36 | APRIL 6 • 2023
A
nn Arbor’s Temple
Beth Emeth and
its Holocaust
remembrance group
Generations After are thrilled
to welcome Ruth Messinger to
Ann Arbor at 4 p.m. Saturday,
April 15, to formally launch
the Irene Butter Fund for
Holocaust and Human Rights
Education.
Messinger’s topic is “The
Fight for Human Rights: Past,
Present and Future.” Whose
rights have been protected
and whose rights challenged
throughout recent history?
Where does Judaism stand
on the fundamental issue of
human rights? How might we
understand the recent rise in
hate speech and antisemitism
or the current battles about
immigrants, refugees and
asylum seekers in the context
of human rights?
There will be an opportunity
for questions and answers as
well as audience discussion at
the end of her presentation,
which will be followed by an
hors d’oeuvres reception.
Messinger was chosen to
speak at this introductory
event because of her activism
and service in the fight for
human rights around the
world. Her long career in
political and Jewish social
activism has made her an
icon in Jewish progressive
leadership, and she is widely
considered to be one of the
most dynamic speakers in
America today.
She was an exciting choice
because her work reflects
the manner in which Irene
Butter has dedicated her life
to fighting for human rights,
mending bridges between
adversaries, and speaking out
against racism, antisemitism
and any form of bigotry that
diminishes the human spirit.
Messinger had a 20-year
career in public service in
New York City, including
serving on the New York City
Council and as Manhattan
Borough president. In 1997,
she ran for mayor of New York
but lost to incumbent Rudy
Giuliani. From 1998 to 2016,
Messinger served as president
and CEO of American Jewish
World Service — she is now
its global ambassador. In 2006,
she received an award from
the Jewish Council for Public
Affairs in recognition of her
work to end the genocide in
Darfur, Sudan.
The event is co-sponsored
by University of Michigan
Hillel, Ann Arbor’s Beth
Israel Congregation and the
Jewish Communal Leadership
Program at the University of
Michigan School of Social
Work.
Ticket sales will benefit
The Irene Butter Fund for
Holocaust and Human
Rights Education. Temple
Beth Emeth’s Generations
After established the fund
at the Jewish Community
Foundation of Greater Ann
Arbor to support educational
programming about the
Holocaust, with a focus on
how its lessons can help us
address modern-day challenges
of “othering” and disregard for
human rights.
They named the fund
for Irene to honor her
many contributions as
an internationally known
Holocaust survivor,
educator, peace activist and
humanitarian. Philanthropist
Patti Askwith Kenner
(daughter of U-M alum Bert
Askwith, ’31) has generously
agreed to match up to $50,000
in donations between now
and the April 15 event, thus
doubling the impact of your
gift.
Tickets are $18 for students,
$36 for general admission,
$360 for patrons and $1,800
for Angels. Patron tickets
include admission for two
to the event and a signed
copy of either Irene Butter’s
book, From Holocaust to
Hope: Shores Beyond Shores,
A Bergen-Belsen Survivor’s
True Story, or Generations
After’s book, The Ones Who
Remember: Second-Generation
Voices of the Holocaust. Angel
tickets include admission for
two to the event, a signed
copy of the book of their
choice, and admission for
two to an intimate brunch
on Sunday, April 16, at 10:30
a.m. with Ruth Messinger and
Irene Butter. Corporate and
organizational sponsorships
also are available.
For tickets or details, go to templebet-
hemeth.org/event/ruth-messinger.html.
To donate to the Irene Butter Fund,
visit irenebutter.com and click on the
“Donate” link.
OUR COMMUNITY
Human Rights
Activist Ruth Messinger to speak at
launch of the Irene Butter Fund.
JOY WOLFE ENSOR SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Irene
Butter
Ruth
Messinger