AUGUST 1 • 2024 | 45

The Nissan Foundation 
awarded a $25,000 grant to 
the The Zekelman Holocaust 
Center (The HC) to help 
fund Voices of the Holocaust: 
Exploring History, Literature 
and Social Justice in the 
Classroom, a program to 
enhance the teaching of 
Holocaust history through 
personal memoirs and his-
torical context, emphasizing 
social justice. 
“Receiving the Nissan 
Foundation grant is an 
incredible honor for our 
center,” said Ruth Bergman, 
director of education for 
The HC. “This support 
will provide educators with 
essential resources to teach 

the Holocaust, ensuring stu-
dents understand this pivotal 
period and its relevance to 
contemporary social justice 
issues.” 
The Nissan Foundation is 
awarding a total of $1.2 mil-
lion in its 2024 grant cycle. 
“We’re honored to support 
the work of The Zekelman 
Holocaust Center,” said 
Chandra Vasser, president of 
the Nissan Foundation and 
Nissan’s first Chief Diversity, 
Equity, and Inclusion Officer. 
“The Nissan Foundation is 
about building community 
by valuing diversity, and this 
program from The Zekelman 
Holocaust Center brings that 
mission to life.” 

Zekelman Holocaust Center Awarded 
Nissan Foundation Education Grant

Ruth Bergman, director of 
education for The Zekelman 
Holocaust Center

A Detroit elementary school 
will be the site of a pop-up 
clothing and school supplies 
store on Sunday, Aug. 11, 
funded by the National 
Council of Jewish Women, 
Michigan (NCJW|MI). 
The annual Back 2 School 
Store has been providing 
Detroit children in need with 
clothing and school supplies 
since 2014, but during the 
pandemic the initiative 
pivoted to a modified 
store where children were 
identified by social service 
agencies and then suitable 
items were packaged up and 
delivered to their families. 
Now, for the first time, 
the store will offer a hybrid 
model; 200 pre-designated 
children will have the 
opportunity to shop in 
person with their own 
personal shopper; and 700 

children will be provided 
with clothing and supplies 
courtesy of NCJW|MI 
through the agencies that 
support their families. 
The children will get a new 
winter coat, hat, mittens, 
pants, T-shirt, sweatshirt, 
underwear and socks, 
toothbrush and toothpaste, 
a zippered pencil case with 

pencils, glue stick, eraser 
and markers, plus two age-
appropriate reading books. 
“We are thrilled to start 
offering once again a 
shopping experience for 
children where they can pick 
out items they like with our 
dedicated team of volunteers 
acting as personal shoppers,” 
said Back 2 School co-chair 

Sandi Matz, who is a former 
president of NCJW|MI. 
“Seeing the smiles on the 
faces of the children as they 
select a new pair of pants or 
a T-shirt they love, or even a 
toothbrush in the color they 
like, is as exciting for us as it 
is for the children.” 
NCJW|MI stated that 
approximately $180 provides 
clothing and school supplies 
for each child. Some of 
this money comes from 
NCJW|MI fundraising efforts 
and some from corporate 
donors and charitable 
grants. More money is 
always needed however, 
and NCJW|MI is inviting 
the community to sponsor 
a child, with any donation 
amount welcome.
To donate or volunteer 
for the event, go to ncjwmi.
org. 

NCJW|MI Back 2 School Store Returns 
to In-Person Shopping

NCJWMI volunteers 
with bags of clothes 
and school supplies

SPOTLIGHT