Students and staff from Manhattanville College attended the Annual Benefit Dinner for the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) which honored renowned actor and human rights activist Richard Gere.

Actor, activist and philanthropist Richard Gere of Pound Ridge, known for his starring role in many successful motion pictures, and a tireless advocate for humanitarian causes, was presented the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center’s Eugene M. & Emily Grant Spirit of Humanity Award at a benefit held the Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht Club on Thursday, Sept. 18.

It took a long time for Paul Galan to tell others that he was a Holocaust survivor. Embarrassment, fear and a desire to fit into his new American home kept his voice silent. But, after working in the 1960s as a film editor on "Who Killed Anne Frank" and "The Warsaw Uprising" for CBS, he felt compelled to speak. Now 78, he's become a passionate and tireless storyteller of his years hiding from the Nazis in his native Slovakia.

The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) mourns the loss of Eli Wallach, an award-winning star of film, stage and television for the past six decades. HHREC is grateful for the efforts Mr. Wallach made as the narrator of “Testimony of the Human Spirit,” a four-part documentary film produced by HHREC.

Local Holocaust survivors Thursday said they were delighted to hear that an accused Nazi war criminal was arrested this week in Philadelphia, saying they have no sympathy for a man who had none for them.

From anti-bullying messages to suicide prevention, local schools and their students are working hard at making Upstanders Week a real sea change in their communities. Upstanders Week, which actually includes several weeks and is being celebrated throughout the state, is part of the High School Human Rights Institute, sponsored by the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center in Westchester.

As part of its Worldwide Grant Program, the MDRT Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC). The grant will support programs that encourage students to speak up and act against all forms of bigotry and prejudice.