A Wider Bridge Chicago

“I have always done things for people… And I don’t understand people that can only live for themselves. I can’t understand it. Where do you get your happiness? Where do you get your satisfaction? What do you do with your life? What do you do with your strengths? There must be somebody who needs help. There always is.”

Frieda Belinfante, a le***an woman, cellist, conductor, and an anti-Nazi resistance fighter, was born in Amsterdam to a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother. She was the first female orchestra conductor in Amsterdam and a pioneer in a male-dominated profession. As a member of the Dutch resistance during the war, she aided the bombing of the registration office in Amsterdam. This plan successfully destroyed 800,000 identity cards of Jews and non-Jews alike. This hindered the German efforts to keep Jews with forged documents from escaping to save their lives.

She came to the United States in 1947 and resumed her musical career in California, forming and conducting the Orange County Philharmonic Society.

Today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember Frieda's life and legacy.

We mourn the passing of Chicago's Michael Bauer, a great advocate for so many causes in our community, and a dear friend. May his memory forever be a blessing, and his legacy an inspiration.

(Pictured: Michael with Ofer Ben David Erez at Temple Sholom of Chicago during our 2017 AWB Impact Tour)

This is terrible. We stand with the Chicago Jewish community against anti-Semitism. We refuse to let anti-Semitism become the 'new normal' as we double down our efforts to work together against all forms of hate.

Chicago police boosting presence at Jewish schools, synagogues after Molotov cocktails found Chicago police boosting presence at Jewish schools, synagogues after Molotov cocktails found.

We're looking forward to seeing you tomorrow (Monday) at Temple Sholom of Chicago for an evening with Ofer Ben David Erez!

See Ofer Erez at Temple Sholom of Chicago next Monday!

For info: http://www.awiderbridge.org/ofer

Trans Israeli activist Ofer Erez on making IDF history, Open House role - Gay Le***an Bi Trans News Archive - Windy City Times Ofer Erez, 25, made history when he became Israel's first openly trans Israel Defense Forces ( IDF ) officer in 2013. Erez has since retired from the military and is the CEO of Jerusalem Open House ( JOH ), the city's LGBTQ community organization. A Wider Bridge ( AWB ) awarded JOH an impact grant t...