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

