$2 Million donation to National WWII Museum to further Holocaust education
San Francisco-based Taube Philanthropies has pledged $2 million to The National WWII Museum in New Orleans for the development of the Taube Family Holocaust Education Program, which will ensure public remembrance of the atrocities that led to the genocide of more than six million European Jews during World War II. The gift will support ongoing Holocaust educational initiatives at the Museum, including free public programming presented annually on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as well as distance learning programs that help students across the nation explore individual and collective responsibility in the Holocaust.
“Many initiatives of Taube Philanthropies focus on World War II, the deep and powerful effects of which continue to influence world events,” said Tad Taube, Founder-Chairman of Taube Philanthropies. “The new Holocaust Education Program is particularly timely because, according to recent research, Americans are remembering less and less about the war and the lessons of the Holocaust.”
The Taube Family Holocaust Education Program will be overseen by an advisory committee of scholars, who will provide guidance on educational content that focuses on the historical significance of the Holocaust, its lasting impact on society and the lessons of pertinence in our world today. Public events will include lectures, symposia, film screenings, and programs highlighting recent research and personal accounts of the Nazi genocide. The programming will also be streamed nationally and archived online for future viewing.
The Advisory Committee is comprised of renowned Holocaust experts, including Daniel Greene, PhD, Historian and Adjunct Professor, Northwestern University; Wendy Lower, PhD, John K. Roth Professor of History, Claremont McKenna College; Samuel Kassow, PhD, Charles H. Northam Professor of History, Trinity College; Robert Citino, PhD, Samuel Zemurray Stone Senior Historian, The National WWII Museum; and Shana Penn, Executive Director, Taube Philanthropies.
Additionally, the Museum’s WWII Media and Education Center offers Holocaust education to middle and high school students throughout the nation through two distance learning programs – The Holocaust: One Teen’s Story of Persecution and Survival and When They Came for Me: The Holocaust. The Taube gift will allow the Museum to expand its current program content, update technology needed to support online education and provide additional staffing resources.
“As the WWII generation passes away, The National WWII Museum has been entrusted to continue telling their stories to future generations – especially the important story of the Holocaust,” said Stephen J. Watson, President & CEO at The National WWII Museum. “The gift from Taube Philanthropies makes it possible for the Museum to expand its teachings about the atrocities of the Holocaust and why we should all stand together against future genocides.”
To kick off the expanded Holocaust education initiative, on October 25, the Museum will host a screening – and an accompanying public symposium – of Who Will Write Our History, a feature-length documentary examining how Polish Jewish historian Emanuel Ringelblum rallied a secret group within the Warsaw Ghetto to chronicle the lives of thousands of Polish Jews as they starved, suffered and ultimately were deported to death camps. Ringelblum and his team buried their documents in milk canisters and metal containers, with the hope they’d be found after the war and to ensure their voices and culture would live on. The documentary is based on the book of the same title by Samuel Kassow with Roberta Grossman as Producer/Director and Nancy Spielberg as Executive Producer.
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United Hatzalah trains EMTs for certification in Israel and U.S.
For the second consecutive year, United Hatzalah of Israel will be offering a hybrid Israeli and United States emergency first responder training course. The course, which is set to begin on October 14th with an orientation class, will allow participants to become certified EMTs in both Israel and most of the United States.
The course is being taught by United Hatzalah but is recognized by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) which certifies EMTs across the United State and whose accreditation is used by 46 states out of 50 as a basis for licensure. United Hatzalah is Israel’s official training partner of the NREMT.
“We are making the effort to reach out to the English speaking population in Israel who often travel to the U.S. as well as students studying in Israel for their gap year. Many of these people want to get involved and save lives so we came up with this training course that will certify them in both countries allowing them to save lives no matter where they are,” said President and Founder Eli Beer.
The course will be given in English. It is comprised of in-class training, as mandated by Israel’s Health Ministry, and includes extra components online that comply with the NREMT training. The in-class training will be conducted at United Hatzalah’s headquarters in Jerusalem. — From United Hatzalah
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University of Michigan disciplines professor who refused recommendation for Israel-bound student
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) has welcomed the University of Michigan administration decision to bring disciplinary actions against John Cheney-Lippold, the tenured associate professor who refused to write a letter of recommendation for a student applying to study in Israel.
“A student’s merit should be your primary guide for determining how and whether to provide a letter of recommendation. You are not to use student requests for recommendations as a platform to discuss your personal political needs,” wrote Elizabeth Cole, the interim dean of UM’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts, in the letter to Cheney-Lippold notifying him of the disciplinary actions.
