Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zane Buzby. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Zane , thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Having directed over 200 episodes of Network television comedies, and appearing in several classic comedy films including, “ This is Spinal Tap” and “Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke”, I took a “roots” trip to Lithuania and Belarus to visit the birthplaces of my grandmothers. What I found there was much more than I was looking for. It changed the course of my life.

As soon as I crossed the border into Belarus I was in another world. It was like going back in time a hundred years: no cars, only horse-drawn hay carts, no restaurants, crooked little huts, abandoned half-burned villages, bullet holes on the walls of old buildings, and what seemed like the ghosts of millions This was an area that was decimated by the Nazi invasion during the Holocaust. It was a haunting ruin of a landscape.

I had a guide and translator with me because I didn’t know any Russian, and as for Yiddish, well, I’m a New Yorker in show business, so the only words I knew were shlep, schmooze, and schmuck.

In Lithuania, a professor had given me eight names of Holocaust survivors to visit in Belarus who were lonely and isolated, in need of a friendly face, over-the-counter medications, and food. He asked me to visit them, and could I bring these items and go to a cash machine and get as many $20 bills as possible? I said “yes” to everything.

So, while I searched for my ancestral villages along the back roads of these strange lands, I visited complete strangers in their little wooden huts. I would knock at the door, but there was never an answer. They were always out back, people in their 80s and 90s, digging up potatoes before the ground froze because if they didn’t, they wouldn’t have a winter food supply. I could see my presence, a stranger, scared the hell out of them. They had never had good luck with strangers at their door. But I remembered the professor told me to say, “Shalom Aleichem” (“Peace be upon you.”). So, I did just that, I yelled out “Shalom Aleichem” and they would break out in a big smile and hug me, as if I was a long-lost granddaughter. An immediate connection had been made. It was profound. They invited me into their huts and I listened to their stories. They had never told them to anyone before.

Most of them were sole survivors of their families who had been massacred by the Nazis. These were people who had spent their lives without one person they knew from before the war, one single person they once loved, or who once loved them. Can you imagine?

Some were brave Partisans, who as teenagers had run to the forest to become fighters. Most ran to escape the Einsatzgruppen, the Nazi mobile killing squads, who roared into towns and villages on motorcycles, killing every Jewish man, woman, and child in their path, and then torching the villages and moving on to the next town, the next massacre. Some survived brutal evacuations to the East where their trains were bombed by German air strikes, killing their parents, siblings, and grandparents. Some reached Central Asia where more died of disease, hard labor, and starvation. For these individuals, who had endured the darkest days of human history, the War had never really ended. They were still suffering. I never imagined this was going on.

When I returned to Los Angeles, I went online and tried to find a charity that was supporting people like this, but there wasn’t one. And so, I did what I could and started sending them money. I would wrap a few twenty-dollar bills in paper, and send the envelope off, never knowing if they would ever get it, or if they even knew who I was. A few weeks later, to my surprise, I started getting letters back. Written on small, torn pieces of notebook paper, they were all in Russian and I couldn’t read them. So, on the way to the studios in the morning, I would keep an eye out for refrigerator repair trucks, and flag them down. Why? Because everyone in LA knows refrigerator repairmen are usually Russian rocket scientists, and they could translate these letters.

The first note simply said, “Your letter was like a candle in the darkness, a gift from destiny.” That took my breath away. One woman wrote: “If fields were pieces of paper and oceans were ink, I never could write all that happened to us.” And another wrote, “We are all sick here. I don’t know how to live any further. My parents were killed at Babi Yar. It is so a difficult, life. Sometimes I think it would be better if I had died with them.” And “There is a lump in my throat from tears. I am sitting and crying that a total stranger is taking care of me.” Or “Without your help, I couldn’t even buy an apple.” And this one says it all, “Thank G-d I have lived to see this bright day. Your help is beyond my dreams. I am the only one who survived from a very big family. I am 96 years old. I can’t walk, I haven’t been out in years. I am desolate and lonely, old and in poor health, not having a single person with whom to unburden my broken heart, you brought me joy! I am grateful to you for your warmth, kindness, and support. You are the best thing in my life. Thank you. Your faraway friend, Dora.”

How could I not help these people?

And that’s how The Survivor Mitzvah Project [SMP] was born: a grassroots 501c3, non-profit humanitarian aid organization to bring these survivors kindness, compassion, emergency aid and a safe place to tell their stories.

