DONOR PROFILE: STUART E. EIZENSTAT
Despite not hearing discussions about the Holocaust while growing up in Atlanta, GA, Stuart E. Eizenstat has dedicated his life and career to Holocaust justice and memory. When he first saw Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín in 2009 on the grounds of Theresienstadt, he thought, “This is the most moving and critically important thing I have ever seen.” At the encouragement of his (now late) wife, Fran, he introduced himself to Murry Sidlin, and embarked on a mission to bring the performance to Washington D.C. Thus began the now 15-year relationship between Eizenstat and The Defiant Requiem Foundation. As Board Chair, Eizenstat emphasizes the uniqueness of the organization. With numerous lessons of the Holocaust to impart, he sees the immense value in having a method to teach through an atypical format, personalizing the events that took place in Theresienstadt through the experiences of Rafael Schächter and his prisoner choir, and the compositions of prisoner-composers. Continuing the legacy that Schächter began, Eizenstat believes in harnessing the power of the arts to exhibit hope for a better future. With a recent survey indicating that 60% of young adults in the U. S. could not identify Auschwitz, Eizenstat’s hope is that the products of The Defiant Requiem Foundation will continue to reach and inspire younger generations. He is especially proud of the University Residency Project, which brings the musical performances of the Foundation to college campuses, where student musicians and audiences are fully immersed in the storytelling. He emphasizes: “This is a novel way of teaching this material. It acts as inspiration, hope, and courage, while teaching the larger lessons of the Holocaust. We strive to broaden our outreach to school-age children, to show what happens when good people are silent. With the current rise in antisemitism, it is more important than ever to impart this message. The Defiant Requiem Foundation has the unique ability to bring these lessons to a troubled world, through the universal lens of art and music.” Eizenstat was appointed by President Biden in 2022 as Chair of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. He has called this, “Life coming full circle,” because as President Carter’s Chief White House Domestic Policy Advisor, Eizenstat recommended a President’s Commission of the Holocaust and helped draft the legislation authorizing creation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. During his public service in six administrations, Eizenstat has served in numerous key roles, including chief White House domestic policy adviser to President Carter; U.S. Ambassador to the European Union in the Clinton Administration; and Special Advisor to Secretaries of State Clinton and Kerry on Holocaust-Era Issues during the Obama Administration. He is currently Special Adviser to Secretary of State Blinken on Holocaust Issues. As Special Negotiator for the Jewish Claims Conference, he has negotiated compensation and social services for survivors, with an increasing emphasis on Holocaust memory and lessons. In addition to authoring four books, he has received eight honorary doctorates and over75 awards, including USHMM’s Elie Wiesel Award, and the LBJ Award for Moral Courage, as well as honors from the governments of six countries.
STU EIZENSTAT (L) WITH MURRY SIDLIN
For more information on Eizenstat’s illustrious career, see his complete biography at USHMM.org
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