NYC middle school principal rejects Holocaust survivor speaker, citing messages around Israel and Palestine'

"Sami Steigmann, 86, (inset) lived to tell his heartwrenching story about surviving a labor camp in Nazi Germany during World War II. He and many of his supporters were shocked when Principal Arin Rusch of MS 447 in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, denied a parent's request to have him speak to the students. Photo via Google Maps/Inset via Facebook, Sami Steigmann A man who survived the Holocaust was rejected and silenced from speaking at a Brooklyn public school last month, amNewYork has learned."

"Rusch responded to the request by saying Steigmann's presentation would not be right for the school given his messages around Israel and Palestine, according to an article in The Times of Israel. But Steigmann, who is a motivational speaker, discusses messages of hope and resilience, as well as history, on his website, samispeaks.com. Never give up. Never lose hope and enjoy the life you've been given. Never be a perpetratoranyone that hurts another, intentionally and repeatedly, is a perpetrator, one message on his site reads."

"Steigmann is available to speak about a dark period in world history, when Nazis brutally murdered around 6 million Jewish people in Europe between 1941 and 1945. It is abhorrent to deny someone who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust the opportunity to share his experience with students, particularly during a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing among our youth, Brooklyn City Council Member Inna Vernikov said."

Sami Steigmann, 86, survived a labor camp in Nazi Germany during World War II and shares messages of hope and resilience. A parent requested that Steigmann speak to students at MS 447 in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, and Principal Arin Rusch denied the request citing concerns about his messages on Israel and Palestine. His website emphasizes never giving up, never losing hope, and condemning perpetrators who hurt others intentionally and repeatedly. Local politicians reacted with outrage and demanded an apology from the principal. Brooklyn City Council Member Inna Vernikov called the decision abhorrent and cited rising antisemitism among youth.

Read at www.amny.com