Anne Frank Center USA CEO Dr. Lauren Bairnsfather with Fred and Tony Polak, left, next to Anne Frank tree and plaque, Photos by Raya Cottrell Photography
Photo L to R: NY State Senator Shelley Mayer, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, NY State Deputy Director of Jewish Affairs Eva Wyner, NY State Assemblyman Chris Burdick, Anne Frank Center USA CEO Dr. Lauren Bairnsfather, Anne Frank Center USA Actor Olivia Konteatis, HHREC Board Chairperson Michael Gyory, HHREC Executive Director Millie Jasper, Fred Polak, Office of the County Executive Director of Research Ellen Hendrickx, Tony Polak, Chairman, Westchester County Board of Legislators Vedat Gashi
Anne Frank would have been 95 years old on June 12. On that same day the Human Rights Education Center in White Plains honored Anne by dedicating an Anne Frank Tree at Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center in White Plains.
The Sapling Project began in 2009 with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam’s efforts to preserve the original chestnut tree by gathering and germinating chestnuts and donating the saplings to organizations dedicated to Anne Frank’s memory.
Over the last 10 years, Anne Frank Center USA has awarded saplings to sites across the United States, including the U.S. Capitol, the United Nations Headquarters, and others. Taken together, these trees form a living memorial with branches reaching from coast to coast.
“Where there’s hope, there’s life.” – Anne Frank, June 6 1944.
The tree can be found at 148 Martine Avenue.
One of the most recognizable and impactful Jewish victims of the Holocaust, Anne lived most of her life in Amsterdam and famously received a diary on her thirteenth birthday — just before she went into hiding with her family in 1942 to escape the Nazis. During the two years she hid in an attic, she wrote in her diary to pass the time. She wrote short stories and journaled about missing her friends, her fears, and the day-to-day experience of hiding. Unfortunately, her family’s secret hideout was discovered and she was taken to Auschwitz, and later to Bergen-Belsen where she died at the age of 15.
Miraculously, her journal was saved and later published posthumously by her father, the sole family survivor. In spite of her tragically short life, Anne’s personal and heartfelt writing has reached millions of people around the world. Anne was able to appreciate the beauty of life in the face of tremendous hate. Her bravery, perseverance, and perspective is awe-inspiring, and her impact will continue to touch the lives of many.
May her #MemoryBeABlessing.
