Holocaust survivors in Europe continue to face daily struggles to survive, as the forgotten survivors of the European persecution of Jews have been overlooked by many for decades. Zane Buzby of stage, screen, and now the Survivor Mitzvah Project, joins Media Mayhem to explain the charitable outreach of her organization to lend support to the people that have suffered in obscure corners of Europe for years, complete with video footage from her organization’s mission to help the last witnesses of the Shoah. GUEST BIO: ZANE BUZBY is a successful TV director, producer, and committed humanitarian. Having directed over 200 episodes of network television including such hit comedies as Golden Girls, Newhart, and Married…with Children, she has produced and directed TV series and pilots for CBS, ABC, NBC, HBO, FOX, Columbia Pictures, Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures, Disney, Comedy Central and Paramount Pictures. Ms. Buzby began her professional career as a classically trained actor in New York. Discovered by Carl Reiner, she was cast in Oh God, and shortly thereafter in the cult comedy classic Cheech & Chong’s Up In Smoke, and hailed by critic Pauline Kael for her performance. Ms. Buzby co-starred opposite Jerry Lewis in Cracking Up, and appeared in Rob Reiner’s hit comedy, This Is Spinal Tap. Prior to her acting career, Ms. Buzby worked at the Beatles’ Apple Films as an assistant film editor working with George Harrison and Bob Dylan on the feature, The Concert for Bangladesh. Zane Buzby’s life took a dramatic turn during a “roots” trip that she made to Eastern Europe. With help from Professor Dovid Katz in Lithuania, she connected with elderly Holocaust survivors who were ill and alone, living in poverty. Expanding the search for other survivors in dire need, these initial aid efforts served as the catalyst for the creation of “The Survivor Mitzvah Project”. In constant correspondence with the survivors the SMP helps, Ms. Buzby has created The Survivor Mitzvah Project’s Holocaust Educational Archive of life histories and Holocaust testimonies, and is currently making a documentary, FAMILY OF STRANGERS, about the survivors visited on SMP’s humanitarian aid expeditions, and the story of The Survivor Mitzvah Project’s efforts to bring emergency aid to the last survivors of the Shoah. Ms. Buzby is the 2011 recipient of the KCET LOCAL HERO AWARD for her humanitarian efforts to help elderly Holocaust survivors, and was named HERO AT HOME by KTLA television news in 2012. ADD’L LINKS: http://www.survivormitzvah.org/ https://www.facebook.com/survivormitzvah http://thelip.tv/ Media Mayhem Full Episodes Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XKrt0cZ0C8&index;=1&list;=PLC937B599FD2B8241 Media Mayhem Short Clips Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjZ_Zl6Ntdg&list;=PLjk3H0GXhhGcz4un-zws5sMlCLk3NNjDP&index;=1 https://www.facebook.com/MediaMayhem?directed_target_id=0 https://www.facebook.com/thelip.tv http://www.youtube.com/theliptv EPISODE BREAKDOWN: 00:01 Welcome to Media Mayhem. 00:10 Introducing Zane Buzby, director and actress, founder of The Survivor Mitzvah Project. 01:00 How and why Buzby founded The Survivor Mitzvah Project. 07:45 The people who benefit from The Survivor Mitzvah Project. 10:30 Clip explaining why people get involved and help others in need. 13:05 Buzby’s explanation of why these people are “the unluckiest generation.” 18:35 The incredible empathy of survivors. 22:30 Clip of Buzby giving a presentation. 24:55 Some of the people that Buzby met and the situations they are in. 33:05 Letters read aloud that were written by those who have been helped. 34:25 How the Holocaust of the east was different than the Holocaust we know. 36:40 Reasons why those affected never left the area. 38:40 Buzby’s call to action. 41:10 Thank you and goodbye.

• published: 25 Dec 2014
• views: 231