By Mary O’KEEFE

The Yiddish word mensch is defined as a person who is righteous, has character, is trustworthy and mindful. 

On Friday seven people were recognized at the Mensch Awards, sponsored by the Mensch International Foundation, who completely embody these attributes. The honorees included Holocaust survivor and philanthropist David Wiener, Holocaust educator David Meyerhof, sculptor Gabrielle Karin, Holocaust survivor Joseph Alexander and the late Nobel laureate Otto Meyerhof, physics professor Walter Meyerhof and songwriter Leonard Cohen. 

The Mensch Foundation was founded by Steven Geiger in 2002 “to develop an educational curriculum to stamp-out stereotyping and anti-Semitic and racist thinking,” according to the Mensch Foundation website. The Foundation’s goal is “to develop a tolerant social order of values which respects minority rights and freedom of speech and worship.” 

The recognition took place on Feb. 21 at the Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts Saban Theatre. The evening began with the lighting of the yahrzeit candle in memory of the Bibas children Ariel and Kfir and for their mother Shiri. 

Shiri Bibas and her children were taken hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023 in the Hamas-led attack; they were then killed in Gaza. They were laid to rest in Israel this week. 

Wiener, 98, is a philanthropist, businessman and Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts member. He is also an active supporter of the temple. Recently the name of the center was changed to Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts/David Wiener Campus to reflect his ongoing support of the temple. 

On Friday he was very appreciative of being named a Mensch Award recipient and was very proud of the Mensch Award. 

Karin, who is a Holocaust survivor and artist, accepted her award with grace. She recently returned from Poland after attending the 88th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. 

“For everything you do and for who you are, not only being a survivor but as a human being,” said Geiger in presenting her with the award. 

When accepting the award she said, “It doesn’t matter what color skin you have, what color hair you have – we are all the same people. We don’t have to love everybody but we have to respect every person in this world. We all have the right to be here,” Karin said.

David Meyerhof is a retired teacher and the author of “Look Beyond,” a collection of poetry. But his true mission has been to bring the stories of Holocaust survivors to students across Los Angeles, Burbank and Glendale. 

“I believe that our Holocaust survivor speakers are among the most important people in the world today,” he said. “Their words are the most important words to [be spoken]. I will do whatever I can to stop hate in this world. As Albert Einstein said, ‘The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.’”

Meyerhof added both of his parents and grandparents escaped from Germany and France, and survived the Holocaust. His father and grandfather were rescued by  Varian Fry, an American journalist who between 1940 and 1941 helped anti-Nazi refugees escape from France. Otto Meyerhof, his grandfather, was awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1922. 

Joseph Alexander, 102, was not able to attend the event but did record a video thanking the organization for the recognition. His daughter Helen Flax and her husband Carl were present to accept the award. 

Alexander has a very active life traveling the world and sharing his story of survival with audiences of all ages; however, he focuses a lot of his attention on students. He was in Florida on the night of the awards.

“He is doing what he loves best,” Helen said. “He’s in South Florida and [has] already done about four to five talks … I keep telling him to slow down but he said he’s fine and he is doing what he wants to do.”

In his introduction Geiger called Alexander a “first-class mensch.”

“I am sorry I can’t be with you in person tonight, but I wanted to tell you how honored and happy I am to receive this Mensch Award,” Alexander said via video.
“For the last several years I have been speaking not only locally but all over the world to let people know what really happened, to let people know this must never happen again, and that it is their – and your – responsibility to strongly and bravely continue this effort.”

For more information on Joseph Alexander, David Meyerhof and Gabriella Karin visit cvweekly.com and search those names.