A man for all reasons
UNA honors Marvin Schachter, a frontline soldier in every major social cause over the past 60 years
By Ellen Snortland 10/14/2009
Marvin Schachter is the kind of man you want on your team. Eyes twinkling, formidable brain whirring, Schachter is a force for good. If you don’t know Marvin Schachter — and I’m sorry if you don’t — you are missing out on a role model for yourself and your children.
On Oct. 25, the United Nations Association– Pasadena/Foothills Chapter will honor Schachter during its annual celebration of United Nations Day. The local UNA selected Schachter for their Lifetime Achievement Award for many reasons, not simply because he is a past president of the organization and is largely responsible for its vigorous presence in Pasadena, long after his tenure. While the UNA is struggling in many communities to stay relevant, Schachter has — through his business and philanthropic savvy — kept the Pasadena chapter alive and vital over decades.
Schachter has so many accomplishments, over six decades of service, from student to senior, I can barely wrap my mind around them. It’s mind-boggling how active this man has been!
It all started with his stellar student career, both in the US and at England’s Cambridge University. He was involved with major student activism in the early years of the Civil Rights Movement in the South. He served in the military. He became a highly successful retail executive. He was — and still is — an ardent family man. In the humanitarian world, he co-founded the International Criminal Court Alliance and also provided a strategic leadership role in the California nuclear freeze movement. Schachter served 51 years on the regional American Civil Liberties Union board of directors and — devoted to providing alternative news — even co-founded the Pasadena Weekly. Thanks, Marvin!
More recently, he served as housing chair for the California Commission on Aging. Currently, he is the chair of the Senior Advocacy Council of Pasadena, president of the LA County Agency on Aging Advisory Council and a board member of the Center for Healthcare Rights.
Eyes crossing yet? Aren’t you exhausted from reading about Marvin’s activities? Imagine doing them all!
My pivotal question to Marvin in a recent conversation was, “How do we grow more Marvins (and Marvinas)?” I asked Marvin how he got to be the way he is. “Two things,” he said. “My family had a great love of learning. My father read two papers a day: one in Yiddish and The New York Times. We all loved learning and had great conversations at the dinner table. Secondly, it was the times. We were confronting the Depression and such horror in Europe, where millions were murdered in the Holocaust.” Indeed. A loving family like the Schachters would be compelled to make the world a better place. And that they’ve done. Marvin is exceedingly proud of his siblings, who all accomplished great things. He added, “I had a great childhood. Everyone was so good to me.” Lucky for us, he’s passed that goodness on to his community as well as the world. See the importance of eating together as a family? We need family time for the greater good. Speaking of family, I believe that kudos are due to the spouse of such a vibrant community force. Esther Schachter needs an award too! She’s the mensch behind the scenes who partners the mensch out in front.
If you’d like to honor Marvin Schachter and the founding of the United Nations, please attend the festivities on Oct. 25. There will be something for everyone. Besides the luncheon honoring Marvin, there will be two other UN-oriented happenings. The luncheon is a fund-raising effort and requires reservations, but if you’re on a budget, bring the whole family for a free visit to the vendors and booths of local businesses and nonprofits whose services are in line with the UN’s eight Millennium Development Goals.
Do you know youngsters who might be interested in participating in a Model United Nations? Bring them along so they can get information. This is a local way to participate in our global community, as did the UNA’s Global Friends Program: they just sent a shipping container loaded with school supplies to Nigeria for rural school kids who have virtually nothing. The UNA also holds monthly coffee talks with speakers that we can rarely hear at other venues. Attend, learn and join.
Marvin Schachter personifies the aphorism “Think Globally, Act Locally.” While we honor him, we’re honored that he’s on our team.
The UN Day Festival is from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Western Justice Center, 55 S. Grand Ave., Pasadena. Visit unapasadena.org for more details.
For information or luncheon reservations, contact Sherry Simpson Dean at (626) 449-1795 or write to sherry@unapasadena.org.
Ellen teaches writing in Altadena. Contact her at snortland.com.
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