DONOR PROFILE: PATTI KENNER
Patti Askwith Kenner strongly believes that the arts have an important role to play in society. That belief, coupled with her longtime dedication to serving Holocaust survivors, makes Patti and The Defiant Requiem Foundation a perfect match. Patti is committed to many social causes. Her advocacy for Holocaust survivors is at the forefront of her philanthropy. In addition to The Defiant Requiem Foundation, she serves on the boards of UJA-Federation of New York, Hold On To Your Music Foundation, Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, Selfhelp Community Services, Guild Hall, Carnegie Mellon University, Educational Alliance and the American Heart Association, among others. Patti was introduced to The Defiant Requiem Foundation in 2013, when, in a partnership with UJA, The Defiant Requiem Foundation presented its first of two performances of Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín at Lincoln Center to raise funds for UJA’s Community Initiative for Holocaust Survivors. Patti received a call from UJA’s then-CEO, John Ruskay, who knew of Patti’s interests in both the Holocaust and the arts. “John called me and asked me to co-chair this upcoming event with Carol Levin, and it sounded very intriguing. He mentioned that Murry Sidlin was the creator and conductor, and I knew it was meant to be because I had known Murry for thirty-five years from the Aspen Music Festival. That was the moment I signed on to chair the event, and I have been happily involved with the Foundation ever since.” About that first concert she attended, Patti says, “I was absolutely blown away by the performance! It was so moving and so special. When everything looked so bleak for the prisoners in Terezín, they still had their music. The message is so powerful. This important act of resistance kept the prisoners alive and inspired them day after day. They survived by living for the evenings when they could sing together.” Patti’s relationship with the Foundation was cemented through working on the concert at Lincoln Center with Murry, Executive Director Louisa Hollman, Program Director and General Manager Mark Rulison, and Board Chair Stu Eizenstat. She was soon asked to join the Board. In the years since, Patti has been a tireless advocate for The Defiant Requiem Foundation, supporting all of its concerts and programs. She donates large amounts of her time, as well as providing financial support and sponsorships to numerous events. Most recently, she helped sponsor the 20th Anniversary concert of Defiant Requiem at Strathmore in April of 2022, and the Foundation’s presentation of East West Street: A Song of Good and Evil in December of 2022. “The Defiant Requiem Foundation does a wonderful job,” says Patti. “The work is so important – the concerts, the documentary, Holocaust education, all of it. I jumped at the chance to be involved, and we do an incredible job telling these fascinating stories. It is essential to keep sharing these stories for future generations to remember the Holocaust and how music filled the hearts of prisoners, gave them hope, and inspired them to resist.” In addition to her service and philanthropy, Patti serves as president of Campus Coach Lines, the company founded by her father in 1928. She has also helped produce several documentary films, including Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles . Patti lives in New York City and has one daughter and four grandchildren.
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