B'NAI B'RITH FRANCE
 
B'nai B'rith France is supporting four students of the Bar-Ilan Medical Faculty in Galileo
 
Esther Eberstark, Erez Grinbaum, Nir Hochwald et Ronit Witztum extend their thanks to the Sisters and Brothers of B'nai B'rith France
 
My name is Esther Eberstark-Landau.
"I am married and mother to two wonderful boys.
In Belgium I studied Optometry, but due to our leaving for Israel I stopped after the second year. Here, I decided it was time to achieve my real dream and become a physician.
I witnessed from close how a friend's daughter was saved by heart surgery at a very young age and that was my point of realization that my future will hopefully be in cardiology.
Without the support of donors it would have been much more difficult to be able to study, work and care for my family"
 

My name is Erez Grinbaum
"I am a first-year medical student in a four-year program at Bar-Ilan University School of Medicine in Safed campus. I'm 27 years old and I'm writing this letter to express my deepest thanks for your recent donation to Bar-Ilan University's Medical School. Generous gifts from donors like you provide financial and moral support needed to continue towards our goal to become a professional in the medical field".
 

My name is Nir Hochwald.
"I am married to Hila and we have four children. I earned my bachelor's degree at Ben Gurion University in Emergency Medicine (Paramedic)
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support that helps me study medicine at Bar-Ilan University"
 

My name is Ronit Witztum
"I am glad to have the opportunity to thank you personally for your generosity. Without donors like you, many students would be unable to pursue the career of their dreams.
I am originally from Haifa. I earned both a BSc and an MSc in Biology from the Technion - Israel institute of Technology.
My future plans include pursuing a career in neurosurgery. I am very interested in the human brain"


ROMANIA
Report from José Iacobescu
 
On March 18th, 2013, at the Presidential Palace, the president of Romania, H.E. Mr. Traian Basescu, decorated a number of leaders of the Jewish Community, personalities of the European Rabbinate and people of art and culture.
During his speech at the decoration ceremony at the Cotroceni Palace, the president of Romania said: „Those whom I have decorated today are leaders of the community, people who are equally involved in supporting the community's cause as well as in supporting Romania. Those are the people I wish to thank, on behalf of all the Romanians, for their attachment towards this country. These are individuals who did nothing more than being good citizens of the Romanian state or fair sustainers of the Romanian state. Today's ceremony is not dedicated only to those who did something for their community, for Romania and our culture but at the same time it is also a symbol of my respect for a community who knew how to forgive."
 

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During a ceremony held on March 5th at the Palais d'Egmont in Brussels, in the presence of Prince Philip of Belgium, President Shimon Peres presented 22 Belgian citizens with the diploma and medal of « Righteous Among the Nations »
 

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On Sunday, 3rd February 2013 a plaque was unveiled jointly by Frank Honigbaum, Maurice's son, and Ralph Hofmann, President of B'nai B'rith Europe. The unveiling ceremony took place in the Executive meeting room in the presence of members of the Honigbaum family and the members of the BBE Executive.
 
Frank spoke eloquently about his father's life. Maurice was born in Warsaw in 1923 into a middle-class family, in the hosiery business, an orthodox Jewish family with strong Zionist tendencies. Maurice's father and mother each had ten brothers and sisters and six of these families survived by emigrating to France, Portugal, Belgium and Palestine. Maurice's parents emigrated to Metz in 1929 following two brothers who had moved there earlier.
 

 
Maurice quickly integrated into French Jewish life, becoming a keen Boy Scout (EIF). During the war he and his parents moved to Montpellier and there, with the Jewish Scouts, became involved in rescuing Jewish children, helping them to cross into Switzerland near Geneva. One of these children was Elie Wiesel.
 
Maurice remained in Geneva in 1944, studied at the University there, met his wife, Rachel and married her in 1946. After obtaining a degree in sports, Maurice worked for the children's rescue organisation OSE in Strasbourg and in Brittany.
 
After returning to Metz to help his parents he became closely involved in fund raising for the new state of Israel and also with the local Jewish community. Frank and his sister were born in Metz. In 1959 he moved to Nice for business reasons and became an active member of the fast growing Jewish community where he founded a union of Jewish organisations in the city with the aim of creating more weight in his dealings with the city authorities. He remained President of this organisation for ten years and a member of CRIF for over 20 years.
 
He joined B'nai B'rith in the mid 1960's, later becoming President of the Cote d'Azur Lodge. He was elected President of District 19 in Monte Carlo.
 

 
"When I think of my father"says Frank, "I remember a man of action. Whenever a Jew was in pain, or threatened, he felt involved. And above all, the survival of the State of Israel was absolutely essential. It is very difficult to say how special he was to me, he was my father, and that means all".