Today Magazine • June 2023

TODAY Covering the Heart of the Farmington Valley

POST-HOLOCAUST HOPE Avon High School Honors Shoah Survivor

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FAR FROM HO-HUM • A male ruby-throated hummingbird appears to be doing gymnastics (above) followed by a showy landing (below) • Canton-based photographer Wendy Rosenberg expressed special excitement at capturing these hummingbird images — among a variety of hummer photos she has taken over the years • Ruby-throated hummingbirds beat their wings more than 50 times per second, per Cornell University’s AllAboutBirds.org website

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Photos by Wendy Rosenberg

LEADING OFF

Library Legacy

CONTENTS COVER STORY

4 — Holocaust Collection Holocaust survivor Abby Weiner had a remarkable impact on teacher Stuart Abrams and his students— and has been memorialized via a special library SCHOOL SCOOP

9 — Shoah Story An exclusive Q&A reveals the inside story of the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library VALLEY INTEL

15 — Teacher Tribute Avon High’s Stuart Abrams honors the best teacher he has ever had — a mensch named Abby

A COGENT THEME that emerged from the Holocaust is the refrain “Never Again” — expressing the fervent desire to avoid another genocide.

While further genocides have certainly occurred since World War 2, this goal and hope remain noble and necessary, and the lessons of the Holocaust are an essential part of education here in the 21st century.

A special collection at Avon High School has been dedicated to this task— the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library is named in honor of a Shoah survivor who had a profound influence on the Avon community. Abby Weiner (pronounced WHY-ner) was a mentor of teacher Stuart Abrams.

Abrams has taught a distinctive class, Genocide and Human Behavior, for more than two decades. Weiner often shared his life story with Avon students, including his ordeal as a teenager in Auschwitz and Buchenwald.

This noteworthy library is now a prominent part of the Avon High landscape, greeting visitors as soon as they enter the Library Media Center — BWD

SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS

18 — Artistic Salute A teenage artist shares her experience of bearing poignant witness to a Shoah saga QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“ The library dedication was one of the greatest days in the history of Avon High School ” — Stuart Abrams

BY THE NUMBERS

A7705 — Abby’s Auschwitz tattoo

LETTERS

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POST-HOLOCAUST HOPE Avon High Dedicates Special Library To Shoah Survivor

By Bruce Deckert Editor-in-Chief • Today Magazine

COVER STORY

THE LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER at Avon High School features a new special section — upon entering the library, visitors immediately encounter the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library.

Abraham “Abby” Weiner (pronounced WHY-ner) was a Holocaust survivor who became a U.S. citizen and a U.S. Army veteran, serving during the Korean War. Weiner and Avon High social studies teacher Stuart Abrams were close friends: They share a Jewish heritage, and Abrams has considered Weiner an essential mentor and a true mensch — a term of Yiddish origin

that refers to an admirable person of integrity and honor. Abrams began teaching at Avon High School in 1994, and he has been recognized as the Teacher of the Year by the Avon Public Schools.

For 20-plus years he has taught a course called Genocide and Human Behavior. Weiner visited Abrams’ class many times to speak about his life story, including his World War 2 experience in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.

Born in December 1929, Weiner died in January 2019 at 89 years of age.

Since his passing, the seed of the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library

—————————————————————————— • More TODAY Coverage • Click To Read These Stories ——————————–———–————— Publisher Gives Voice To Holocaust ———————————————— WW2 Vets Recall D-Day ———————————————— Thankful For WW2 Hero ——————————————————————————

has germinated slowly and surely until flowering like a blazing rhododendron at the dedication of this distinctive collection at Avon High on April 19. At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife Bonnie, his daughter Gayle (Weiner) Temkin and husband Steven, his son Howard Weiner and wife Barbara, and five grandchildren.