What I learned on that first trip is that you can change a life by a simple act of kindness. Survivors kept writing, and I kept writing back, this time with the help of a translator. Through voluminous correspondence, we had become a family, a family of strangers. I went overseas again and again, visiting the survivors we cared for and searching for more survivors to help. The project grew and grew, and now The Survivor Mitzvah Project has helped over 3000 Holocaust survivors in nine countries.

I knew from that first trip when I brought along a camcorder that these stories of the “Holocaust in the East” had never before been told, and they were the missing piece of the story of the Holocaust. I knew there would come a day when we would witness the death of the last survivor of the Holocaust, and that these stories would be an important piece of history, more important than I could ever have imagined. It became and still is a race against time to get more and more testimony. Journalist and scholar Izabella Tabarovsky penned an article recently that really resonated with me because it was the first time that I had seen in print what I was trying to accomplish just from a gut feeling. She wrote that the world at large, including museums, educational institutions, and the general public, view the Holocaust through the lens of Auschwitz and the large concentration camps. But in truth 2.7 million people, that’s almost half of the “Six Million” were killed by the Nazis in the East, outside of the Concentration Camps. And yet that story has never been told. She wrote, “Somehow, in telling the story of the Holocaust we have managed to leave out half our dead.” My aim is to change that by bringing The Survivor Mitzvah Project Holocaust Educational Archive to museums, learning institutions, and the general public worldwide. The SMP Archive now houses collections of over 30,000 handwritten documents SMP has collected in letters from the survivors we help, over 500 hours of video we have recorded during our Emergency Aid Expeditions to Eastern Europe, and thousands of photographs, all from Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Slovakia, Transnistria, Russia, and Ukraine. And while we continue to support survivors in these countries, especially now in war-torn Ukraine, The Survivor Mitzvah Project’s Holocaust Educational Archive SMP’s archive continues to grow. It is now the largest archive of its kind.

What does this archive mean for the survivors who have shared their stories? Everything. Just knowing that their testimony about what happened to them and their families will be available to the public and studied by scholars has given them a new, positive feeling about themselves. They no longer feel like “victims” but productive members of society, as they become teachers of the lessons of the Holocaust to new generations. They realize that this is their legacy, one that will live on far beyond all of us. Inviting these individuals who have lived with destruction and devastation for decades to be part of something greater than themselves reinforces that they did not live in vain, nor will they die in vain, and that a part of them will be eternal. Recently The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum [USHMM] in Washington, DC, reached out to us to preserve our original materials and make them part of the museum’s holdings. I am very pleased about that because uniquely, the museum has a state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled preservation building where the papers and raw video footage will be preserved.

When I wrote to our survivors to tell them I wanted their permission to include them in The Survivor Mitzvah Project’s Holocaust Educational Archive, which would be preserved in the museum, I thought maybe they would balk at the idea. Instead, we were flooded with enthusiastic permission to use their stories, their letters, and their photographs. They used words like “overjoyed”, and “overwhelmingly happy to be a part of this”. They wrote how “important” this is, “what an honor to be included”, and how happy they are that the historical truth of the Holocaust will be preserved. “Yes! Yes, include me, yes, tell my story, it’s a privilege, it’s a responsibility, the world must know!” they wrote. From Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, Transnistria, and Ukraine — hundreds of letters poured in with words like, “I signed the paper with great joy, and I agree to become part of your archive. It will be our legacy to future generations.”
At this moment in time, I have the responsibility to not only make sure the original materials are preserved but to make sure they are presented in the most complete and accessible way so everyone can view them. Ours is the only archive with the written materials translated into English, so one need not be fluent in several foreign languages to immerse oneself in it. The video portion of the archive is a labor-intensive project to bring to fruition, with hundreds of hours of video interviews of survivors, witnesses, and places of historical interest, and will require $4.7 Million to complete. We are actively seeking funding for this project at this time. Each story must be translated, edited, indexed, subtitled, and augmented by in-depth research to deliver a comprehensive, accessible, digital copy to museums and educational institutions here in the United States and to countries around the world. A preview of the archive can be viewed at https://youtu.be/x-6vVpM6mmE

We are also developing a learning app that students can have on their phones, using gamification, a proven and successful teaching tool, as a means to teach Holocaust studies in a new, exciting way, in sync with the digital age. Right now, we must engage young people, and realize that if it is not on their phones, it is not in their world. SMP’s app will let students or entire classes go on a virtual trip with SMP overseas to speak to survivors and learn their history. Teachers will be able to program the journey to award students badges and points for every correct answer they give to pre-programmed questions posed about what they have learned so far before they are able to “cross the border” to the next country to learn more. This learning app is a game-changer for Holocaust Education.