“The University of Michigan has made it clear that educating students is its top priority, that it will not tolerate this type of inappropriate behavior that hinders a student’s education,” said Seffi Kogen, AJC’s Global Director of Young Leadership. “Professors are entitled to their personal political viewpoints, even radical viewpoints. But when those opinions get in the way of their job performance—and writing letters of recommendation for qualified students is a part of a professor’s job—then their employers are entitled, indeed obligated, to take action to protect students from the kind of capriciousness that Professor Cheney-Lippold displayed.”
“The University of Michigan is undoubtedly one of the best schools for Jewish students,” continued Kogen. “I applaud the Jewish student leaders and their allies and supporters who helped navigate this situation to a positive conclusion.” — From the American Jewish Committee
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Blogger’s critic disassociates from Shi’ite group as libel suit progresses
An under-fire German-Iranian business consultant has resigned from his position on the board of the umbrella organization for Shiite Muslims in Germany, it was learned Tuesday. Dawood Nazirizadeh was on the board of the Islamic Association of Shiite Congregations in Germany (IGS) but resigned his position on October 1, he revealed in a Munich court.
The revelation came during a court hearing after Mr. Nazirizadeh sued German-based Iranian dissident, human rights activist and blogger Dr. Kazem Moussavi, who is being defended by the legal think tank, The Lawfare Project.
Dr. Moussavi has lived in Germany for thirty years. He fled Iran after suffering harassment, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the regime due to his political stance. The Germanauthorities recognize Moussavi as a victim of political persecution. Moussavi has continued to opposethe Iranian regime and its activities. He is the German spokesperson of The Green Party of Iran, founded in
exile in 1999. As well as environmentalist policies, The Green Party of Iran champions universal human rights, equal rights for men and women, religious freedom and LGBTQI rights. The party advocates for a secular and democratic Iran free of nuclear weapons and vehemently opposes the regime’s antisemitism and Holocaust denial.
Nazirizadeh is suing Dr. Moussavi regarding allegations made in the dissident’s blog, which regularly exposes those alleged to have links to the Iranian regime. Nazirizadeh has led a number of high-level delegations of German business people to encourage German trade with Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), plays a dominant role in the Iranian economy.
Nazirizadeh’s resignation from IGS suggests that he was wary of being associated with an organization described in a written assessment by the German Ministry of Interior as having been “influenced and infiltrated” by radical Islamists. Board members and supporters of IGS participate in the annual Al-Quds Day march, an Iranian regime inspired event notorious in several countries for its displays of virulent antisemitism and support for the Iranian government and its terrorist proxies such as Hezbollah. Dr Moussavi has regularly campaigned against the holding of the Al-Quds Day march in Berlin.
Brooke Goldstein, Executive Director of The Lawfare Project said:“The Lawfare Project will continue to support the legal defense of those working to expose radicalization inthe West. Libel suits are a common tactic and an act of lawfare, designed to silence and intimidate anyonebrave enough to speak out about supporters of extremism and extremist regimes. The Lawfare Project’s
legal fund is proud to support the defense of Dr. Moussavi in the interest of upholding freedom of speech on issues of public concern and national security. We are pleased to see that our legal defense has seemingly played a role in Mr. Nazirizadeh’s resignation from a group that, according to German Ministry of the Interior is “influenced and infiltrated” by extremists.” — From the Lawfare Project
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Senator Bob Menendez praises Congress for its strong support of Israel
Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday submitted the following statement for the Senate record expressing his strong support for a robust U.S. – Israel relationship, and praising Congress for its work to sustain these ties.
Today I want to once again reaffirm that the United States Congress stands firmly behind a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. As threats to Israel continue to increase, as her enemies continue to grow ever-closer, the United States will stand firm in our commitments.
Despite partisanship interfering with so many pressing policy issues today, an overwhelming majority of members of all political parties continue to reaffirm Congressional support for this relationship.
Congress continues to fully fund the unprecedented $38 billion of Memorandum of Understanding for Military Aid. And will continue to do so on a bipartisan basis.
Congress continues to authorize and fund missile co-development programs like Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow 3. And will continue to do so on a bipartisan basis.
Congress passed the Taylor Force Act, making clear that the United States will not provide assistance that directly benefits the Palestinian Authority until it stops incentivizing violence by paying salaries to prisoners convicted of terrorism against Israeli or American citizens.
And should there be any question about where the entirety of the United States Senate – Democrats and Republicans stand – all 100 Senators signed a letter calling for Israel’s inclusion in the Global Entry Program.
Our relationship with Israel is rooted in this bipartisanship. We are stronger for it, and so is Israel. It is disappointing to see some try to drive a political wedge in this historical support.
Those who would try to use Israel or support for the U.S.-Israel relationship as a political football are not helping this relationship, nor are they helping promote either American or Israeli security. Along with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I will continue to be a vocal advocate for a robust U.S.-relationship rooted in strong bipartisan support.
Preceding items culled from news releases. Send yours to editor@sdjewishworld.com