In the past six years, Voices for Truth and Humanity has pushed for New York State mandated Holocaust curriculum. Now that the state has approved a $500,000 budget to review and propose statewide curriculum, Voices for Truth has not stopped their mission to promote accurate Holocaust education.
Voices for Truth is a volunteer nonprofit based in Jericho. Its fifth annual Remembrance Awards Dinner will celebrate its successes and continue to fundraise for the cause. The night will feature silent auctions, raffles and an awards ceremony. The dinner will be held at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
Voices for Truth and Humanity is a volunteer nonprofit organization based in Jericho that aims to promote nationwide education about the Holocaust.“It’s about awareness,” said the nonprofit’s president Jack Britvan. “It’s about our education system.”
Last year’s Remembrance Dinner raised about $20,000 to promote Holocaust education in schools, Britvan said. Since 2018, Voices for Truth has aimed to establish a statewide curriculum on Holocaust education.
In 1994, New York State mandated that Holocaust education be taught in schools.
However, Britvan said, the state did not apply a curriculum to the mandate, leaving school districts to decide what to cover in their courses. Britvan said that the lack of curriculum has led to misinformation.
Britvan said without proper education and awareness, there is a threat that the past will repeat itself in the future.
“History can and will repeat itself if people don’t learn about history,” he said.
This year, New York State approved a $500,000 budget to review and propose a curriculum for Holocaust education. Voices for Truth aims to first establish a curriculum in New York and then work with other states that do not have one.
Curriculum is not the only initiative that Voices for Truth has worked on in the past six years.
The Light Up Yellow campaign takes place on Holocaust Remembrance Day, encouraging major buildings to light up yellow to spread awareness. The nearby buildings that participated include the Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden. In the past three years, it has expanded to eight states.
Britvan said the campaign aims to “get people to pay attention.”
Voices for Truth held an essay writing contest for high school seniors to promote students’ education on the material. The essay prompted students to reflect on what they’ve learned about the subject both in and out of school. Winners will receive a $1,000 award. All winning seniors will be announced and honored at the Remembrance Awards Dinner.
The Remembrance Awards Dinner will feature raffles, silent auctions, awards, and speeches from prominent figures. Raffle tickets will be free with admission, so all participants can attend. Raffles and auctions will start at 5:50 p.m., and the dinner will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive president of the New York Board of Rabbis, will give an invocation at the dinner.
2024 Honorees include Rabbi Deborah Bravo, who will receive the second annual Rabbi Mark Golub Person of the Year Award; Tom DiNapoli, who will receive the Public Service Award; Roger Tillis, who will receive the Humanitarian Award; and the Sam and Martin Bloch Essay Contest Winners, who will be announced at the event.
About 200 people attended last year’s event, which fundraised about $20,000, Britvan said.
For more information on the organization, please visit www.voices4truthandhumanity.org.