And as always, our small organization of highly skilled and dedicated individuals continues our primary humanitarian mission to bring emergency aid to Holocaust survivors in Eastern Europe. The need increases daily as medical conditions for the elderly become more complex, urgent, and expensive, including the challenges inherent in continuing life-saving aid to war-torn Ukraine. Every dollar donated to SMP for the care of Holocaust survivors at www.survivormitzvah.org, goes 100% into the hands of a survivor in desperate need. This is something we are very proud of. No matter what the obstacles, every day our SMP saves lives and brings kindness and compassion where before there was only hardship and neglect.

Excerpts from The Survivor Mitzvah Holocaust Educational Archive can be viewed on our website at: https://www.survivormitzvah.org/holocaust-educational-archive/.

Rich in history and Holocaust testimony, importantly this archive contributes to a meaningful modern-day dialogue on social justice, and tolerance for cultural differences (something we so desperately need in this present-day world, so full of hatred, violence, and intolerance), while standing as an important reminder to confront evil wherever it takes hold — something that can benefit all of us. Basic humanity is global.

This is how I started this project, what the spark was that changed my path in life, and now I live with one foot in comedy and the other firmly planted in the Holocaust. – Zane Buzby.

Zane , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Zane Buzby
Founder, The Survivor Mitzvah Project
Producer/Director/Writer/Humanitarian

Zane Buzby is a CNN Hero and recipient of the Anti-Defamation League’s Deborah Award for her humanitarian work helping Holocaust survivors in Eastern Europe and recording their experiences. She is also a television comedy director and producer, having directed over 200 episodes of network television.

A native New Yorker, Zane Buzby graduated cum laude, from Hofstra University with dual degrees in Performance and Dramatic Literature. She began her show business career as an assistant film editor at The Beatles’ Apple Films, where she worked with George Harrison and Bob Dylan on “The Concert for Bangladesh”, and Chilean-French avant-guard Director Alejandro Jodorowsky on the English language versions of “El Topo” and “The Holy Mountain.”

A classically trained actor, Zane was discovered by Carl Reiner, first appearing in “Oh God”. She made her mark as a comedy performer in the cult classic, “Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke”, eliciting praise from critics as staggering as Pauline Kael, starred opposite John Ritter in “Americathon”, was featured in Rob Reiner’s hit comedy, “This Is Spinal Tap” and starred opposite Jerry Lewis in “Cracking Up.” She then followed in the footsteps of Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese and others making her first feature for Roger Corman, “Last Resort” starring comedy legend Charles Grodin, Phil Hartman, and Jon Lovitz.

Under the guidance of “Cheers” co-creator/director James Burrows, Zane studied multi-camera comedy directing and went on to a successful career, directing over 200 episodes of network television on such hit comedies as “Golden Girls”, “Married with Children”, “Blossom”, and the comedy concert “Women of the Night” starring Martin Short for HBO, becoming one of a select few female directors working in film and television. She has directed series and pilots for CBS, ABC, NBC, HBO, FOX, Columbia, Warner Brothers, Universal, Disney, Comedy Central, and Paramount, and has had development deals at Paramount and Castle Rock.

Mentored by legendary film and television producer Edgar J. Scherick, Zane became his producing partner on several network television pilots and series including “The Rock” starring Joy Behar.

Zane’s life took a dramatic turn during a “roots” trip to Eastern Europe to find the birthplaces of her grandparents. Along the back roads and remote villages of Lithuania and Belarus, she discovered elderly Holocaust survivors who were ill, alone, and living in abject poverty. Compelled to help these forgotten heroes, founded The Survivor Mitzvah Project, a non-profit 501c3 organization now providing thousands of elderly Holocaust survivors with lifesaving emergency aid and a human connection that gives them renewed hope, dignity, and a sense of family. These survivors forgotten by the world are in desperate need of food, medicine, heat, and shelter. Zane believes that by helping the last survivors we can write a more hopeful final chapter to the Holocaust one of kindness, love, and compassion.

