According to The Anti-Defamation League, “[…] the number of anti-Semitic incidents was nearly 60 percent higher in 2017 than 2016, the largest single-year increase on record […].” As we witness this disturbing trend, the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is playing a vital role in educating the public and combating hatred and prejudice in all forms.
To help continue this necessary work, the museum hosted its 2019 Humanitarian Awards Dinner on March 13. The event welcomed more than 2,000 attendees and honored the museum’s 10th anniversary, Holocaust survivors, and William Blair President and CEO John Ettelson, recipient of the 2019 Humanitarian Award. The event raised $3 million for the museum.
President Bill Clinton served as keynote speaker, 10 years after serving as keynote speaker at the opening of the Illinois Holocaust Museum. President Clinton also spoke with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker about those who influenced him growing up and his time in office.
During an especially moving portion of the evening, Museum President and Holocaust Survivor Fritzie Fritzshall said, “We must combat antisemitism, bigotry, and hatred whenever they occur — whether from within our government or without; whether from the left or the right. We must all take a stand for humanity.”
Learn more about how you can make a difference, as well as the mission of the museum and its current exhibits, at ilholocaustmuseum.org