Abby Weiner and Elie Wiesel were childhood friends as they grew up in

LEFT — Abby Weiner stands near a portion of his home library — he survived the Shoah, but his parents perished COVER PHOTO — A painting of Abby is the centerpiece of the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library at Avon High

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Romania, in the city of Sighet. Perhaps the most well-known Holocaust survivor, Wiesel received the Nobel Peace Prize and authored more than 50 books — including Night, his signature riveting memoir of his harrowing and heart-wrenching experience as a Jewish youth who witnessed the Shoah firsthand.

As teenagers in 1944, Weiner and Wiesel were forcibly transported along with their families via a brutal train trip from Sighet to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

At the Auschwitz compound, they were tattooed with identification numbers — Abby received A7705 and Elie A7713. During the Holocaust, Auschwitz was the only location in the vast network of Nazi concentration camps where prisoners were tattooed.

Abby’s mother and father were murdered before the war was over.

Speaking of nights: On the night of Wednesday, April 19 — the date when the Abby Weiner library was dedicated — a fire ravaged a two-story house about a half-mile north of Avon High School on West Avon Road,

Abraham “Abby” Weiner’s ID card from the Buchenwald concentration camp aka Route 167. The home’s roof was destroyed, and charred studs stood out visibly against the starry night sky.

The Avon Volunteer Fire Department was present at the scene of the blaze, closing the section of West Avon Road where the scorched house

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stood and rerouting southbound traffic to Burnham and Country Club Roads, and then back to West Avon Road for the stone’s-throw consummation of the journey to AHS for all libraryceremony-goers. Fortuitously — and perhaps ironically — the fire

HEARTFELT HONOR —————————————— Bonnie Weiner, Abby’s widow, and Avon High social studies teacher Stuart Abrams applaud with other attendees moments after the painting of Abby was unveiled at the dedication of the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library

—————————————— A close friend of Abby, Abrams was instrumental in the decision-making process that led to honoring Abby in this manner

——————————————— Abrams is the adviser of Avon High’s UNICEF and Amnesty International club, and he says the “students in the club were the motivating force behind the library dedication”

department’s Company 3 is located on West Avon Road, directly adjacent to the high school.

On the night when a Holocaust survivor was honored at Avon High, the real-life and real-time symbolism of this house fire was poignant yet powerful.

For the uninitiated, the definition of the lowercase term holocaust is as follows, per various dictionaries: • holocaust • noun — a sacrifice consumed by fire, or a burnt offering — devastation or destruction, especially by fire The uppercase term Holocaust refers to the systematic mass slaughter of 6 million Jews and millions of others by the Nazis during World War 2.

Holocaust stories are as numerous as stars in the sky.

Thanks to a brand-new library at AHS, one of the star survivors of the Shoah has been memorialized, while a multitude of vital books and essential stories will shine brightly for ensuing generations.

Besides being likened to a shining star or a flaming rhododendron that has found an honored place in Avon High School’s Library Media Center, the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library can be compared to the legendary phoenix rising from the ashes — combined with the proverbial eagle soaring via renewed strength à la the prophet Isaiah in the Hebrew Scriptures. +

Sources + Resources • Barnes & Noble website • CT Remembers the Holocaust website > Search: Abby Weiner • University of Hartford website > Search: Abraham “Abby” Weiner > Museum of Jewish Civilization webpage • United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website • Weinstein Mortuary website > Obituaries > Search: Abby Weiner • Various other online info outlets • Today Magazine editor-in-chief Bruce William Deckert is an award-winning journalist — and he believes all human beings merit awards daily when we utilize our God-given talents for good

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SCHOOL SCOOP

Students Spearhead Abby Library Dedication Special to Today Magazine

IN THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Today Magazine editor-in-chief Bruce Deckert, social studies teacher Stuart Abrams comments on the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library at Avon High School and related topics — the pronunciation for Weiner is WHY-ner ———————————————————————————–—————— Abrams began teaching at Avon High in 1994 and has taught the Genocide and Human Behavior course for 20-plus years — he also teaches Human Rights in a Modern World, the sophomore history requirement for Avon students, along with other teachers —————————————–—————–— An award-winning educator and a gifted storyteller, Abrams is the adviser for Avon High’s UNICEF and Amnesty International club ——————————————————————–——— Regarding the connection of the UNICEF and Amnesty International club to the dedication of the library in Abby’s name: Stuart Abrams — Abby Weiner is the best teacher I ever had — I think of him every day. He is the greatest teacher I’ve ever had in my life.