Zane continues to utilize her directing and storytelling skills in her philanthropic work, producing, writing, and directing, “The Last Survivors – Echoes from the Holocaust”, a nationally aired television special starring Ed Asner, Frances Fisher, Elliott Gould, Valerie Harper, and Lainie Kazan, highlighting the work of The Survivor Mitzvah Project. She has also created several short films shot in Eastern Europe and the Baltics about the work of The Survivor Mitzvah Project. Zane films the Holocaust survivors she visits on her humanitarian aid expeditions to Eastern Europe, and this never-before-recorded Holocaust testimony and video of places of historical interest, are added to The Survivor Mitzvah Project Holocaust Educational Archive, a unique repository of over 500 hours of video and thousands of pages of documents and photographs, all focusing on the “Other Holocaust”, the lesser-known, “Holocaust in the East.” Rich in history and Holocaust testimony, the archive contributes to a meaningful modern-day dialogue on social justice, tolerance for cultural differences, and an appreciation of human commonality, while standing as an important reminder to confront evil wherever it takes hold.

For her extensive humanitarian work and her educational contribution to Holocaust studies, Zane was named a CNN HERO. She has also been recognized by the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum [USHMM] in Washington, DC. She has received the ADL/Anti-Defamation League’s Deborah Award for leadership, KCET’s Local Hero Award, and The Mensch International Foundation Award for her humanitarian and educational efforts.

Along with the archive, Zane and her team have developed a learning APP to engage young people studying the Holocaust. Knowing that the mobile phone is the primary space young people occupy, the learning APP is designed to utilize social media and gamification as a way to immerse students in Holocaust studies in a compelling way in sync with the digital age. The APP can also be programmed to teach any subject, engaging students with a unique and exciting learning experience.

To ensure that no Holocaust survivor who has experienced the darkest days of human history will ever be hungry, cold, or neglected again, Zane continues to seek out more Holocaust survivors who are in critical need and bring them into The Survivor Mitzvah Project’s Emergency Aid Program so that they, too, may begin their journey of comfort, care, and dignity. SMP’s efforts extend to war-torn Ukraine where humanitarian help continues to be urgently needed.

Zane’s love of history also prompted her to create The Lower East Side Restoration Project, which focuses on objects brought to the New World by the immigrants who fled the hunger, poverty, and tyranny of their native lands and came to America in the late 1800s and early 1900s during the Great Immigration. The project also provides history about the immigrant metalsmiths from Russia, Poland, and Ukraine, who populated New York’s Lower East Side during the last century and were recruited to help build warships in the Brooklyn Navy Yard during WWII.

With her abundant passion and dedication, Zane has one foot in comedy and the other planted firmly in the Holocaust and considers the creation of The Survivor Mitzvah Project and The Survivor Mitzvah Project Holocaust Educational Archive to be her greatest life achievements.

[email protected]
www.survivormitzvah.org 800-905-6160

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began almost one and a half years ago, our humanitarian organization had to pivot almost daily. And we continue to pivot as Russia continues to escalate its war on innocent civilians. The devastation, destruction, and chaos there is unimaginable. The Holocaust survivors in our care there are alone, too old, ill, or immobile to evacuate out of the country. and so they must live in dangerous war zones.

We were especially concerned for blind/bedridden survivors who live alone without anyone to care for them. Because of the disastrous breakdown in care for the elderly survivors in Ukraine by communities and large charities, many blind and disabled survivors were cut off from all caregivers. SMP immediately provided patronage nurses and caregivers. We created new networks of caregivers in multiple cities and sent financial support to help bedridden and immobile individuals hire caregivers in Ukraine, Moldova, Transnistria, Belarus, and Lithuania.

We are a small but nimble organization, devoid of bureaucracy, and have been able to pivot at a moment’s notice to overcome mail interruptions, supply chain problems, lack of drinking water, lack of heat, electricity, medications, and even shelter for those whose homes have been destroyed.

Other major challenges include finding workarounds for strict curfews, bombings, air raids, severe transportation disruptions, unsafe criminal activities, banks suspending wires to Ukraine, and mail stoppage.

We coordinated truckloads of urgently needed medical supplies and food from Hungary and Poland and had those trucks go across borders into Ukraine. All of the pallets of food, water, clothing, and medicines seen on TV at the Polish border are for people who managed to evacuate from Ukraine, not for those stuck inside the country.

