Village of Great Neck resident Steven Markowitz has been elected chairman of the board for the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County.
Markowitz, who will begin his two year term on Jan. 1, has served as the center’s vice chair for six years, and is heavily involved in community organizations and politics on the peninsula.
Markowitz is the co-founder of Manhattan-based lobbying firm MultiState Associates, a leader in the Nassau County and Great Neck Democratic parties, a member of the Great Neck Arts Center board and a former president of Temple Israel in Great Neck.
“As a longtime member of the HMTC Board, I’ve seen the impressive work that’s been done by the organization and its members,” Markowitz said in a statement. “I look forward to building upon HMTC’s successes as we continue to preserve the legacy of the Holocaust by honoring the memories of those who were lost and teaching universal lessons that combat hatred, prejudice and intolerance.”
Markowitz said in an interview he became involved with the center in 2003 at the request of then-chairman Boris Chartan and Rabbi Myron Fenster, who was the interim rabbi at Temple Israel when Markowitz was the temple’s president.
He replaces outgoing chair Howard Meir, who Markowitz said has served in the post for seven years.
“HMTC is privileged to have a board composed of outstanding business and community leaders dedicated to advancing our world-class exhibitions and public and educational programming,” said Maier. “Steven Markowitz brings to the chairmanship a passion for fostering human rights and making ‘Never Again’ a mandate today, both of which will strengthen HMTC’s impact in attaining its mission.”
The center, Markowitz said, is an important resource for Nassau County – both in its mission to educate people about the history of the Holocaust, and its moral leadership against hatred and discrimination.
“Our fundamental guiding principle is people should not be bystanders, they should be upstanders,” Markowitz said.
The Glen Cove center serves as a meeting place for Holocaust survivors and their children, operates a museum that includes artifacts from survivors who live on Long Island and runs educational programs for children and adults, Markowitz said.
And, according to a press release, nearly 180,000 students, teachers, employers and law enforcement personnel have participated in the center’s education programs since 2007.
Markowitz said the center holds anti-discrimination educational programs for Nassau County police cadets and works with midshipmen from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
“People often ask us for help in trying to find solution to problems [of hatred and discrimination,” he said.
The center is in the process of building the Claire Friedlander Education Institute, which will host workshops in four technologically equipped classrooms, according to the press release.
For Markowitz, the center’s future lies in increased engagement with diverse populations across Long Island.
“We’re going to be trying to reach more than ever to all the growing communities on Long Island,” said Markowitz, adding that he is looking to work with Nassau’s Muslim, Hispanic and Asian communities and bring greater diversity to the board’s membership.
Prior to co-founding MultiState Associates, Markowitz was a governmental relations executive with Continental Group, a packaging, forest products, energy and insurance company. He also served as an economic advisor and legislative aide to Rep. Bob Eckhardt (D-Texas) from 1966 to 1973, according to the press release.
Markotiwz is a Brooklyn native and holds graduate degrees in economics from George Washington University. He lives in the Village of Great Neck with his wife Trudy.
