"At an event recognizing the anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel, former Acting Director Richard Grenell allegedly threatened to rename the lounge if donors didn't help fund the upcoming renovations."
"Grenell warned the mostly Jewish audience that unless donors came forward to sponsor the space and pay for renovation costs, the lounge would be given away to a new donor."
"Such a strong-armed fundraising pitch, at an event commemorating a pogrom, struck many of us in the room as inappropriate. I was mortified."
"Other lounges suffered that exact fate. The Circles Lounge, Palermo noted, has been renamed the SyberJet Lounge."
The Kennedy Center's former curator, Josef Palermo, reported that Richard Grenell threatened to rename the Israeli Lounge during an event commemorating the October 7 attacks unless donors funded renovations. The lounge, funded by the Israeli government, symbolizes the connection between Judaism and music. Grenell's fundraising approach was deemed inappropriate by attendees. Other lounges have also been renamed due to similar sponsorship pressures, raising concerns about the center's leadership and priorities under President Trump.
Read at www.mediaite.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]