He was an only child, originally from the city of Sighet in Romania — he was a boyhood friend of author Elie Wiesel, who is also from Sighet. In 1944 Abby and his parents were taken to the Auschwitz death camp. They were on the same train as Elie Wiesel and his family.

Abby survived the Holocaust and later came to the United States. At first he lived in Brooklyn and eventually made his way to Torrington, Connecticut, his final resting place — no other human being will make that circuitous route from Sighet to Torrington.

The students in the club were the motivating force behind the library dedication — the club was a convenient vehicle for dedicating the library to Abby. Members of this club are examples of the extra level of commitment and creativity and insight that was needed for this project. I know Abby would have been happy to see high school students get this involved.

Abby Weiner and his wife Bonnie with Avon High social studies teacher Stuart Abrams — Abby received an honorary Avon diploma in 2017 — he didn’t graduate from high school because he was a prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp

The last time I saw Abby, he was in the hospital — when I walked out of his hospital room that day in January 2019, I had a sense that it was the last time I’d see him on this earth.

He had such a significant impact on me and on students at Avon High School, given the many times he told his story in my classes.

As far as dedicating this library to him, the process was really organic. It didn’t require a lot of thinking on my part — the pieces came together serendipitously. Sometimes divine intervention plays a role. I started gathering books about the Holocaust, and I thought of a portrait of Abby.

Soon after, I wondered: What would be an appropriate way to honor him?

The library dedication was one of the greatest days in the history of Avon High School.

He had received an honorary Avon High diploma in 2017 — he wasn’t able to earn a diploma when he was high school age because he was in Auschwitz.

The night of the dedication — professionally, I’ve never felt like that, likely because of my relationship with Abby. It was well beyond any expectation I could have had. continued on next page TODAY MAGAZINE – www.TodayPublishing.net – JUNE 2023

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Treblinka Memorial

Regarding Avon High’s trip to Poland in April 2023: ————————————————————————————————————–— Abrams led a trip to Poland during the week of April vacation — the trip took place before the dedication on April 19 of the special library in Abby’s honor ——————————————————————————————————————— Students, staff and other trip-goers visited a number of concentration camps — following the path of the German army when the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939 Stuart Abrams — I can’t find the words to describe the effect this trip had on all of us. There’s something about visiting those places in person — I can’t figure out a way to duplicate that experience in a classroom. These graveyards — these death camps — more than Auschwitz, Treblinka is the most haunting and haunted place I’ve ever been to.

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students and their parents, but I don’t see it as a testament to me — I see it as a testament to the nature of the places we visited.

You can’t step on the grounds of Treblinka and be the same — if the Nazis wanted to keep one camp a secret, this would have been it. There were thousands of concentration camps and work camps, but only six extermination camps, all in Nazi-occupied Poland.

In my mind, they are the most haunting and haunted places on the planet — there is no place on the planet more evil than Treblinka. Students had a more visible reaction to Treblinka than to Auschwitz.

During our trip to Poland, after visiting the camps, I gave students an opportunity to talk. I was so impressed by these students and their ability to be thoughtful, cogent and insightful — they were brilliant.

I’m unabashedly hopeful about the future because of the students I work with — if people were lucky enough to sit in on my classes and see and hear these students, they would understand why I’m so hopeful.

When you see the size of Treblinka, how small it is — how that kind of machinery of death can be conceived by human beings is beyond me. It’s estimated that the death toll at Treblinka was 850,000.

At Treblinka, no numbers were branded on the forearm — they went off the train and straight to the gas chambers.

The deception the Nazis resorted to at Treblinka was so — despicable.

