PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS
RELEASE
EVENT: LIVING HISTORY AND GRATITUDE CIRCLES VISIT
FAIRFAX
HIGH SCHOOL
ATTENDEES: Cantor
Estherleon Schwartz - http://www.estherleon.com
Leonard
F. Delpit, Executive Director of The University of South Central -
http://www.takeactionwebbuilder.com/delpitforcitycouncil2015
Gail
Blair, Executive Director for Cantor Schwartz
Ivor
Pyres, Creative Director for Cantor Schwartz
Mark
Ross, Assistant Principal - http://www.fairfaxhs.org/
DATE: Thursday,
May 22, 2014
TIME: 1:00
p.m.
LOCATION: Fairfax
High School
7850
Melrose Ave
Los
Angeles, CA 90036
http://www.fairfaxhs.org/
(323)
370-1200
Principal
Carmina Nacorda 323 370 1202
Assistant
Principal Mark Ross 323 370 1222
DESCRIPTION: Sharing a
Living History combined with Gratitude Circles will create unity by:
Building real trust
Developing stronger, more rewarding
relationships
Communicating fairly, effectively
and positively
Coping with various cultures,
backgrounds and faiths
Retention of individuality and
enjoying others’ uniqueness
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CREATING A NEW HISTORY ROOTED IN UNITY AND PEACE
Friday, May 23rd, 2014
Their website banner reads: “FHS
fosters a community of diversity and potential!!! FHS will lead Los Angeles schools in
graduation rate….” – these are the children of today, uniting cultures to help
dispel discrimination and bullying for today and tomorrow.
On Thursday, May 22nd Cantor Estherleon Schwartz visited
Fairfax High School in Los Angeles where she shared her story as a child
Holocaust survivor and showed students how to instill forgiveness, unity and
peace through coming together and creating a gratitude circle.
The Gratitude Circles project was created by Cantor Schwartz as a movement to bring a voluntary
program to schools that aim to connect children with one another regardless of
culture or faith. Cantor Schwartz
believes that by the children holding hands and sharing gratitude with their classmates,
bonds will be created and strengthened by their commonalities. The result could be that by overriding
differences – diversity and uniqueness will be celebrated and enjoyed.
Attending the
multi-media event at Fairfax High School was Assistant Principal, Mark Ross,
who said that he found the presentation, “interesting.” Also in attendance were Shabbos Buddies, Leonard
Delpit, Executive Director of The University of South Central; Gail Blair,
Executive Director for Cantor Schwartz, and, Ivor Pyros, Creative Director for
Cantor Schwartz.
“Cantor
Schwartz provided two presentations to
students, the first was for 3 classes and the second was for 2. Almost all students participated in the
holding of the Torah as well as being wrapped in the Shawl of Many Colors (which symbolizes our world’s diversities),
and ended with the formation of gratitude circles.”
“The kids
were great,” said Cantor Schwartz, “They made me feel welcomed and one of
them.”
As a thank
you for her efforts, Assistant Principle Ross honored Cantor Schwartz as a
graduate and alumni of Fairfax High by presenting her with a class pin.
About Cantor
Estherleon Schwartz
Estherleon
Schwartz is a French-born cantor who, along with her parents, evaded Nazi
capture during World War II. The Cantor
obtained American citizenship in 1948 and currently resides in Southern
California. She is a Los Angeles based
and community leader; promoting an agenda which includes unity, peace, and
anti-hunger through music and the spoken word.
Cantor
Estherleon Schwartz Website:
http://www.estherleon.com
Beth Shirah
(House of Song) Website:
http://bethshirahhouseofson.wix.com/estherleonschwartz
Availability
Los Angeles,
California, U.S.A. and worldwide by arrangement and via Skype or telephone.
# # #
PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS
RELEASE PRESS RELEASE
MEETING: GRATITUDE CIRCLES TO REPLACE
PRAYER IN OUR SCHOOLS
ATTENDEES: Cantor
Estherleon Schwartz - http://www.estherleon.com
Daniel
Tamm, Mayor Eric Garcetti's Westside Area Representative
Abigail
Roth, LAUSD - http://www.lausd.net/
Leonard
F. Delpit, Executive Director of The University of South Central;
Chair,
8th, 2nd. 54th, 30th & 37th CD Democratic Council, and,
Current
Los Angeles City Council Candidate
Daymond
R. Johnson, President of the Animo Classified Employees Association
Marcia
Puzzanghero, Shabbos Buddy
DATE: Wednesday, May 14, 2014
TIME: 1:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Office of LAUSD Board Member, Steve
Zimmer
1075
N. Western Ave. #110
Los
Angeles 90029
DESCRIPTION: Gratitude
Circles will create unity by:
Building
real trust
Developing
stronger, more rewarding relationships
Communicating
fairly, effectively and positively
Coping
with various cultures, backgrounds and faiths
Retention
of individuality and enjoying others’ uniqueness
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE - Monday, May 12, 2014
A New Project of Goodwill by CANTOR ESTHERLEON SCHWARTZ
New Public Prayer
Controversy in the United States; Is There Hope for Our Youth in Need of Compassion
and Unity?
