opinion
Robin Hood Got it Half Right
Steve Rosenberg
A 14
MARCH 23, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
Regardless of
how one feels
about Robin Hood
or Little John, at this time of year, we must really
consider tzedakah and taking care of Jews in need.

Even with available data, donors are often driven by
emotion and passion. Gifts are often reactive and not
proactive. People become involved in organizations
for three reasons as I often write about:
Meaning Signifi cance
Lifestyle When you factor in Jewish organizations, a fourth
quadrant can be added: guilt. I give because my grand-
parents gave; therefore, I must carry on the tradition.

Passover is upon us. As we clean out our chametz
and prepare our kitchens for this important holiday,
let us not forget our duties to take care of those less
fortunate. Philanthropy is easy; you don’t have to
be a millionaire to give. Philanthropy is the power of
ordinary, everyday people coming together to extend
the impacts of other everyday people.

Robin Hood could have had a much more signifi -
cant impact had he understood that the real power
in philanthropy is about inspiring others to realize
their potential to become leaders, and to get up off
the bench and make a diff erence — either with the
checkbook or their time. One person getting involved
can inspire others to do the same. Gen Z is leading
the way in its involvement with nonprofi ts. They don’t
wish to give and sit back. They want to know what
impact their investment has, and they want to roll up
their sleeves and volunteer and be involved. That is
where Robin Hood swung and missed.

Anyone can stand up and ask others for money —
“Give because I’m giving and I will give because you
give.” But show people the passion of your involve-
ment and why you care, and perhaps they become
involved in a more meaningful and deeper way.

I don’t have the answers, and I know that 50 years
after the fact, Robin Hood didn’t either. Maimonides,
though, was way ahead of his time; he knew the
power of tzedakah and the importance of Jews
taking care of each other. This won’t end Jew hatred,
and it won’t stop anti-Zionism, but it will make us
stronger as a people.

Remember, we are only 16 million individuals world-
wide. Despite what you read, we don’t control the
media, the banks, Hollywood or anything else. We
can, however, take control of our destiny and how we
care for those less fortunate than ourselves. ■
Steve Rosenberg is principal of the GSD Group and
board chair of the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of
Fame. daz2d / istock / gettyimages
s we approach the Jewish festival of
Passover, we will also recognize the 50th
anniversary of Disney’s animated fi lm,
“Robin Hood.”
Why link these two together? Because at Passover,
we begin our seder with the words: “Let all who are
hungry come and eat. Let all who are needy come and
celebrate Passover.” This powerful call to reach out
and help those less fortunate than us comes just as
we begin to recall the foundational story of our people,
as we highlight the integral part that Jewish charity, or
tzedakah, holds in Jewish beliefs and practice.

The legendary Robin Hood of English folklore, in
a slightly diff erent manner, also believed in helping
the poor. However, his method involved stealing
from the wealthy. Generations have grown up with
a heroic ideal of robbing from the rich and giving to
the poor. Robin Hood’s superhero-like skills in both
archery and swordsmanship seemingly made him
popular with young people, while his social ideals
typically endeared him to their guardians.

These days, Robin Hood might be called a woke
progressive socialist for his methods and theories as
a hero to the working class and an oppressor to the
rich. But his intentions always seemed innocent, and
his movies certainly sold a lot of tickets.

Regardless of how one feels about Robin Hood
or Little John, at this time of year, we must really
consider tzedakah and taking care of Jews in need.

Maimonides famously outlines eight levels of giving
with the most important level identifi ed as helping
sustain a person before they become impoverished
and dependent on others.

Competition for the Jewish dollar is immense in
today’s world. There are many good organizations
seeking our philanthropy, and while it might seem
like some are using arrows or swords, the reality is
that all of them have good in mind. Some are set up
to help Jews in need in North America, Israel and
worldwide. Others fi ght Jew hatred and intolerance;
and some work tirelessly on Jewish life and learning,
as well as building a brighter Jewish future.

Regardless of what motivates you, it is incumbent
upon all of us to give. Giving can both feel great
and be great. But great giving is much more diffi -
cult than it has been in the past. We are deluged
with infographics, Hollywood-caliber videos from
recipients and data to analyze impact. While NGOs
are becoming more sophisticated, so are donors.




opinion
Passing the Torch: Millennials Must
Find Unique Ways to Foster Holocaust
Remembrance Sophie Don
G rowing up in a tight-
knit community outside
of Philadelphia as the
only granddaughter of Holocaust
survivors, I heard the stories and
perspectives of survivors from an early age.

I cannot recall the first time I heard someone speaking
about the Holocaust; it was part of a conversation that
existed in my life for as long as I can remember, just like
the stories we all grow up hearing from our loved ones.

