The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County honored four students at its 2025 Claire Friedlander Upstander Awards.
The 2025 Claire Friedlander Upstander Awards ceremony, held on April 10 at Fresh Meadow Country Club, recognized young people who exemplified courage, compassion, and commitment to fighting hate.
The four students recognized were Molly Deblinger, a senior at Half Hollow Hills High School West; Jackson Maurino, a senior at Babylon Junior-Senior High School; Ella Ben-Hamo, a junior at Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School; and Kyle Lee, a junior at Portledge School.
Following the award ceremony, the center hosted a panel discussion, featuring Shabbos Kestenbaum, the lead plaintiff in the case against Harvard University, and Consolee Nishimwe, a survivor of the genocide against the Tutsi.
The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center extended deep appreciation to The Claire Friedlander Family Foundation and all sponsors whose generosity and partnership made the event possible. For more information about the center, please visit hmtcli.org.