The recent Supreme Court's decision to allow Christian
prayers at public meetings puts non-Christians in an awkward situation and sets
the stage for blowback while providing opportunity.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – May 12, 2014 - As Christian prayer
gets a foothold in United States binding Church with State, non-Christians are
creating a call-to-action to band together in an effort to keep prayer out of
school to help dispel discrimination and conformity. (A viewpoint taken
seriously in the 1962 decision, Engel v. Vitale, and the 1963 decision, Abington
School District v. Schempp. And further
emphasized under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment referring to
state sponsored activities that “Must neither advance nor inhibit religion;”
and “Must not result in an excessive entanglement between government and
religion.”)
Although many people who engage in some sort of spiritual
connectedness do include prayer in their practice, not everyone wants to combine
Church and State, but neither do they want war, but peace. According to a recent article in the
Huffington Post, “Of all America's wars over the past century, only World War
II has retained mass public approval.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-wittner/when-will-they-ever-learn_2_b_4557364.html
Perhaps the bigger question is this – how do cultures
unite by their differences to create unity; an essential element toward
peace? Cantor Estherleon Schwartz
challenges everyone to flip their thinking.
The Cantor suggests that we should not focus on what separates cultures
but instead, people should focus on the similarities between people.
So if not prayer, then what? Cantor Schwartz offers an alternative to
Christian prayer in public venues in the form of Gratitude Circles. Gratitude Circles offer a different kind of unity
experience designed to get people engaged with their lives as well as those
around them. By expressing gratitude
openly, the experience would bring the things people care about to forefront,
many of them similar in context. In doing so, Gratitude Circles combine basic and
fundamental moments associated with life cycles so people can gain insight,
understanding, and compassion about one another while growing together in
community.
About Cantor
Estherleon Schwartz
Estherleon Schwartz is a
French-born cantor who, along with her parents, evaded Nazi capture during
World War II. The Cantor obtained
American citizenship in 1948 and currently resides in Southern California. She is a Los Angeles based and community
leader; promoting an agenda which includes unity, peace, and anti-hunger
through music and the spoken word.
Cantor Estherleon Schwartz Website: http://www.estherleon.com
Beth Shirah (House of Song) Website: http://bethshirahhouseofson.wix.com/estherleonschwartz
Availability
Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. and worldwide by
arrangement and via Skype or telephone.
# # #
PRESS RELEASE PRESS
RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE
MEETING: CANTOR ESTHERLEON SCHWARTZ TO
SHARE MEMORIES AND THE
WISDOM
GAINED BY BEING A CHILD HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR
ATTENDEES: Cantor
Estherleon Schwartz - http://www.estherleon.com
Gail
Blair, Executive Director for Cantor Estherleon Schwartz
Leonard
F. Delpit, Executive Director of The University of South Central;
Chair,
8th, 2nd. 54th, 30th & 37th CD Democratic Council, and,
Current
Los Angeles City Council Candidate
Daymond
R. Johnson, President of the Animo Classified Employees Association
A
Representative from Mark Ridley Thomas’ office
Ivor
Pyres, Shabbos Buddy
Paul
Puzzanghero, Shabbos Buddy
Marcia
Puzzanghero, Shabbos Buddy
Patricia
Pugliese, Shabbos Buddy
DATE: Tuesday,
May 13, 2014
TIME: 12:15
p.m.
