Remembering the Holocaust

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, an annual day of recognition which honors the victims of the Holocaust, including more than 6 million Jewish people. On this day, we commemorate the liberation of those who survived, reassert our commitment to human rights, and condemn all instances of intolerance, hate or violence.

At Florida Atlantic, we are committed to educating our students, community and the world about the lessons of the Holocaust through several university centers, initiatives and programs.

The Arthur and Emalie Gutterman Family Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education (CHHRE), located on the Boca Raton campus, is a formal unit of FAU’s Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights (PJHR) within the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. It was established in 2015 to prepare South Florida educators for the state’s required instruction of the Holocaust and serves more than 500 K-12 teachers as well as 350 FAU students each year. In 2020, the Gutterman Family donated a multimillion-dollar gift to name the center and elevate its work in combatting prejudice, hatred and indifference.

Last week, to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, the CHHRE hosted Tony-nominated director, actor and playwright Eleanor Reissa to speak about her book, “The Letters Project: A Daughter’s Journey” — a memoir that recounts her parents’ experiences during the Holocaust, including her father’s fight to stay alive in Auschwitz. Additionally, yesterday, the CHHRE, along with the Schmidt College of Medicine, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach sponsored an event to discuss “Medicine During the Holocaust and its Contemporary Relevance.”

In September 2022, we ceremoniously broke ground on the Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building, which was made possible by a historic $20 million gift from Kurt and Marilyn Wallach. Once constructed on the Boca Raton campus, it will serve as the hub for the university’s Holocaust and Jewish studies program. It also will memorialize the victims of the Holocaust, honor its survivors, and organize other signature programs under one roof, including:

• Arthur and Emalie Gutterman Family Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education
• Raddock Family Eminent Scholar in Holocaust Studies
• Herbert and Elaine Gimelstob Eminent Scholar in Jewish Studies
• Holocaust and Jewish Studies programs
• Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights
• Leon Charney Diplomacy Program
• Barb Schmidt Fellowship: Cultivating Community Involvement, Advocacy and Social Change.

Florida Atlantic has a large and active Jewish student population, and since 2006, the Hillel Center has served as a vital space for these students. In addition to providing student programming, the Hillel Center provides a kosher kitchen, Shabbat services and dinners, social gatherings and weekly learning activities. We are proud to partner with Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach to enrich our Jewish students’ college experience and support their religious beliefs.

Above all, FAU is committed to ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for our Jewish community as well as all students, faculty and staff. We know that education is our best hope against hatred, and we remain dedicated to providing a holistic and human-centered education to promote peace, justice and human rights for all.