparked a lifelong commitment to Holocaust education, and helping keep the survivors’ memories alive. “Much to the dismay of the sur- vivor community, Holocaust educa- tion is mandatory in only 15 states, one of which is New York,” Ms. Bolender, 58, said. “This is 75 years after the most horrific human atroc- ity! I’d like all 50 states to use a standard, in-depth curriculum. “The Holocaust has important lessons to teach us,” she continued. “In contrast to many other geno- cides, the Germans proceeded law- fully in that property confiscation, employment discrimination and ultimately the vast destruction of life were in fact legalized through the passage of the Nuremberg laws. These laws specifically targeted Jews. As a result, anti-Semitic behavior was considered patriotic in Nazi Germany.” R ob Fishman, himself a son of a Holocaust survivor and a long- time HMTC board member, en- couraged Ms. Bolendar to accept the chairmanship earlier this year when Steve Markowitz, the previ- ous chair, retired after 4 terms in office. According to Mr. Fishman, who serves on the HMTC’s executive board, Ms. Bolender “possesses extensive experience, having served on the board many years. She has been totally engaged with sur- vivors, second-generation descen- dants, staff, fellow board members and donors. Her depth of knowl- edge and capacity for strategic thinking enable her to lead the cen- ter into the future. She has the vision to anticipate the changes, challenges and opportunities sure to come.” He added, “She is always open to a challenging con- versation and perpetually ready to lend a hand." When asked to com- ment, Markowitz stat- ed, “Andrea, herself the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, has a long his- tory of involvement in Holocaust remembrance and education activities and organizations. She has been one of our most dedicated and hardworking board members for many years. I am confident that she will lead the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center through these challenging times with great suc- cess.” Ronald Brunell, another execu- tive board member, similarly praised Ms. Bolender’s background and experience in terms of prepar- ing her for HMTC’s top spot. “When Steve announced his retire- ment, I encouraged Andrea to step into that role,” he said. “Others did too. She’s really the ideal person to lead the HMTC at this time.” As a volunteer and financial sup- porter, Andrea Bolender got involved years ago helping out at the HMTC, even moving her household (shared with her signifi- cant other, Howard Levitt) from Roslyn to Glen Head. “I wanted to Andrea Bolender is the current chair of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove. Her depth of knowledge and capacity for strategic thinking enable her to lead the center into the future. Killed by a rare liver cancer caused by the dirty needles that branded his number — Hitler’s last victim. continued on page 27 16 JEWISH WORLD • OCTOBER 16-22, 2020 A Daughter’s Journey Andrea Bolender, 2G Survivor, Moves Into HMTC’s Top Spot REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK Benek Bolender in 1994.