Supposedly the aroma from the Treblinka camp could be smelled 30 kilometers away — at least that’s what they told us when we visited, but residents nearby said they didn’t

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Treblinka Memorial

know what was happening. It seems humanly impossible that they didn’t know.

The memorial at Treblinka is 17,000 shards of granite, all uneven — no names of victims are on these stones — except one: Jan Korczak.

• Editor’s Note — Janusz Korczak was the pen name of Henryk Goldszmit — a Polish-Jewish author and doctor, Korczak ran a Jewish orphanage from 1911 to 1942 in Warsaw, the capital of Poland The story of Jan Korczak is well-known throughout Poland — he wrote children’s books and had a radio show.

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• Editor’s Note — In July 1942, German authorities began deporting hundreds of thousands of Jews from the Warsaw ghetto to the Treblinka killing center — Korczak and his staff stayed with their children when the Nazis deported them all to their deaths at Treblinka in August 1942 He created an orphanage in Warsaw — the Nazis forced Korczak to move the orphanage to the ghetto after they invaded Poland and started World War 2. He was Jewish, but he was an assimilated Pole, and he was given the opportunity to go to the Aryan side.

• Editor’s Note — In 1942, Korczak’s Polish friends outside the ghetto offered to help him escape, but instead he decided to stay and continue caring for the children — on the morning of August 5 or 6, the Nazis arrived at the orphanage and sent Korczak and his staff and the children to their deaths at Treblinka

The story is told ... that as Korczak was walking with the children from the Warsaw ghetto to get to the train, a Nazi soldier stopped him — “Good doctor,” the soldier said, “I can get you to safety” — but Korczak refused and walked into the gas chambers at Treblinka with his students.

In addition to being exposed to the human wrongs in the genocide class, I want my Avon students to be exposed to the human rights — I’ve said before that I tell my students they’re heroes-in-waiting, just waiting for the opportunity to demonstrate their courage. Human behavior is hard to predict and our circumstances are different, but we all have the opportunity to make heroic decisions like Jan Korczak.

The other day I experienced the best class I had all year, and it was really nothing I planned — I started with one question and then sat back and essentially listened. You can only plan so much. The content area I work in is different than math.

The question I asked was — are we or are we not our brother’s and sister’s keeper?

My students come from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs — there are Hindus, Christians, Jews, atheists. They were so articulately elegant in their answers and descriptions.

Regarding state-mandated Holocaust and genocide education: Stuart Abrams — Connecticut passed a law in May 2018 that requires Holocaust and genocide education to be part of the curriculum in all public schools. In advance of the vote, I was asked to bring students to testify at the Capitol in Hartford — and the kids knocked it out of the park.

The state legislature voted unanimously to pass the bill because of the testimony of the students. It was an unbelievable experience — there were wall-to-wall people at the Capitol.

The place was packed, and the legislators asked me a few questions, and I answered as best I could. But then I said, “You need to hear from my students” — and they were just brilliant. + Source for Editor’s Notes — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website

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Teacher Honors His Best Teacher

By Stuart Abrams Special to Today Magazine

THANK YOU ALL for coming together to share in this wonderful occasion. I am humbled and honored to be here and to participate in such an inspiring, poignant and meaningful program.

I am a social studies teacher at Avon High School. I teach a Human Rights class, a Social Psychology class and a course in Genocide and Human Behavior. I began my teaching career ... I believe it was around the time of Lincoln’s second inaugural address!

I tell you this because, while there is so much I have to be grateful for, I want to tell you about the greatest teacher I ever had — a Holocaust survivor by the name of Abraham “Abby” Weiner.

“Because I remember, I despair. Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair.”

These profound words are those of — perhaps — the most famous Holocaust survivor, a Nobel laureate and Abby’s boyhood friend, Elie Wiesel. Since Abby’s passing, and with the words of Wiesel in my head, I have often thought about

Somehow, miraculously, he was able to hold the love and the beauty and the joy alongside the grief and the fear and the pain Abby’s legacy, his influence on me, and his impact on all those he met, especially my students. In short, he symbolized a humanity that brought people together. Abby wore his personal history of those dark days as a cloak of dignity.

