Your Daily Phil: How many Holocaust survivors are left?
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on a new demographic study of Holocaust survivors by the Claims Conference and on the Anti-Defamation League’s 2024 audit of antisemitic incidents in the United States. We feature an opinion piece by Ayal Feinberg about Gratz College’s launch of the first-ever doctoral program in antisemitism studies; one by Max Baumgarten, Stacie Cherner and Arielle Levites about the partnership behind the relaunch of the CASJE Research Digest; and one by Aya Shechter about the need for spaces that center Jewish belonging (and funding for ones that are already demonstrating success). Also in this newsletter: Richard and Rhoda Goldman, Joe Nadis and Arthur M. Blank.
What We’re Watching
Israel is warning citizens and Jews abroad about a so-called “day of rage” that was declared for today by anti-Israel groups around the world.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir landed in Miami yesterday for a U.S. visit, which is expected to include meetings in Florida with philanthropists Mike Leven and Laurie Moskowitz Hirsch, as well as local rabbis Yaacov Laredo and Efrem Goldberg. The far-right firebrand is also expected to visit Yale University, New York City and Washington.
What You Should Know
Less than a quarter of a million Holocaust survivors are still alive, and most of them — 70% — will be dead within the next 10 years and 90% will die by 2040, according to a new demographic survey published today by the Claims Conference, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
There are an estimated 220,800 Holocaust survivors living in over 90 countries around the world as of last October, according to the survey — “Vanishing Witnesses: An Urgent Analysis of the Declining Population of Holocaust Survivors” — though the authors note that the number has surely gone down since then. Half of them — over 110,000 — live in Israel. The other half are split between North America, Western Europe and the former Soviet Union. Just a few thousand survivors live in Eastern Europe despite roughly 20% of them being born there, according to the survey, which was released ahead of Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, later this week.
The youngest of these are in their late 70s, born in the final years of the Holocaust or immediately after it (they must have been in utero during World War II to be considered survivors), while the oldest are over 100. The median age of the survivors is 87, according to the survey. Nearly all of the living survivors — 96% — were children during the Holocaust.
Malka Schmulovitz, a 109-year-old Holocaust survivor from Lithuania and now living in Florida, is one of the few remaining survivors who was an adult during the war. “To be one of the oldest survivors alive right now at my age tells me we are running out of time. We all have a testimony that needs to be shared,” she said in a statement. “We all want to be sure that this generation of young people and the ones that come after them, hear and understand what truly happened during the Holocaust; if only so that we do not see it repeated.”
According to the Claims Conference, which negotiates with Germany and other governments that cooperated with the Nazis during the Holocaust on behalf of survivors, while the number of living survivors goes down over time, the needs of those who are still alive are increasing. In 2023, Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Claims Conference, told eJP that the increasing needs are expected to outpace the diminishing number of survivors for at least the next few years before they eventually equalize before beginning to drop off later this decade.
“This report provides clear urgency to our Holocaust education efforts; now is the time to hear first-hand testimonies from survivors, invite them to speak in our classrooms, places of worship and institutions,” Gideon Taylor, president of the Claims Conference, said in a statement. “It is critical, not only for our youth but for people of all generations to hear and learn directly from Holocaust survivors. This report is a stark reminder that our time is almost up, our survivors are leaving us and this is the moment to hear their voices.”
This year, the Claims Conference is allocating nearly $1 billion in pensions and other regular social welfare payments for survivors, up from $889 million last year. The organization said that in 2023 and 2024 it provided compensation to 92% of all Holocaust survivors either directly or through intermediaries. This includes both regular support and one-off compensation packages.
Over the years, the Claims Conference has expanded the definition of Holocaust survivor for the purposes of compensation to include not only those who survived the ghettoes and concentration camps but anyone “affected by Nazi persecution,” including those whose families were forced to flee their homes or go into hiding.
AWFUL AUDIT
ADL: New record for antisemitic incidents set in 2024, with most connected to Israel
Jews in America faced more than 25 anti-Jewish incidents per day last year — more than one per hour. All told, as the war in Gaza raged on and campus protests exploded across the country, 2024 saw the largest number of reported antisemitic incidents on record, with over 9,000 incidents of antisemitic assault, harassment and vandalism in the U.S., most of them related to Israel or Zionism, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, which was released today, reports Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen for eJewishPhilanthropy. There was a 21% increase (196 incidents) in the number of assaults from 2023; none resulted in fatalities. General antisemitic activity, including vandalism and harassment, also increased by 19% in public areas (3,452 incidents) and by 11% at business establishments, including Jewish-owned businesses.
