I Spirituality Focus: Holocaust Lipstadt Lineup Historian opens legacy programming honoring Rabbi and Alicia Nelson. W ednesday, May 13, will mark the debut program of the newly established Rabbi David and Alicia Nelson Legacy Fund. The program features Holocaust histo- rian Deborah E. Lipstadt in a daylong series of events. The day will begin with a program for Federation staff; con- tinue with a lunch and learn for high school students, followed by a seminar for Holocaust educators; and culminate with a keynote program at Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park for the public. The Rabbi David and Alicia Nelson Legacy Fund will continue Rabbi Nelson's legacy of service to his congregation, the Jewish community and the community at large. Now rabbi emeritus of Congregation Beth Shalom after 36 years as its religious leader, Rabbi Nelson is focusing on his areas of special interest — education, interfaith issues and the needs of young families — through this fund. "As an esteemed educator and historian who has affected people worldwide — of all ages and interests — Dr. Deborah Lipstadt fits in perfectly with the goals of our fund',' says Alicia Nelson."We are tremendously excited about this program. It enhances Beth Shalom's leadership role in the community. And it reaches out to the broad spectrum of people that David has touched over his 36 years at the synagogue." Says Rabbi Nelson, "I'm honored to have my name associated with such a unique and educational program. It's a distinct plea- sure to welcome Dr. Deborah Lipstadt as our first speaker." Dr. Lipstadt is the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, where she directs the Institute for Jewish Studies. She has authored several books, including History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving, who sued her for calling him a Holocaust denier and right-wing extremist, and Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory, the first frill-length study of people who attempt to deny the Holocaust. She is frequently called upon by national broadcast and print media to offer expertise on Holocaust issues. Among her numer- ous teaching citations are an award by the Emory student gov- ernment association as the teacher most likely to motivate stu- dents to learn about new and unfamiliar topics, and the Emory Williams award, based on nominations by alumni for the profes- Los Angeles/JTA T his month marks nine years since Holocaust denier David Irving lost his libel suit against histo- rian and scholar Deborah Lipstadt, who chronicled her battle against him in the book History On Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving (Harper Collins, 2005). Lipstadt, the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, has just unveiled on Rabbi David and Alicia Nelson sor who has had the greatest impact on them. Rabbi Nelson hopes the Nelson Legacy Fund becomes a leader in the local Jewish community for bringing a focus to issues that are important to all of us through nationally and internationally known speakers, special events and more. "We believe that this eventful day with Deborah Lipstadt is our first step on that path," he said. El For information on the Deborah Lipstadt program and the Rabbi David and Alicia Nelson Legacy Fund, contact Alicia Nelson, (248) 557-0114 or alicia@allthingsjewish.com . Event Sponsors The formal list: • C.H.A.I.M. • Congregation Beth Shalom • Rabbi David and Alicia Nelson Legacy Fund • Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family www.hdot.org the translations of the pop- ular "Myths & Facts" sheets, which help refute deniers with historical evidence, in Arabic, Farsi, Turkish and Russian. On this Holocaust Remembrance Day — 70 years since the start of World War H — Lipstadt discusses the changing face of Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism, how the next generation of Jews relate to the Holocaust and the role it should play in forging Jewish identity, and why Hollywood loves her story. The schedule of events featuring Deborah Lipstadt: • 8:45-10 a.m., Max M. Fisher Federation Building, Bloomfield Township, for Jewish community professionals, "Creating an Ethical Jewish Professionals Community." • 11:30 a.m., Jewish Community Center, West Bloomfield, for students from Frankel Jewish Academy and other schools, lunch and learn, "Holocaust Denial: What is it ... what do you do about it." • 4 p.m., Holocaust Memorial Center, Farmington Hills, for Holocaust educators, other professionals and HMC members, "Questions surrounding the uniqueness of the Holocaust ... how to teach it." • 7:45 p.m., Congregation Beth Shalom, Oak Park, general community, keynote address, "The Eichmann Capture and Trial: A Perspective on the Eve of its 50th Anniversary." Admission for the 7:45 p.m. program at Beth Shalom is $10 for tickets purchased in advance and $15 for tickets purchased at the door. For reservations, call Beth Shalom, (248) 547-7970, or send a check to: Reservations, Legacy Event Beth Shalom, 14601 W. Lincoln, Oak Park, MI 48237. Campus • Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit • Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit • Detroit Jewish News Individual sponsorships are being solicited. •What has happened to you and the field of Holocaust denial since the end of the trial and when your book came out? LIPSTADT: After the lawsuit, I didn't change in any way. What I have to say didn't change in any way. But people give me more credence and listen more care- fully to what I have to say. I went head-to- head with the world's leading Holocaust denier, and thanks to terrific lawyers and a terrific research team and the support of lots of people, we were able to expose the lies and distortions in which he engages — and by extension all Holocaust deniers — either makes up the lies or repeats the lies. Have we solved the problems of Holocaust denial? Of course not. We did provide precise explanations by following their footnotes. By tracking their sources, we proved that what they said are lies and Denying The Deniers on page B6 April 30 m 2009 B5