In April of 1944, 14-year-old Abby was transported with his parents to the death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Upon arrival, he was separated from his mother. He would never see her again.

He wore on his arm a tattoo: the number A-7705 — Wiesel’s number was A-7713. It bore testimony to the authenticity of his witness. A young man’s memory of Auschwitz.

As World War 2 would grind on to its conclusion, Abby would be forced to endure all kinds of deprivation, indignities and hardships.

Eventually, he would arrive, with his father, at Buchenwald. Abby was liberated on April 11, 1945 — he

Courtesy Photo — CT Remembers the Holocaust website

Stuart Abrams is a teacher at Avon High School and the advisor of the combined UNICEF and Amnesty International club ————————————————————————— Following is the speech he gave at the dedication of the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library at Avon High —————————————————————————————————————————————

Abby and his father Chaim Weiner

would always call this his second birthday … his father would not. A story of heart-wrenching sadness.

In the aftermath of the Holocaust, at a time when many in the world could not bear to remember, Abby could not bear to forget.

Because of his moral leadership, integrity, intellect and eloquence, he gave voice to those who had been silenced forever and devoted his life to fulfilling the promise of “Never Again” for all future victims of genocide. Abby is a messenger to a time he would not see … and yet he remains an emissary and a model to humankind.

At times, the dimensions of the Shoah are almost too great to grasp. At times we can feel paralyzed to do anything for fear that we simply cannot make any meaningful difference. continued on next page TODAY MAGAZINE – www.TodayPublishing.net – JUNE 2023

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Courageous survivors like Abby Weiner are among those voices who argued against complacency and forced us to remember the catastrophe so that we can effect change.

So … what am I grateful for? How has my life been altered because of Abby Weiner? What did I learn from Abby?

I learned what it means to be a mensch, as Abby was the embodiment of what it means to be a person of integrity and honor. He helped me to understand what truly matters and how to strive to live a life of unbending principle. He taught me to aspire to live a life of kindness, integrity, nobility and courageous empathy.

I would like to close with a brief passage from a student’s reaction paper after one of Abby’s many visits to my classes — she writes: “Hearing you moved me to tears. The honesty with which you presented your story was moving. I will admit that prior to hearing you I was nervous. I am Jewish and hearing stories of the Holocaust has often brought me grief. I was

I’m unabashedly hopeful about the future because of the students I work with

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afraid that after hearing you speak I would be left feeling a sense of disgust for the human race, knowing that we are capable of committing such horrible acts.

“However, the most prominent feeling that I left with that day was hope. I feel hopeful that humans are resilient and strong. I feel hopeful that more people are like you in your compassion, empathy and kindness. I feel hopeful that people can unite like before to stand up for what is right and defend those that need defense. Thank you for sharing your hope with me.”

The world, at least to me, feels incomplete without Abby Weiner.

I could never get enough of visiting with Abby. I think it might have been because when I would lean in for a kiss — I can still feel his touch on my cheek — he would frequently whisper and call me his “kid brother.” For me, there was no higher tribute.

With grace, heroism and honor, the life of Abby Weiner demonstrates the surpassing of the limits of the human spirit I did not think were possible. A transformative figure, Abby was an exemplar of the ideals and virtues we all, as human beings, aspire to achieve.

Somehow, miraculously, he was able to hold the love and the beauty and the joy alongside the grief and the fear and the pain.

I am unabashedly grateful to have had Abby Weiner in my life. I wish for everyone here the blessing of the gift of friendship like I shared with Abby.

He has left an enduring imprint on my mind and an indelible handprint on my heart. + The Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library is part of the Avon High School Library Media Center

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Artifact Identification Day! Saturday, June 24, 2023 1:00-4:00 pm at the Avon Senior Center Bring your artifacts for identification!

