Arizona Tribune - Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation Awards Medal of Valor to Group of Black Leaders & Change Makers

The powerful journey was led by CNN commentator, Dream Machine Founder, Emmy award winner and New York Times best-selling author Van Jones who will receive the AJCF's Fighting Hatred Award at the same event.

In January, the group traveled to Poland to tour Auschwitz and participate in the state ceremony marking 80years since the Concentration and Death Camp's liberation. While there, they explored Jewish life and history before the Holocaust, met with Holocaust survivors and visited historical sites such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Auschwitz Jewish Center, Krakow's Kazimierz Jewish Quarter, Schindler's Factory and the Krakow Ghetto Memorial. In Warsaw, the delegation toured the Jewish Historical Institute, the Jewish Cemetery, Warsaw Ghetto memorials and other sites that honor the city's once-vibrant Jewish community. The group also met with relatives of hostages currently held in Gaza, listening to their stories and showing solidarity in the face of ongoing suffering.

"We are honored to recognize this diverse group of leaders, activists and change-makers at this year's gala," said AJCF Chairman Simon Bergson. "The Jewish and Black communities share a historic alliance, and with the current surge in antisemitism, it is all the more important that our friendship stand strong during these times."

Malynda Hale is an actress, singer, and a key founder of the Black Voices Heard Project, a photo and video-based series developed in the wake of the death of George Floyd, which amplifies Black voices and experiences. Her series shares personal anecdotes and the message for the need for listeners to combat racism and stereotypes.

Victory Boyd is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and instrumentalist who creates powerful music within the genres of R&B, folk, soul, and gospel. She won her first Grammy® in 2019. On the January trip, Boyd brought her guitar along, expressing the emotional experience through song.

Alongside Van Jones, Roker co-founded the Dream Machine Innovation Lab, a non-profit organization that aims to equip multicultural communities with the tools to effectively harness artificial intelligence and spearhead the future of innovation. He also partnered with Jones to launch the EXODUS Leadership Forum, which aims to renew the historic Black/Jewish Alliance, reduce polarization, and strengthen democracy. The Bahamian-Jewish artist and influencer serves as a strategic advisor to Reboot Studios, which provides seed investments to develop new inspirational and transformational Jewish content, helping to tell stories through a Jewish lens about the shared human experience. Earlier in his career, he served as a global head of editorial for Amazon Music.

John Hope Bryant is the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, a non-profit organization that helps elevate individuals from underserved communities by providing education in financial literacy. Since 1992, it has been a driving force in economic empowerment, shifting America from civil rights to "Silver Rights" - a movement to ensure free enterprise and capitalism work for all. To date, Operation HOPE has impacted 4 million individuals.

Chaitra Dalton-Bryant founded Bryant Group Ventures, the 22nd largest black-owned business in America. She is also known for her brilliant mind, powerful voice, and compassion for all.

Pastor Carl Day leads the Culture Changing Christians Worship Center in Philadelphia, PA, and the founder and executive director of the local nonprofit "Beat The Block," an award-winning local initiative that provides eligible young men, ages 18-25, with a paid, holistic and transformative training programfocused on personal development, professional development and creating new entrepreneurs.

"Each of our honorees has taken up the fight against antisemitism, leveraging their talents and leadership to impact those in their reach," said AJCF Director General Jack Simony. "The Jewish people cannot fight antisemitism alone. Strong partnerships and alliances, like the historic alliance between the Black and Jewish communities, are integral to not only fight the vile antisemitism of today but also the bigotry of tomorrow."

In addition to the honorees, the gala celebrates the foundation's 25 years of fighting hatred and antisemitism and marks 20 years of its American Service Academies Program (ASAP). ASAP is a 16-day educational initiative for a select group of military cadets and midshipmen from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force academies that takes place in the United States and Poland. Focusing on the lessons of the Holocaust, ethical responsibility in the military, and related contemporary moral and ethical issues, this program provides a profound learning experience for future military officers during which they meet with Holocaust survivors, elected officials and expert historians and educators in both countries.

The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the lessons learned from the Holocaust to combat hatred and bigotry through educational programs and by providing direct humanitarian aid to victims of mass atrocities. It supports survivors of genocides and other tragedies, including Ukrainian refugees and those impacted by Hamas's October 7 attacks. The Foundation maintains the Auschwitz Jewish Center, which includes the last remaining synagogue in Oświęcim (Auschwitz) and serves as the primary institution dedicated to preserving the memory of the town's Jewish community while addressing hate. To date, over a million people have visited the center and more than 300,000 individuals, including first responders, military personnel, students and educators, have taken part in its educational initiatives on tolerance and the Holocaust. For more information, visit: https://ajcfus.org/.

Contact: Joshua Steinreich
Steinreich Communications
(212) 491-1600
[email protected]

SOURCE: Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

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