LOCATION: Animo
Pat Brown Charter High School
8255
Beach Street
Los
Angeles, CA 90001
DESCRIPTION: Keeping
history alive:
Knowing
the facts
Dispelling
anti-Semitism, discrimination and bullying
Developing
sympathy and empathy
Communicating
fairly, effectively and positively
Coping
with various cultures, backgrounds and faiths
Retention
of individuality and enjoying others’ uniqueness
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- Monday, May 12, 2014
A New Project of Goodwill by CANTOR ESTHERLEON SCHWARTZ
KEEPING MEMORIES
OF THE HOLOCAUST ALIVE IN LOS ANGELES
In the midst of his campaign
for Los Angeles City Council, Leonard F. Delpit, felt compelled to address
the fiasco at the Rialto school, (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/furor-over-school-essay-assignment-questioning-whether-holocaust-happened/). Delpit contacted his good friend, Daymond R.
Johnson, President of the Animo Classified Employees Association, to brainstorm
about creating a venue to keep the history and truth of the Holocaust alive in
Los Angeles schools and throughout the nation.
Their solution:
At the top of Delpit and
Johnson’s list to helm the new campaign was Cantor Estherleon Schwartz, a local
peace, goodwill and anti-hunger activist; while their eyes were set on the
Animo Pat Brown Charter School as the educational platform to launch the
series.
“This may be the last
generation able to listen and speak to a child survivor of the Holocaust,” said
Johnson, who was instrumental in choosing Cantor Schwartz for the project.
Messrs. Delpit and Johnson went
from concept to action within days, having cemented a union between both the
Animo Pat Brown Charter School and Cantor Schwartz. The first presentation for the Cantor is tomorrow,
Tuesday, May 13th at 12:15 p.m.
Cantor Schwartz will engage her young audience using a multi-media platform
while sharing her personal experience as a childhood Holocaust survivor. Immediately following her presentation, the
Cantor will be available for questions from the students.
In attendance at tomorrow’s
venue will be a representative from Mark Ridley Thomas’ office. (An invitation was also extended to Governor Jerry
Brown and if he is not available, a representative from his office will be
welcomed.)
About
Cantor Estherleon Schwartz
Estherleon Schwartz is a
French-born cantor who, along with her parents, evaded Nazi capture during
World War II. The Cantor obtained
American citizenship in 1948 and currently resides in Southern California. She is a Los Angeles based and community leader;
promoting an agenda which includes unity, peace, and anti-hunger through music
and the spoken word.
Cantor Estherleon Schwartz
Website: http://www.estherleon.com
Beth Shirah (House of Song)
Website: http://bethshirahhouseofson.wix.com/estherleonschwartz
Availability
Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. and worldwide
by arrangement and via Skype or telephone.
# #
#
IMMEDIATE
PRESS RELEASE
=========================================================
=========================================================
“A REBEL WITH A CAUSE”
presenting
CANTOR ESTHER LEON
"Children are our future, what better way to receive than
to give them life through our deepest caring. Their poverty is our poverty, and
our shame. We have to listen to their voices of hope."
After listening to these words by Cantor Estherleon Schwartz, Voices of
Women Worldwide invited Esther to be the guest speaker at
the Global Peace Odyssey for children of the world
shadowed by the conflicts of war.
On October 10th, with young children around her,
she will recall her own story on board the Global Peace Odyssey which sails
at 6:00 pm on the East River in Manhattan towards the Statue of
Liberty at sunset.
"As a young girl of 7, I came to America
with my parents on the Queen Mary with hundreds of refugees
fleeing the Nazi holocaust. Entering the shores of New
York, I recall seeing a tiny statue in the water from a distance, while
the passengers on board the ship became very quiet and started
singing and praying softly in gratitude, kneeling to thank the Lord Almighty
for this safe haven."
All the while, the little girl stared out at the majestic
statue and as it got closer and closer, she felt this elegant replica of
a woman with a wand ... so regal and strong, smiling down at her and
whispering her blessings
"all is good," a phrase Cantor Estherleon uses
and repeats often.
Cantor Estherleon will relate her story of how her father threw her over the
barbwire fence in 1944 on the Swiss border into the arms of the Swiss
Red Cross, and prayed to the heavens: "Save my daughter and she
will always serve you...".
That was six decades ago and the little girl never gave
up... always working
towards fulfilling her destiny, knowing deep within her soul that her
course in life was to bring the Torah to all religions and
people and hold it close to their hearts to feel an inexplicable reverence
of oneness. Her whole purpose is to promote spiritual harmony
and global peace.
One of Esther’s close associates, Paul J. Puzzanghero, a Roman
Catholic, related how moved he became when he held the Torah in his
hands with tears in his eyes. This simple gesture moved him to
recognized Cantor Estherleon's spiritual message which unites
all religions, as part of her universal interfaith journey in uniting all
people in oneness.
* * *