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SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS

Courtesy Photo — JFACT

Artist Bears Witness To Survivor’s Story

By Bebeann Oh Special to Today Magazine

Bebeann Oh is a junior at Avon High School — she painted a portrait of Abby Weiner that was unveiled at the April dedication of a library in his honor —————————————————————————–—— The Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library is a special section of Avon High’s Library Media Center — following is the speech Bebeann gave at the library dedication ceremony ——————————————————————————— AS AN ACTIVE MEMBER of the UNICEF and Amnesty International club, I have been able to create an honorary memorial for Abby Weiner with the help of my mentor Maurice Casas, an artist from the Farmington Valley Arts Center.

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As an artist, I have always believed that art has the power, even greater than words, to connect people, tell stories and make change.

But it wasn’t until I had the honor of creating a portrait for Abby Weiner, a man who experienced unimaginable tragedy during one of the darkest periods in history, that I truly understood just how meaningful and inspiring art can be.

Over the course of nine months, I have had the opportunity to dedicate my time to create this portrait.

I chose the medium of charcoal, in a monochrome palette. I believe that essence within the hues of black and white, stripping away color, allows the art to simply exist in a raw, honest form, focusing solely on Abby.

As I drew, I found myself thinking

JUNE 2023 – www.TodayPublishing.net – TODAY MAGAZINE

about his experiences, about the horrors he witnessed, and about the resilience and courage he showed in the face of adversity. Over the hours I spent sketching and shading, I felt a sense of connection to Abby, despite never having the chance to meet him.

I felt that I was bearing witness to his story, and that as an artist, I was to honor his memory and give an everlasting voice to his experiences.

As I stand here today, I feel a deep sense of gratitude. This portrait possesses much more value than a simple piece of art.

I would like to thank you all for allowing me to share my experiences of creating this portrait of Abby. I hope that after this portrait reveal and this event tonight, you too will feel a connection to his story. +

TODAY MAGAZINE – www.TodayPublishing.net – JUNE 2023

19

A Tale Of Two Dedication Dates

The Avon High choir performs at the dedication of the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library — to the left, covered by a white sheet, is the painting of Abby shortly before it was unveiled

By Aliyana White Special to Today Magazine

HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS

Aliyana White is a sophomore at Avon High School and a member of the UNICEF and Amnesty International club —————————————————————————————————————————— Following is the speech she gave at the dedication of the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library that is part of Avon High’s Library Media Center — at the dedication, a portrait of Abby Weiner painted by AHS junior Bebeann Oh was unveiled —————————————————————————————— FIRST, I WANT TO THANK everyone for coming to Abby Weiner’s portrait reveal. His amazing legacy will continue to live on, and he will forever be known and memorialized in the Avon High School library.

Today is April 19. This event was originally planned for tomorrow, April 20. At first glance, you might assume this is just an ordinary day. However, it was meticulously thought out by our UNICEF club.

When April 20 was pitched as the event day, nobody thought anything of it until Mr. Abrams paused and shook his head … April 20 is Adolf Hitler’s birthday.

The day an inexplicable evil presence was born. A celebration of a man who destroyed the lives of millions.

Holding a portrait memorial for a Shoah survivor on Hitler’s birthday seemed inappropriate. It seemed like a mockery, not just to Abby but to all those affected by Hitler.

It seemed final. We had to move the date. We couldn’t hold the dedication on the 20th.

Or was April 20 the perfect day? By holding Abby’s portrait reveal on April 20, wouldn’t it be beautifully disgraceful to Hitler?

A Shoah survivor being cherished and remembered by many on the day the man who persecuted him was born.

A subtle “you failed” to Hitler. You failed to annihilate the Jewish people. They’re here, you’re not. You failed to destroy their culture and rid history of their impact.

Abby is proof that everything you tried to do stood no chance to a strong and loving community. Abby had courage.

Courage and strength that you never had. Abby reminds us of the true meaning of love, life and bravery. You, on the other hand, serve as a painful reminder of how dark and disgusting the world can be.

But not anymore. We won’t let you overshadow the survivors. By remembering the lives of victims and holding such an event on April 20, we are transforming the date.

Instead of a day of sick celebration for one of the darkest times in human history, we turn it into a day of celebration for Abby and the people harmed by the Shoah and its lasting effects.

