From left, Linda Medvin, director of the Arthur and Emalie Gutterman Family Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education; Dan Davidowitz; Leah Davidowitz; Shoshana Davidowitz; Ben Davidowitz; FAU President Stacy Volnick; Michael Horswell, Ph.D., dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters; and Laurie Carney, senior director of development and outreach in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.

Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters has received a significant gift from the Davidowitz family of Boynton Beach to expand Holocaust and Human Rights Education programming available to K-12 educators throughout Southeast Florida and to FAU students. Their gift establishes an endowment to support the Davidowitz Family Program Director within the Arthur and Emalie Gutterman Family Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education (CHHRE).

“It’s an honor to receive this gift from the Davidowitz family,” said FAU President Stacy Volnick. “For decades, the university has prepared Florida educators to teach students about the lessons of the Holocaust, and this impactful gift will enable us to expand that work at a time when it is more important than ever. With this contribution, the Davidowitz family is taking a stand against intolerance in all its forms, which is admirable and essential in modern-day society. We look forward to seeing these programs grow because of this extraordinary gift.”

The Davidowitz Family Program Director enables the center to expand programming to more K-12 educators. It also will enhance the ability of the Gutterman Family CHHRE to increase course offerings and teaching opportunities to FAU students engaged in learning or teaching about the Holocaust or peace, justice and human rights through the College of Arts and Letters. Those opportunities could come through earning program certificates, scholarships, fellowships or Ph.D. stipends for students engaged in teaching about the Holocaust or peace, justice, and human rights.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to the Davidowitz family for their generous support of our work,” said Linda Medvin, director of the Arthur and Emalie Gutterman Family Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education. “Their gift will enable us to reach many more teachers throughout our region with Holocaust education programs, which will enable them to provide important lessons about prejudice, hatred and indifference to future generations of students.”

The Arthur and Emalie Gutterman Family Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education provides opportunities for educators to deepen their knowledge about the Holocaust and human rights, and in turn, teach about these subjects in their classrooms. The Gutterman Family CHHRE works with K-12 educators in five partner school districts in Southeast Florida – Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties – teaching the history and lessons of the Holocaust to combat prejudice, hatred and indifference; to identify behaviors that discriminate against people; and to know when and how to act on behalf of others. Its programs include K-12 teacher professional development seminars, its annual Summer Institute for Educators, community programming, and its annual awards dinner honoring Holocaust educators.

“As a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, I know the human rights atrocities that my own family and millions of others endured,” said Dan Davidowitz. “Even today, though, we are concerned that the threat of these atrocities still exists across the globe. We support human rights education and the preservation of the voices of genocide survivors so that our leaders and citizens can learn and vow to never let it happen again. The education enabled by FAU and the Gutterman Family Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education does immeasurable work in providing our teachers and students everything that they need to bring tolerance, understanding and open-mindedness from the lessons of intolerance, persecution and hate.”

The Davidowitz family are longtime supporters of FAU and the Gutterman Family CHHRE, including support of the annual Outstanding Holocaust Education Awards dinner and as Friends of the Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education. Dan Davidowitz also served on the Gutterman Family CHHRE advisory board.

“The Davidowitz family’s gift is especially significant not only for the Gutterman Family Center but for the entire College of Arts and Letters,” said Michael Horswell, Ph.D., dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “We envision greater engagement with the center as this gift will increase opportunities for our FAU students. We are thankful to the Davidowitz family for all they have done to support the important work of the Gutterman Family Center.”

To learn more about the Gutterman Family Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education, visit  www.fau.edu/artsandletters/pjhr/chhre/ or call 561-297-0849.

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