NEW PRESIDENT FOR AUSTRALIAN FRIENDS OF YAD VASHEM
Well known communal figure, Joey Borensztajn is the new President of The Australian Friends of Yad Vashem. Borensztajn is a partner at Arnold Bloch Leibler in Melbourne, and recently received the Jewish Community Council of Victoria 2013 Sir John Monash Award for outstanding service to the Jewish community. He has been actively involved in fund raising for a number of communal organisations including the Mount Scopus College Foundation and the Jewish Holocaust Centre Foundation.
Borensztajn takes over from communal activist, Johnny Baker, who as founding President of AFYV has served in the role for nearly ten years. Baker expressed deep satisfaction with the transition and said that “there is no success like a great successor. And with Joey Borensztajn’s vision and capacity, I’m confident AFYV will go from strength to strength.”
Chairman of the Directorate of Yad Vashem, Avner Shalev thanked Baker and welcomed Borensztajn. “I want to thank Johnny for his work and dedication in helping us establish a strong presence in Australia,” said Shalev. “For years Joey has been a pillar of the Jewish community in Melbourne, and I am delighted that he has agreed to take upon himself thePresidency of the Australian Friends of Yad Vashem. I look forward to working together to ensure meaningful Holocaust remembrance and education. The significant community of Holocaust survivors and their descendants in Australia are our genuine partners in this endeavour.”
Borensztajn said he is honoured to accept the role and assist in the important work of Yad Vashem and wished to thank Johnny Baker for his important role in establishing and developing AFYV. “As the child of survivors, I am motivated to strengthen the ties with Yad Vashem and increase the awareness of its importance for the Jewish people and as a reminder for today’s world”.
The Australian Friends of Yad Vashem is currently focused on establishing the Australian section of the new Memorial Cave at Yad Vashem in which it will dedicate at least 300 plaques in memory of victims and survivors.
For more information, please contact at 0450 603 703 or email afyv.exec@gmail.com