Amid the global uptick of antisemitism, the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR) on Wednesday called attention to its sought-after virtual series, which highlights heroic Righteous Gentiles: people who risked their own lives to rescue Jews during the Holocaust.
The group, which provides financial support to aging and needy non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust, said in a press release that the series' mission is to educate the public on the hazards of spreading hate speech toward any racial or religious group and to make sure the atrocities of the Holocaust never reoccur. The timing of the release is purposeful, stated JFR executive vice president Stanlee Stahl.
“We’ve seen an uptick in antisemitic attacks – both physical as well as on social media channels – at an alarming rate in recent weeks,” Stahl said. “Our hope is that this series reaches as broad an audience as possible so that in such trying times, we as a society can learn from the heroism of Righteous during the Holocaust, and through education bring about the abolishment of hate.”
JFR staff interviewed Jews who were rescued and non-Jews who were rescuers from around the world, as well as family members, for the documentary.
The award-winning film series will run on the JFR Facebook page every Monday night from July 12 through August 2. A similar viewing last year attracted close to 17,000 live attendees, the foundation said.