Methodology questions: A few categories saw declines in antisemitism in 2024 compared to the previous year. These include antisemitism by white supremacist groups, which decreased by 17%; and a 26% reported decrease in public K-12 schools. (The ADL noted that due to fear of being bullied, it is likely that many school children do not report antisemitic incidents.) The ADL’s audit has been criticized in recent years for changing its methodology of what constitutes an antisemitic incident while still comparing data year-to-year. After the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks, for example, it began including “expressions of opposition to Zionism, as well as support for resistance against Israel or Zionists,” which resulted in a significant increase in the number of incidents in the 2023 audit. “Following the explosion of anti-Israel activism which included radical attacks on Zionism and people who support Israel, ADL has begun counting some of those expressions in the audit when they cross the line into antisemitism,” an ADL spokesperson told eJP, adding that the group makes an effort not to “conflate general criticism of Israel or anti-Israel activism with antisemitism.”
SETTING STANDARDS
From crisis to credential: Why we must professionalize antisemitism expertise now
“Who, exactly, are the ‘experts’ we’ve empowered to counter antisemitism?” writes Ayal Feinberg, director of the Center for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights and an associate professor of political science and antisemitism studies at Gratz College, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “Despite record levels of funding, we are suffering from a drought of practitioners equipped with the empirical skills necessary to meet this moment.”
A new program: “It is with pride and purpose that I announce the launch of the world’s first doctoral program in antisemitism studies at Gratz College. Where our master’s program trains professionals to identify and analyze problems, our Ph.D. program will equip scholars to solve them — through original, empirical research designed to close the gaps in our knowledge and practice. Developed in consultation with global leaders in antisemitism research and advocacy, the program centers methodological rigor, real-world applicability and academic depth. It draws on my own years consulting with Jewish institutions to understand which skills are most needed and most effective. As antisemitism continues to mutate across ideological and institutional lines, we cannot afford to rely on vague and contested definitions, reactive strategies or untrained spokespeople. We must set a new standard for what counts as expertise, and credential it.”
READYING FOR RELAUNCH
This research-philanthropy partnership aims to make communal leaders more data savvy
“We all want our work to be rooted in evidence and best practices, and we all want to thoughtfully and deftly use high-quality, up-to-date information to guide our decisions. But these aims are neither easy nor simple to achieve,” write Max D. Baumgarten, director of North American operations at the Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation in Los Angeles; Stacie Cherner, director of research and learning at the Jim Joseph Foundation; and Arielle Levites, managing director of the Collaborative for Applied Studies in Jewish Education (CASJE) and co-director of The Collaboratory: A Center for Jewish Education at George Washington University, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “CASJE Research Digest, which is relaunching next month, is a case study and model of a partnership between research and philanthropy designed to address this challenge and help Jewish communal decision-makers become more informed and adept users of data and research.”
A communal resource: “In November 2023, the Jim Joseph Foundation approached CASJE and asked it to consider developing a research digest that would help leaders and concerned community members keep up-to-date on critical research. The idea stemmed from the steep uptick in data collection and dissemination by the Jewish community in the post-Oct. 7 landscape… This idea from the Jim Joseph Foundation aligned with a new strategy CASJE was developing to achieve its mission. Historically, CASJE had focused on undertaking its own research on high-leverage topics designed to support improvements in Jewish education and engagement. Today, CASJE has expanded its mission to support both high-quality research and high quality use of research. CASJE is building multiple pathways to radically expand the pipeline of research that reaches Jewish communal and philanthropic decision makers in order to ensure that relevant research knowledge is accessible and useful to the people best positioned to use it; this includes accessing research insights produced from within the Jewish community and beyond.”