Sadly, we did have to move the date due to scheduling reasons, but it seems our event landed on an even better day. April 19 is the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, one of the biggest acts of Jewish resistance against the Nazis.

Despite the terror the Jews were facing, they fought back.

These brave people were able to prove to their oppressors, and to history, that they weren’t numbers. They weren’t numbers, they were living, breathing individuals with the ability to take action.

That resistance demonstrated in Warsaw is still present today in many different people. Especially in somebody like Abby. His promotion of peace and his love of humanity triumphs over any hate we continue to see in the world.

Today may mean many things, beautiful and tragic alike.

But, more than anything, today is Abby’s day. +

20

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ADVERTISER Hall of Fame – TODAY Magazine • This is a list of advertising sponsors who have seen the value of investing in Today Magazine’s award-winning journalism as we cover the heart of the Farmington Valley — this is intended to be a comprehensive list • If you have paid to advertise with Today Magazine but don’t see your business or organization listed, feel free to contact us so we can add you to our Advertiser Hall of Fame — advertise@todaypublishing.net Anthology Senior Living — 860-546-8037 — Simsbury www.anthologyseniorliving.com > Location ——————————————————————————————— Avon Health Center — 860-673-2521 — Avon www.avonhealthcenter.com ——————————————————————————————— Avon Historical Society — 860-678-7621 — Avon www.avonhistoricalsociety.org ——————————————————————————————— A Teen Edge — 860-593-2822 www.ateenedge.com ——————————————————————————————— Board and Brush — 860-392-8567 — Simsbury www.boardandbrush.com/simsbury ——————————————————————————————— Canton Barn LLC — 860-693-0601 — Canton www.cantonbarn.com ——————————————————————————————— Canton Food Bank — 860-693-5811 — Canton www.townofcantonct.org ——————————————————————————————— Carmon Funeral Homes — 860-673-8610 www.carmonfuneralhome.com ——————————————————————————————— Carol Cole Real Estate — 860-212-0687 — Canton www.carolcolerealestate.com ——————————————————————————————— Cherry Brook Health Care Center — 860-693-7777 — Canton www.cherrybrookhcc.com ——————————————————————————————— Christensen Insurance — 860-651-8236 — Simsbury www.insuranceagentswhocare.com ——————————————————————————————— Christopher Bryant Co. — 860-243-3500 — Bloomfield www.thechristopherbryantcompany.com ——————————————————————————————— Collinsville Bank — 860-693-6935 — Canton www.collinsvillebank.com ——————————————————————————————— Connecticut Dance Academy — 860-707-4198 — Canton www.ctdanceacademy.com ——————————————————————————————— Connecticut Headshots — 860-263-9277 — Avon www.connecticutheadshots.com ——————————————————————————————— Dynamic Auto Works — 860-693-6359 — Canton www.facebook.com/DynamicAutoCanton ——————————————————————————————— Erica Maglieri: Realtor — 860-324-6842 bhhsneproperties.com/real-estate-agent/757/erica-maglieri ——————————————————————————————— Fresh Start Pallet Products — 860-266-5726 — Hartford www.freshstartpalletproducts.org

