Jamel Bettaieb, high-school teacher and activist, Tunisia

Jamel Bettaieb teaches German to high-school students, which affords him an opportunity that is rare in Tunisia: to teach about the Holocaust. An active participant in Tunisia's recent revolution, Bettaieb strives to be an agent of change in the Muslim world, pushing back against propaganda, antisemitism, and silence about the Holocaust.

Topics: Activists, Impact of youth, The role of education

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Jeremy Waldron, professor, New York University School of Law

Jeremy Waldron calls the topic of hate speech a “hardy perennial” and one we must continue to revisit. In his book The Harm in Hate Speech, Waldron examines First Amendment legal protections and considers the damage inflicted on society by hate speech.

Topics: Academic perspectives, Justice and law

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Mehnaz Afridi, Assistant Professor and Director, Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center, Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY

Born in Pakistan and a practicing Muslim, Mehnaz Afridi has studied Judaism and Jewish history, interviewed Holocaust survivors, and visited Dachau to pay respect and pray. Now she works to inspire her students to take interest in other faiths and cultures as well.

Topics: Academic perspectives, Identity and religion, The role of education

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Fariborz Mokhtari, author, In the Lion's Shadow: The Iranian Schindler and His Homeland in the Second World War

In his book, Fariborz Mokhtari brings to light the story of Abdol Hossein Sardari, sometimes called "the Iranian Schindler" for his efforts to save Jews during World War II. Mokhtari hopes to encourage new conversations about the Holocaust and about Iran.

Topics: Academic perspectives, Government and political figures, Rescue and resistance

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Maya Benton, adjunct curator, International Center of Photography, New York

Maya Benton is working to establish the Roman Vishniac Archive at the International Center of Photography. Vishniac's photos include some of the most well-known images of Jewish life in Eastern Europe. The archive also includes thousands of unpublished images that show the tremendous diversity of prewar Jewish life, as well as the rise of Nazi power in Berlin.

Topics: Artists

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Vanessa Hidary, spoken-word artist, New York City

In her signature poem "Hebrew Mamita," Vanessa Hidary addresses antisemitic stereotypes in her direct, no-nonsense style. In this piece, she unpacks insult-as-compliment antisemitism, and the subtle ways that oppression can get under your skin.

Topics: Artists, Fighting prejudice, Identity and religion, Popular culture figures

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Dr. Michael A. Grodin, Professor of Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights, Boston University School of Public Health

Dr. Michael Grodin has written about Nazi doctors and the ways patients were systematically dehumanized and tortured. He believes we need to beware of the subtle ways that medical ethics can be subverted in the name of research and public health.

Topics: Academic perspectives, Concentration camps, The role of education

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David Draiman, lead singer, Disturbed

As frontman for the multi-platinum hard-rock band Disturbed, David Draiman writes songs that are often personal and political. As a kid, he was drawn into occasional fistfights over anti-Jewish remarks. As an adult, he addresses Holocaust denial and antisemitism in his song "Never Again."

Topics: Artists, Holocaust denial, Popular culture figures

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Vidal Sassoon, hairdresser and businessman

Although Vidal Sassoon has stopped cutting hair himself—he jokes that no one wants an 84-year-old stylist—he maintains a strong pride in his Jewish identity, a robust sense of political activism, and a vigilance toward antisemitism.

Topics: Fighting prejudice, Popular culture figures

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Michael Kahn, artistic director, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington D.C.

During his career, Kahn has produced The Merchant of Venice three times. It is among the most popular and the most contentious of Shakespeare's plays, with ever-evolving relevance for modern audiences.

Topics: Artists, Identity and religion, Popular culture figures

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