READER RESPONDS
We’re building the ark, one proud young Jew at a time
“??Barry Finestone recently reminded us that while antisemitism may be the world’s oldest hatred, our response shouldn’t be rooted in fear but in pride (‘You can’t solve antisemitism. But you can raise a generation of vibrant, proud young Jews,’ April 7). He’s correct when he writes that we cannot bucket our way out of a tsunami; that we must build an ark,” writes Aya Shechter, chief programming officer of the Israeli-American Council (IAC), in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “The flood came on Oct. 7, and for many in our community that ark didn’t yet exist. But for those who had already begun the work of building — with intention, a sense of identity, and a focus on investment in the next generation — the question now is: Will we keep building, together?”
Successful models are out there: “In the first days after Oct. 7, Israeli-Americans — many of them young professionals and students — mobilized faster than anyone. They used their business networks and signature Israeli chutzpah to ship critical supplies to Israel. They showed up on campus and in the streets, not waiting for permission to act, but leading with confidence and clarity. They understood that Jewish pride isn’t just a feeling — it’s a tool of resilience and strength. This kind of leadership doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of long-term investment — by families, synagogues, schools and organizations that treat identity-building not as enrichment, but as strategy… This is our moment of reckoning. Are we content with temporary responses, or are we ready to strengthen what’s already working and build on it? Do we want to merely protect our youth, or to truly empower them? If we want to see proud Jews in the streets, on social media and in boardrooms, we need to nurture that pride long before crisis hits. We need to fund the programs that work, support leaders who lead with love and design spaces that center belonging. We need to stop asking whether young Jews care — and start asking whether we’ve given them enough reason to.”
Worthy Reads
Perverse Victim-Blaming: In The Times of Israel, Amanda Kluveld writes about a trend she observes in the Netherlands to take Jewish victims of antisemitism — historically and today — and somehow make the Jews into the bad guys of the narrative, the victims of themselves. “Dutch historian Connie Kristel (1956–2018), in her influential dissertation Geschiedschrijving als opdracht (‘Historiography as a Mission: Abel Herzberg, Jacques Presser, and Loe de Jong on the Persecution of the Jews’), analyzed troubling antisemitic undertones in the Dutch reception of Abel Herzberg’s writings. Kristel revealed how Jews, including those tragically murdered during the Shoah, were perversely depicted as bearing guilt or responsibility for their own suffering — a deeply disturbing antisemitic trope. Some accounts even implied, almost triumphantly, that Jews themselves made life unbearable in the camps… This historical inversion resonates with psychiatrist Zvi Rex’s haunting assertion: ‘The Germans will never forgive the Jews for Auschwitz.’ Indeed, it seems even broader — sometimes it feels as if the world itself will never forgive the Jews for the Holocaust. Recent chants in Germany of ‘Free Palestine from German guilt’ illustrate attempts to liberate contemporary societies from Holocaust responsibility by recasting Jews as perpetrators rather than victims. In the Netherlands, these dangerous inversions continue to escalate.” [TOI]
MrBeast’s Burden of Expectations: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Dan Mangiavellano and Maureen Harris examine the impact of YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, more popularly known by his handle MrBeast, on Gen Z’s perception of philanthropy and how it operates. “His YouTube videos often follow the same formula: absurd scenarios, clickbait titles, eye-popping cash prizes, and MrBeast facilitating it all. With more than 500 million subscribers across multiple channels and with most of his YouTube viewers under 25 years old, MrBeast has clearly mastered the algorithm that shapes what Gen Z watches on YouTube. MrBeast launched Beast Philanthropy in 2020, a 501(c)(3) that, in its own words, ‘leverage[s] the power of social media to raise funds and help charitable causes around the world.’ Dubbed the ‘Willy Wonka of YouTube,’ his philanthropy adopts the same extreme antics as his buzzy competition videos. Videos such as ‘We Gave Away $1,000,000 Smiles’ combine real-world need with over-the-top giveaways that generate likes, comments, and publicity. When a viewer clicks a video, the advertising revenue generated by that engagement supports Beast Philanthropy’s projects. In this way, MrBeast teaches his young viewers that philanthropy is about inciting immediate change and that helping people can be a passive activity, involving little hard work. Neither notion is true, and as fundraisers find their footing with Gen Z donors, they must acknowledge and manage these misconceptions.” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]
Word on the Street
The Goldman Environmental Prize, which was created by Richard and Rhoda Goldman to honor grassroots climate activists from around the world, named its 2025 winners: Semia Gharbi from Tunisia, Batmunkh Luvsandash from Mongolia, Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika from Albania, Carlos Mallo Molina from the Canary Islands, Laurene Allen from the United States and Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari from Peru…
