Isaac Ben Ezra

These are the comments I made at the Celebration for Isaac Ben Ezra's Lifetime of Activism. Image courtesy of Amherst Media.

I want to thank you all for coming out tonight to celebrate our own Isaac Ben Ezra's lifetime of achievement. We really appreciate your time.

I was surprised to learn that Isaac and I arrived in the Pioneer Valley at about the same time, in 1996. Some might come to Amherst to "retire", but not Isaac: he brought the same brand of activism which has defined his whole life. As a labor activist, he worked to organize people and the organizing skills he learned then led him to the civil rights movement. And the anti war movement. And the push for universal health care. And for freedom of speech. And for access to information to help people stay engaged with their local community.

His long-running show "Conversations" is how I first became aware of Isaac. As I tried to understand town politics, Isaac's show gave me a window into the personalities of candidates and helped shed light on the issues and controversies facing our community.

Isaac went on to take a leadership role at what was then Amherst Community Television. His leadership came at a critical moment for the organization. Isaac believed in the mission of an independent media for the town. His leadership, which brought Jim Lescault has led to the transformation of what is Amherst Media today.

I have seen the effects of that transformation personally: my son participated in the group that created Student News and Lights Up and other Riverwolf media projects that were all produced using the resources of Amherst Media. Those have led me to look for ways to give back.

We are here to recognize the leadership and activism of Isaac Ben Ezra. I encourage you to thank Isaac for his leadership by making a tribute gift in his name to support the mission of Amherst Media. Thank you once again for your attendance.