Arizona Tribune - Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation Thanks New York City Council for Funding AJCF American Service Academies Program

This year's cohort included cadets and midshipmen from the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. An additional ASAP group will travel later this summer.

The intensive program's itinerary took participants to Poland, where they learned about the history of antisemitism, which led to the Holocaust. There, they learned about the history of the pre-war Jewish community, learned and tour sites connected with the Holocaust, including concentration camps and mass graves and met with Holocaust survivors, scholars, elected officials and educators. They then traveled to New York where they engaged with U.S.-based Holocaust survivors, city elected officials and educators. The transformative journey across two continents focused on Holocaust history, ethical responsibility in armed conflict and the moral consequences of leadership during times of atrocity.

On June 10, the group had the opportunity to meet Holocaust survivors for a special mentorship program. Council member Julie Menin was on hand to open the event by sharing the story of her mother and grandmother's experiences during the Holocaust. Council member Menin also explained to the cadets and midshipmen the importance of those in positions of leadership taking a stand against antisemitism and all forms of hate.

"We are very thankful to the City Council for supporting our critical ASAP program," said AJCF Chairman Simon Bergson. "Now more than ever, we must continue to ensure that the leaders of tomorrow are empowered with the history and lessons of history's darkest hour."

"We are extremely humbled to have partnered with Council Speaker Adams, and Council members Menin and Dinowitz for this year's ASAP program," said AJCF Director General Jack Simony. "New York is the greatest city in the world, and its commitment to furthering Holocaust education and combatting antisemitism has made it even greater."

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, 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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