Friends and Neighbors: Tribute and Holocaust film premiere May 1 at Aventura center

Dr. Miriam K. Kassenoff, a warrior in keeping the story of the Holocaust alive, will receive a well-deserved honor at 2 p.m. on May 1, at the premiere of the film, The Absence - La Ausencia. The event will include a musical tribute to the survivors of the Holocaust, and be at the Aventura Arts and Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St.

Kassenoff is the Holocaust Education Specialist for Miami-Dade County Public Schools and is director of the Holocaust Teachers Institute at the University of Miami..

Also recognized and honored at the event will be Rositta E. Kenigsberg, who works with Kassenoff as president of Holocaust Education and Documentation Center and is founder of The Commissioner’s Task Force on Holocaust Education; and Dr. Michael Berenbaum, for the revision of a study guide that accompanies the film.

The film is a nonprofit, educational project, and is done in Spanish with subtitles, and is a historic legacy of the survivors of the Holocaust. It is distributed by the Teachers Institute to the educators of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The tribute to Holocaust survivors is by Lizbeth Schonfeld and will feature artists Karina, Vivian Fulop, and Ilan Chester.

The film is so important that it has been distributed by the United Nations to 80 countries, and was honored by the United Nations Association as the “Best International Documentary Film” at the Global Wake-up Festival held in Chicago in 2011.

Tickets for teachers are $18, and $36 general admission for other adults, and can be purchased by calling 305-494-5800 or emailing Schonfeld at lizbethschonfeld@gmail.com. Call 877-311-7469 for more information.

SCHOLARSHIP BREAKFAST

The community is invited to the annual scholarship breakfast presented by the Miami-Dade County Charmettes to be at 10 a.m. April 30 at Hollybrook Golf and Tennis Club, 900 Hollybrook Dr. in Pembroke Pines.

The theme of the event is “The Year of the Woman — The Phenomenal Woman.” Five “amazing” women will be honored at the breakfast. They are:

▪ Dr. Roslyn Artis, the first female president of Florida Memorial University;

▪ Sybrina Fulton, founder and president of the Trayvon Martin Foundation;

▪ Rosalind Osgood, first female chaplain of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and chair of the Broward County School Board;

▪ Judge Mary Robinson, first African-American female judge in Broward County;

▪ Jean Johnson, M.D., anesthesiologist.

Tickets are $40 each and can be purchased by calling 305-401-7713 or at: www.evenbrite.com/e/charmettes-annual-scholarship-breakfast-tickets-22667759880.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION FOR WOMEN

In an effort to reach out to all residents of Miami-Dade County and to make its meetings more accessible, the Miami-Dade County Commission for Women will have its next general meeting and public forum from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, at the Miami Beach Woman’s Club, 2401 Pine Tree Dr. in Miami Beach.

The meeting is free and open to the public. At the beginning, time will be allowed for attendees to comment on their issues and concerns.

Call 305-375-4967 for more information. You may also email CFW@miamidade.gov or visit the wesite at www.miamidade.gov/advocacy/women-board-home.asp

CLAWS FOR KIDS

The fifth annual Claws for Kids, a fundraising brunch to benefit Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, will be at 11:30 a.m. on May 1 at Joe’s Stone Crab, 11 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach.

Florida Power & Light, a longtime supporter of the organization, will receive the “From the Heart” award at the event. The award honors a person, family or organization that has shown overwhelming support and constant dedication to the children of the community. Irene White, FPL’s director of external affairs and corporate energy outreach, will accept the award.

Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant will be open for brunch on May 1 only, for supporters of Boys and Girls Clubs’ Claws for Kids event.

Entertainment will be provided by Frank Sinatra impersonator Jeff Grainger of Sinatra Sounds Entertainment. The program will also feature a super raffle for the chance to win a seven-day Caribbean cruise for two aboard one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships.

Judith Kramer, a retired Miami-Dade County Schools executive, is chair of the event. Sponsorships and underwriting opportunities are available and range from $500 to $7,500. Individual tickets are $250 each.

For more information call Kati Foley at 305-446-9910, ext 30 or email her at kfoley@bgcmia.org.

UPSTART OUTREACH PROGRAM

The Booker T. Washington High School Alumni Association’s Upstart Outreach Program will have a yard sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at St. Peter’s African Orthodox Church, 4841 NW Second Ave.

There will be something for sale for everyone. You may also donate usable items to the yard sale. Call Johnnie Fields at 305-310-0855 for more information.

Also, the BTW Class of 1968 will have its annual scholarship fundraiser at 5 p.m. Saturday at the home of Anthony Black, 16209 NW 39th Pl.

I’m told the event will feature great food for sale, such as chicken and pork souse; chicken wings and fries, and fish and chicken tenders and fries and drinks.

Call Marsha Marks-Scott at 305-633-3461 or 305-778-9860 for more information.

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 2:14 PM with the headline "Friends and Neighbors: Tribute and Holocaust film premiere May 1 at Aventura center."