When Russia cut off fuel in Ukraine, survivors were left without heat during the brutal winter. What little fuel might still be available is unaffordable because the cost has skyrocketed 300% in Ukraine and even in the Baltics and Moldova. When we knew early on that survivors would be facing the freezing winter with no heat, we bought up every electric blanket and re-chargeable heating vest available, and all the electric blankets we could locate and had these distributed. These items continue to work well in areas where there is power and were lifesaving until Russia began the systematic destruction of power stations – leaving elderly survivors without heat and, suddenly, without electricity. So we pivoted again and bought hundreds of heavy wool blankets, warm sheepskin vests and slippers, parkas, thick socks, etc., and continue to distribute them. These items are still needed, and we continue to supply them as donations come in.

This year, and probably next year as well, monthly stipends are simply not enough to keep survivors alive in Ukraine. For the first time, SMP also concentrated on buying up goods in Ukraine and Poland that survivors desperately need. This is an added cost but a necessary one and we hope people will continue to be as generous as you have been even if Ukraine fades from the nightly headlines.

A note about recent devastating issues with water supply: Most of the drinking water used by survivors is purchased in stores by our volunteers and delivered to survivors who live in tall apartment buildings with no elevators. It is not possible for elderly survivors, many not capable of walking the stairs at all, to lug heavy water bottles up several flights.. City authorities deliver non-drinking water in trucks once every several days. People must stay in long lines, fill buckets, and carry them upstairs. Sometimes the nearest truck stops are several miles away. This is not feasible for the elderly. Because of these obstacles, survivors need extra funds just for water purchased in stores. At first, they use it for cooking, washing dishes, and bathing, then all of it is collected and used for flushing the toilet. Every day there are changing and increasing needs. It’s hard to know what new needs the war will bring in the months ahead as more infrastructure is destroyed.

In the last few months, we have been concentrating on buying up small “camping stoves” in Ukraine and Poland so that survivors can keep warm and cook. Many survivors are trying to cook using candles, but even candles are in short supply, and they can be dangerous when left unattended. We also bought hundreds of “emergency lantern” devices which come equipped with a radio and phone charger and can be powered with solar or hand-crank, as well as electricity if there is any available. The lanterns also have an “extension” so they can light up 2 rooms at once. All these things were met with great appreciation from our survivors. We will continue to fundraise this year to equip all survivors in need of these items.

Every few days we wire funds to our brave “boots on the ground” volunteers in Ukraine so that lifesaving needs can be met. We get money into Ukraine through several methods, including wiring funds to Poland, where our volunteers go to pick up the funds and then travel back across the border to distribute in multiple cities across Ukraine, even if it takes 2 days to get there. This is all done as rockets and drones keep exploding on streets and buildings.

In areas with limited electricity and no heat, “warm houses” have been set up in many cities and towns where people can come to sit in a warm room, drink hot tea, and socialize while they charge their phones on multi-chargers we purchased for this purpose. These devices can charge up to 5 phones at once.

We continue to deliver funds to provide access to lifesaving medications and medical care. Survivors were able to afford urgent medical procedures, hard-to-find medications, and medical supplies in Ukraine, Moldova, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Belarus. We were able to enter Ukraine with truckloads of specific medical supplies purchased in neighboring countries that were requested by our survivors.

We improved social interaction, as survivors continue to fight devastating loneliness and fear. Having our multi-lingual staff and representatives visit with them or phone frequently during the war continues to bring positive emotional and mental health changes. Just knowing that even in the worst of times there are people a world away who care about them and help them means everything to these survivors who have already experienced the worst life has to offer. We also brought many more survivors into our program so that we could help them as well during these desperate times.

