“the most important Jewish philanthropist you never heard of”
Sedona AZ (March 31, 2021) – The Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley will be presenting an educational program about a most impactful Jewish Philanthropist who perhaps you’ve never heard of, Julius Rosenwald, on Sunday, April 18th from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. (Arizona Time, MST).
Inspired by the Jewish ideals of tzedakah (charity) and tikkun olam (repairing the world) he is best remembered for his collaboration with famed educator Booker T. Washington, spending millions of dollars to fund the construction of more than 5,000 schools for Black communities across 15 Southern states, beginning in 1910, educating about one-third of African-American children.
The schools educated hundreds of thousands of Black Americans, including poet and activist Maya Angelou and the late House Representative John Lewis (D-GA). Rosenwald was also one of the founders of the organization that became Chicago’s Jewish United Fund (JUF).
For Rosenwald, fighting for social justice was fundamental to Judaism. “Hate-mongers sometimes would set fire to Rosenwald schools or blast them with dynamite. The schools would be rebuilt once, even twice, before they were left alone.”
Sponsoring numerous civic, Jewish, and African-American projects, Rosenwald’s pioneering philanthropy helped set the stage for the Civil Rights movement. In recognition of his remarkable philanthropic and social action legacy, Congress is moving forward with plans to create a Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park – the first national park to commemorate a Jewish American.
The JCSVV program will include video clips about his life and two prominent guest speakers: Nan Roberts, President of the Scrabble School Preservation Foundation, and Dorothy Canter of the Julius Rosenwald National Historic Park Campaign.
Those interested in hearing about Rosenwald’s inspiring legacy and the importance of philanthropic endeavors that respond to the need for social change, are invited to join us for this event.
For questions or to request Zoom information go to: www.jcsvv.org/contact.