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has launched an official “complaints procedure” against 36 of its members who published an open letter using the organization’s name to denounce Israel, which the group says violated its code of conduct…
The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies hired Joe Nadis as its next chief development officer…
The Marcus Foundation has donated $29.7 million to a joint project by the University of Michigan and Stanford University to develop an implant that will allow stroke victims to express themselves verbally by detecting and interpreting their brain signals…
Harvard University filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for cutting billions of dollars to the institution and threatening to freeze more, which the school claims violates the First Amendment by “imposing viewpoint-based conditions on Harvard’s funding”…
A wide range of Jewish groups published tributes to Pope Francis, who died yesterday, for his efforts to improve Catholic-Jewish relations, though most noted that these ties were strained somewhat by the Holy See’s criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza over the past 18 months…
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation awarded $15 million to Outward Bound USA — the largest donation it has ever received — to expand its outdoor education programs…
Real estate developer and philanthropist Elie Hirschfield donated the domain names Yiddish[dot]com and Yiddish[dot]org to the Forward…
Rochester University trustee Larry Kessler, his wife, Karen, and his brother, Dennis, who is a professor at the school, have made a $1 million commitment to establish the Kessler Family Fund, an endowment to support Hillel at Rochester…
J. The Jewish Weekly of Northern California interviews David Bocarsly, executive director of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California, about his organization’s efforts to get a bill passed that will tighten control over the state’s K-12 ethnic studies curriculum, which has been criticized as being anti-Israel and antisemitic, and the rest of its legislative agenda for the coming year…
David Attis, a Canadian Jewish leader who led a campaign to remove a Holocaust denier teacher from Canada’s public schools, died on April 12 at 84…
Sociologist Herbert Gans, whose research focused on American society in the second half of the 20th century, an interest he attributed to the absence of culture in Germany, from which he escaped as a child, died yesterday at 97…
Pic of the Day
Workers from the Israeli humanitarian relief group IsraAid provide water filters, mosquito nets and jerry cans last week to residents of areas affected by the recent earthquakes in Myanmar.
The organization said it is expanding its operations in the country to include improving sanitary water access, sanitation and psychosocial support.
“With over 3,700 people killed, thousands more injured, and millions impacted, these earthquakes have been absolutely devastating,” Tali Groshaus, the head of IsraAid’s mission in Myanmar, said in a statement. “As in any emergency, we will stay for as long as communities need us.”
Birthdays
CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman…
Calgary-based CEO of Balmon Investments, Alvin Gerald Libin… Co-founder of Human Rights Watch and formerly national director of the ACLU, Aryeh Neier… English journalist and former anchor of BBC Television’s “Newsnight,” Adam Eliot Geoffrey Raphael… Conductor and professor of music at Boston University, Joshua Rifkin… Former longtime mayor of Madison, Wis., Paul R. Soglin… Managing director emeritus of Kalorama Partners, D. Jeffrey (“Jeff”) Hirschberg… Former chief economist at the World Bank, Sir Nicholas Herbert Stern … Real estate developer and principal owner of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, Zygmunt “Zygi” Wilf… President and chief investment officer of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google, Ruth Porat… Three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for The Washington Post, Sari Horwitz… NYC area accountant, he is a partner at EisnerAmper LLP, Edward Lifshitz… Chicago-based philanthropist who serves as president of the National Ramah Commission, Arnie Harris… New Zealand native now serving as the CEO of Australian-based job-board SEEK, Ian Mark Narev… Founder and editor of the data-journalism and research initiative themadad, Shmuel Rosner… NYC-based attorney, member of Kriss & Feuerstein LLP, Jerold C. Feuerstein… News director of The Forward, Benyamin Cohen… Russian and Israeli public figure, media manager and an art dealer, Yegor Altman… Member of the Knesset for the National Unity party, Yehiel Moshe “Hili” Tropper… Tel Aviv-based deputy bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, Shayndi Raice… Managing director of external communications for the Jewish Federations of North America, Niv Elis… Director of the Koret International School for Jewish Peoplehood at ANU – Museum of the Jewish People, Naama Klar… Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Zachary Krooks… Competitive ice dancer, Elliana Pogrebinsky… Rock climber and pianist, L. B. Taylor…
