TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — In a partnership with the Benjamin Ferencz Institute for Ethics, Human Rights and the Holocaust (formerly MIMEH) CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center has launched its new consortium, Athletes Against Antisemitism and Discrimination.
The program is designed to help athletes raise awareness around topics like the Holocaust, antisemitism, and other forms of identity-based discrimination and hate. The consortium includes a curriculum that is based on experience and offers resources like books, videos, interactive online discussions, in-person and virtual lectures with internationally recognized speakers, and immersive guided tours through Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The consortium aims to encourage and embolden student-athletes to take a stand against and speak out when faced with injustice and/or intolerance, serving as an ethical role model for future generations.
The idea for the consortium was inspired by the success of the Davidson College Men’s Basketball Journey of Remembrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 2018 and other similar projects and programs. Holocaust survivor and CANDLES founder Eva Mozes Kor led the team on a trip to Auschwitz, and through the Athletes Against Antisemitism and Discrimination consortium, the program’s goal is to support more team trips to Auschwitz-Birkenau starting in the summer of 2024.
“The goal of this consortium is to educate a new generation of leaders about the specific violations of human dignity and human rights that took place during the Holocaust and help them understand the relevance of these lessons for today’s society. We want to inspire athletes to use their platform to stand up and speak out when they witness antisemitism, discrimination, and identity-based hatred and become a force for change in the world,” said Dr. Stacy Gallin, Founding Director of the Ferencz Institute.
The Consortium will be led by recently retired Davidson College Coach Bob McKillop, and will also include Gallin and Dr. Amanda Caleb, Educational Consultant to the Ferencz Institute. Dr. Alex Kor, son of Eva Mozes Kor will also be involved along with Dan Grunfeld, grandchild of Holocaust survivors and son of Olympic Gold medalist, NBA player and executive Ernie Grunfeld, and author of the book, By the Grace of the Game: The Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream; Graham Honaker and Jerry Logan, authors of the book, Unbracketed: Big-Time College Basketball Done the Right Way, and Rabbi Erez Sherman, co-senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles and host of the podcast Rabbi on the Sidelines, which features interviews with prominent athletes in the world of sports who are using athletics as a way to facilitate unity and encourage peace between different cultures and faiths.
“Respect, dignity, and civility seem to be ever elusive in our world today. Our leaders must seize the initiative and not idly sit by and abdicate this responsibility,” said Bob McKillop. “It is our plan and our hope that this consortium becomes the voice of respect for the dignity and sanctity of all human lives, no matter the religion, the nationality, the race, or the sex. We will work very hard to fulfill this sacred responsibility.”
The Consortium is being launched at a time when antisemitism and other forms of identity-based hate and discrimination are on the rise not just in America, but also throughout the entire world as recent studies have illustrated that younger generations are increasingly unaware of the Holocaust.
A 2020 nationwide survey showed data of a “worrying lack of basic Holocaust knowledge” among adults under 40, including over 1 in 10 respondents who did not recall ever having heard the word “Holocaust” before.
“College basketball programs are typically measured by the number of wins and championships that they achieve. Yet, years from now, the wins and losses may be forgotten but lessons of hope, healing, humanity, resilience, and overcoming adversity that the Davidson team learned from their journey to Auschwitz-Birkenau will be remembered by all forever. And, from above, my mother will be smiling down and realizing that she made a difference. My sincere hope is that through this consortium additional programs will be able to take part in such a transformative experience,” said Dr. Alex Kor.
For more information on the more information on the Athletes Against Antisemitism and Discrimination Consortium, visit the Ferencz Institute’s Athletes Against Antisemitism and Discrimination webpage.