Survivors in Ukraine have lived through war before and continue to be petrified. They write:

“I admire your kindness, nobility, and the holiness of your work. Right now, this help from you is even more precious, because of the war. Sirens wail day and night. Explosions rumble, houses collapse, people die. We cannot evacuate for health reasons. Many products are not available, and pharmacies don’t have the necessary medicines. I am worried about my family, relatives, and friends, and the future of my country.“ (Alexandr Isakovich, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine)
“Our wonderful friends! We are very touched by your attention and the fact that you are worried about us. We feel anxious. Air sirens go off and last for hours. There are 80 thousand refugees in our city, and they keep arriving. As one of my classmates said, “Who could’ve thought that the way we started [our life] would be the way we will end it.” But we don’t give up, we are SURVIVORS after all, and we hope for the best. Thank you, dear friends. May there be peace, and God help us!” (Sisters Tamara and Valentina, Chernivtsi, Ukraine)

“Once again, you have proven to our family that you are wonderful people. You share our grief and hope for peace…You inspire us with your humanity in the face of the nightmare that Russia is creating. We send you love.” (Irina Isaevna, Chernivtsi, Ukraine)
And survivors in Ukraine and in other countries have been writing us hundreds of letters containing words of thanks to everyone who helps and donates:

“I am writing these lines with tears in my eyes and deep gratitude in my heart, for receiving your support at this very difficult time for us… You, Zane, and your staff are true friends!!! A true friend is a friend who comes to the rescue in time for someone in need. May the Almighty bless you, your family and your team with good health and peace. Peace—what a great treasure it is!” (Irina Isaevna, Chernivtsi, Ukraine)

“Dear friends, I have received the money for which I am sending you a deep bow of thanks. I am very happy to receive this gift. Very difficult times have arrived here. I am an elderly person, and at the age 86 I have no one to expect help from. Thank you for helping me in this difficult moment.” (Maria Andreevna, Ukraine)
“Dear friends, I am rushing to notify you that I have received your help for which I am endlessly thankful. It happened so quickly that I still can’t believe it happened to me. I am in seventh heaven from happiness.” (Valentina Mikhailovna, Ukraine)
“I am very thankful to you and your volunteers who visited our town. They came to my house and passed us your greetings and money. I am very, very thankful for your help as it makes a big difference in my life.” (Boris Grigorievich, Balti, Moldova)
“Thank you very much for your attention to us. Old age in Moldova is a very difficult trial, but we experienced much worse things, thus we stay afloat and keep moving ahead. Thank you for being with us! May G-d protect you! Thank you for the aid and heartfelt words.” (Golda Markovna, Briceni, Moldova)
“My dear, kind, and beloved friends. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your help. I am proud that there are such people and such a charitable organization on earth. Kiss you all one million times nonstop.” (Efim Moishevich, Bender, Transnistria)
“I am truly thankful to you for your financial and spiritual support in this difficult time. It is a pity that G-d did not bless me with the gift of being a writer, but it is very hard to contain the cry of my soul. I have recently turned 87 and I cannot function without the help of my beloved daughter who is also disabled and suffers from mental illness. When I talked to your representatives, I was touched and brought to tears. You grant people so much warmth, care, and help. We have experienced it first-hand. May God grant you and your volunteers good health, much success, and many years to live. Thank you for everything.” (Efim Alekseevich, Bendery, Moldova)

“Dear Zane, thank you for everything — your caring letters that keep my soul warm, your loving words comforting our old age, and for very heartwarming and sincere wishes. Thank you for everything, and a big thank you and warmest regards to the entire Survivor Mitzvah Project.” (Raisa Davidovna, Bender, Transnistria)

“Thank you for your help! I never possessed such an amount! I can now get medical treatment and even buy a wheelchair. Your help makes us happy.” (Olga Bender, Transnistria)

“Thank you very much for your selfless help. I kiss your kind hands.” (Valery Levkovich, Ukraine)

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Morale is directly related to respect and appreciation of one’s staff. Never take their hard work for granted, especially in the non-profit space where dedicated individuals should be treasured. Always approach difficulties as “challenges”, things that can be overcome, and know that your staff takes their cue from you. If you come to work every day with a smile on your face, and a good work ethic, so will they. Your organization is only as good as the people that work there.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.survivormitzvah.org
• Instagram:@survivormitzvah
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/survivormitzvah
• Twitter: @SurvivorMitzvah
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2rxPMxUIkuWK56N5NTkNuA
• Tiktok: @survivormitzvah
• Other: Mailing address; SMP 2658 Griffith Park Blvd. , Suite #299 Los Angeles, CA 90039 Phone: 800-905-6160 ViDEO about SMP: https://youtu.be/pFmvu0IELIo   

Image Credits
7 Images Photo credit: The Zane Buzby Survivor Mitzvah Holocaust Educational Archive
Photo of Zane solo in office, photo credit: CNN Heroes