Dr. Leon Chameides is among Connecticut residents who have contributed to the fabric of life in Connecticut and America who will inducted into the Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame at the Induction Ceremony & Gala by the National Immigrant Heritage Center on Thursday, October 12. The event will be held at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville, Conn.

In addition to Chameides, a pediatric cardiologist, author and Holocaust survivor and educator, the inductees beefing Honore include Rohan Freeman; civil engineer, entrepreneur, adventurer-mountaineer and nonprofit advocate; Dr. Shyamala Raman; economist, educator and activist for interreligious understanding; and Dr. Galo Rodriguez; CEO, Village for Children and Families; nonprofit executive 

“We are very pleased to recognize this inspiring group of individuals who embody the kind of perseverance, commitment to excellence and notable achievement that have made our world a better place,” said Demetrios Giannaros, president of the National Immigrant Heritage Center. “The Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame Induction Gala is a celebration of the great contributions that our inductees and those of immigrant heritage make to this great state, nation and the world beyond.” 

Dr. Leon Chameides was born in Poland in 1935. Following the German invasion, Leon and his family fled to settle in present-day Ukraine, where he went into hiding in a monastery to survive the Holocaust. After immigrating to the U.S., Dr. Chameides later became the founding Chair of Pediatric Cardiology and Chair of Pediatrics at Hartford Hospital and worked on committees that established Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in 1996. He also helped in the development of the first cardiovascular curriculum at the University of Connecticut’s new School of Medicine as a Clinical Professor. Dr. Chameides has been an active leader in the Jewish-American community. 

In addition to honoring each inductee, the 2023 event honoring the new inductees will also include an artistic program featuring performances reflecting the cultural backgrounds and heritage of the inductees. 

Keynote speaker for the IHHF induction ceremony will be Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, himself the son of an immigrant. Tong is the oldest of five children and grew up working side- by-side with his immigrant parents in their family’s Chinese restaurant. 

The Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame was initially a project of the Polish American Foundation of Connecticut, Inc., a 501(c)3 charitable organization, which launched and operated the Hall of Fame from inception. It was succeeded by the establishment during 2021 of the National Immigrant Heritage Center (NIHC), an independent 501(c)3 organization established as a multi-ethnic Center, inclusive in its mission, structure and governance. 

NIHC aims to promote and publish research, lectures, and conferences on the many dimensions of Connecticut’s immigrant heritage and the role of immigration throughout the American economy and culture. Its work, and the annual Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame induction ceremony, is to be supported by an endowment that organizers anticipate will sponsor, support and provide research fellowships, to further these activities and expand public awareness and understanding. 

Tickets for the 2023 Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame gala are now available. For more information, visit immigrantheritage.org or call (860) 817- 0368. 

PHOTO: Dr. Leon Chameides