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Reese Schonfeld, Co- Founder of CNN Emceed Dinner Honoring Volunteers visiting Holocaust Survivors

NEW YORK, NY [CHI] — iVolunteer, New York City’s friendly 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.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

iVolunteer creates a sense of community by providing both our survivors and volunteers with social events and special programs. 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.

iVolunteer volunteers come from all walks of life. Many of them are professionals who want to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors. 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. All iVolunteer volunteers are screened and trained prior to beginning their home visits. In particular, the volunteers are trained to identify the Holocaust Survivor’s other social service needs, so that iVolunter can bring in an outreach caseworker to help the senior access additional benefits and services when necessary. Volunteers communicate regularly with the iVolunteer Directors, Tzvi and Elisheva Tauby, who work tirelessly to ensure that every senior, and every volunteer, is satisfied with and gaining from the relationship. Mrs. Tauby also makes an initial assessment visit to each senior’s home in order to assess the senior’s needs and concerns. “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.”

Indeed, the excitement that seniors feel when visitors are present impacts on the visitor in a very profound way. iVolunteer’s enthusiastic volunteers look forward to their visits almost as much as the seniors do. Sarah, an iVolunteer volunteer, describes her feelings in detail, It is so inspiring to spend time with Holocaust Survivors. They have a wealth of wisdom and knowledge to share and have such a unique view of life’s challenges. I also met a lot of wonderful people my age who live in my neighborhood through volunteering with iVolunteer.”

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, info@ivolunteerny.com. If you are interested in learning about dedication opportunities or if you would like to book a reservation for our Fundraising Dinner, please contact us.

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9 Comments

  • boruch hoffinger

    B“H
    I once worked in Palm Gardens Nursing Home and met a husband and wife Holocaust survivor couple.
    The husband had numbers on his arm. The wife told me that she doesn’t discuss the Holocaust and doesn’t think about it.
    ”Why constantly think and talk about such negative subjects?” she said.
    What’s the point, to get depressed?

  • tatty

    Go Tzvi & Sheva go. Lots of hatzlacha. From Tatty, Mommy and all of us in Vancouver.

  • BIG fran of iVoluntter

    To Baruch Hoffinger: Thanks for your comment. iVolunteer’s mission is to provide companionship and assistance to Holocaust survivors. Most of our volunteers become extremely close to the survivors and the survivors often consider themselves a part of their family. They can talk about whatever they like. Most of the time, when they come over for their anticipated weekly (often more often) vist, they speak like old friends. Old friends talk about whatever is close to their heart. If they want to speak of their experiences in the Holocaust, they do. If they want to talk about their difficult neighbors or share jokes they heard, they do that as well.
    This is what makes iVolunteer so unique. It’s not about revisiting depressing times, its about learning from the survivor’s unbelievable strength of character and applying that stamina to our daily lives.

  • Netzeves

    Hey Elisheva and Tzvi great Job I am really proud to know you guys.

    from your friends in North Miami Beach FL

  • Chaya Andrusier (neice)

    i’m soooooo proud of Sheva and tzvi!! i wish i was there!! love you!!