——————————————————————————————— Granby-Simsbury Chamber of Commerce — 860-651-7307 www.simsburycoc.org ——————————————————————————————— Green Door Restaurant — 860-693-9762 — Canton www.41bridgestreet.com ——————————————————————————————— Habitat for Humanity — 860-541-2208 — Hartford www.hfhncc.org ——————————————————————————————— Hartford Symphony Orchestra — 860-246-8742 — Hartford www.hartfordsymphony.org ——————————————————————————————— HealthMarkets Insurance — 860-307-1128 — Torrington www.healthmarkets.com — Mel Brickman ——————————————————————————————— Hulme & Sweeney Pianos — 860-408-4895 — Simsbury www.hulmesweeneypianoservice.com ——————————————————————————————— Karedigs.com — 860-379-4340 — Barkhamsted www.karedigs.com ——————————————————————————————— Kerian Home Health Care — 860-851-6267 — Simsbury www.keriancares.com ——————————————————————————————— Kevin Witkos: State Senator ——————————————————————————————— Landscape Solutions — 860-329-2014 — New Hartford www.landscapesolutionsct.com ——————————————————————————————— Leslee Hill for State Representative ——————————————————————————————— Lifetime Family Dentistry — 860-605-2075 — Collinsville www.lifetimefamilydentistryct.com ——————————————————————————————— Linda Kessler: Realtor — 860-836-6172 — Avon www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agents ——————————————————————————————— Liza Sivek Marketing — 203-278-5492 www.lizasivekmarketing.com ——————————————————————————————— Maglieri Construction — 860-242-0298 — Bloomfield www.maglieri-construction.com ——————————————————————————————— Magna Physical Therapy — 860-679-0430 — Avon www.magnapt.com ——————————————————————————————— Maher’s Paint & Wallpaper — 860-678-1200 — Avon + Simsbury www.maherspaintandwallpaper.com ——————————————————————————————— Make It GF — 860-693-1300 — Canton www.makeitgf.com ——————————————————————————————— TODAY MAGAZINE – www.TodayPublishing.net – JUNE 2023

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Mandel Vilar Press — 806-790-4731 — Simsbury www.mvpublishers.org ——————————————————————————————— Massage Envy — 860-693-8000 — Canton www.massageenvy.com > Locations ——————————————————————————————— The Master’s School — 860-651-9361 — West Simsbury www.masterschool.org ——————————————————————————————— McLean — 860-658-3786 — Simsbury www.mcleancare.org ——————————————————————————————— Nails of Envy — formerly Canton + Avon ——————————————————————————————— Northwest Community Bank — 860-379-7561 www.nwcommunitybank.com ——————————————————————————————— Odalys Bekanich: Realtor — 860-965-3652 — Avon www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agents ——————————————————————————————— Peggy’s Personalized Promos — 860-379-7775 — New Hartford www.peggys.biz ——————————————————————————————— Planning Partners LLC — 860-693-9916 — Canton www.planningpartner.com ——————————————————————————————— Raimie Weber Jewelry — 860-409-3400 — Avon www.rweberjewelry.com ——————————————————————————————— Randy Brolo: Book Author www.lulu.com > Spirit of Delilah ——————————————————————————————— Ravenswood Natural Health — 860-264-1587 — Simsbury www.ravenswoodnaturalhealth.com ——————————————————————————————— Richman Business Brokerage — 860-408-9177 — Simsbury www.richmanbusiness.com — formerly The Deal Team ——————————————————————————————— Stone Man Masonry — 860-693-4637 — Canton www.facebook.com/StoneManMasonryCT ——————————————————————————————— Suburban Sanitation Service — 860-673-3078 — Canton www.subsanserv.com ——————————————————————————————— Tom Kutz Photography — 860-693-6254 — Canton www.tomkutzphoto.com ——————————————————————————————— Trading Post — 860-693-4679 — Canton www.tradingpostmusic.com ——————————————————————————————— Transition Fitness Center — 860-398-1449 — Canton www.transition-fitness-center.business.site ——————————————————————————————— UConn Health — 860-658-8750 www.health.uconn.edu ——————————————————————————————— Up Top Barbershop — 860-658-4499 — Simsbury www.booksy.com > Up Top Barbershop ——————————————————————————————— Vincent Funeral Homes — 860-693-0251 www.vincentfuneralhome.com 26

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——————————————————————————————— Vincent Tully: Realtor — 860-214-3030 www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agent ——————————————————————————————— Welden Hardware — 860-658-4078 — Simsbury www.weldenhardware.com ——————————————————————————————— William Raveis — 860-693-2987 — Avon www.raveis.com/agentfind.asp?smart=1 ——————————————————————————————— The Village: Second Chance Shops — 860-236-4511 www.thevillage.org/second-chance-shops ———————————————————————————————