My paternal grandmother, my Bubbe, was born in a
small town in the Carpathian Mountains in 1929. Of the
seven children in her family, Bubbe survived the camps
alongside one sister and later reunited with a brother who
hid in Bratislava and made it to the States before them.

My Zayde, my paternal grandfather, was from
Ostrykół, Poland. After a stint in jail as a Polish crimi-
nal (his crime: attempting to escape the ghetto), he
spent time at several concentration camps, including
Auschwitz, and was liberated from Theresienstadt.

Bubbe and Zayde were liberated in their late teens
and first crossed paths at a displaced persons camp in
Heidenheim, Germany. After falling in love and getting
married, they decided to come to Philadelphia together
— as Bubbe’s aunt, brother, sister and brother-in-law
had already set up lives in the city. Shortly after moving,
they opened Don’s Bakery on Bustleton Avenue in
Northeast Philadelphia, not far from where Bubbe still
resides at 94 years old.

This story — and the dozens of interwoven anecdotes
that have accompanied it through countless retellings
— is a staple of our family history that has and will
continue to be relayed throughout generations. It
is largely what inspired me to study history and the
public humanities in my academic career, to write and
study “museumifying, memorializing and educating”
about the Holocaust, and to now continue Holocaust
remembrance and education work in my role at the
Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation.

Very few people grow up with survivor Bubbes or
Zaydes in their lives and, as the number of existing survi-
vors decreases over time, any type of access to first-
hand Holocaust accounts becomes increasingly rare.

Fortunately, in the late 20th and early 21st centu-
ries, the “second generation,” i.e. children of survi-
vors — dedicated innumerable hours to collecting and
organizing the stories from their parents’ generation.

They did an incredible job sorting first-person accounts
and primary documents, capturing history that could only
be recorded in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust.

Their handiwork can be seen in the many Holocaust
museums across the country, as well as the 55,000 video
testimonies recorded for the USC Shoah Foundation.

But with that work near its final stages, 3Gers, the
grandchildren of survivors, now have an imperative
to consider their role in promoting remembrance and
evolving Holocaust education for today’s youth.

One primary consideration should be the mediums
we use to convey these messages and memories. To
date, Holocaust remembrance has centered on firsthand
accounts whenever possible, and it has almost always
been taught in a vacuum of history lessons and social
studies courses. As access to survivors dissipates and
millennials play a greater role in Holocaust education, we
are tasked with adopting innovative means of reaching
younger audiences in a way that truly resonates.

A great example of evolving Holocaust education
that is already underway is the use of AI by the USC
Shoah Foundation for the “‘Dimensions in Testimony”
project, which allows museum-goers to “have conver-
sational interactions” with the holograms of Holocaust
survivors, built using prerecorded video interviews.

In what the foundation calls a “[redefinition of] inqui-
ry-based education,” visitors who interact with the
project can ask the AI-powered holograms questions
and receive real-time answers, utilizing technology to
preserve testimonies of the Holocaust.

Social media has also become an effective tool.

Beyond the informative social media accounts of exist-
ing educational and memorial institutions like the
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, there are
also accounts taking a more innovative approach, like
“Eva Stories.”
Launched by Mati and Maya Kochavi, the son and
granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, “Eva Stories”
tells one Holocaust victim’s story to millions of viewers
using Instagram’s “stories” feature. This profile provides
a key example of how second- and third-generation
survivors can work together to present a survivor’s
story in a way that resonates with children eight
decades after the Holocaust.

Thematically, millennials in the 3G community are
also looking to broaden the scope of Holocaust educa-
tion, introducing an approach that’s more intersec-
tional and takes into consideration modern examples
of bigotry extending beyond antisemitism, including
racism, homophobia, xenophobia and so on.

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, perhaps the
most prominent organization in Holocaust education,
has been expanding the narrative around Holocaust
education in this way for the past few years, weaving in
discussions around the white supremacy and bigotry
that minority groups continue to face to this day. Teens
and even tweens can relate to these ideas and under-
stand the connections between different manifesta-
tions of racism.

Groups like 3G Philly — a regional nonprofit creating
a platform for Holocaust remembrance and education
across the Delaware Valley — are zeroing in on the
perspective and power of third-generation survivors
to advance Holocaust education. The group, which
I’ve been a proud member of since its start in 2021,
is comprised of grandchildren of Holocaust survivors
seeking to honor their grandparents through educa-
tion, advocacy and peer support.

As organizations like 3G Philly connect and empower
their members, millennials are beginning to take real leader-
ship roles in the Jewish community, in social, religious and
educational organizations. They are in a unique position to
address and promote Holocaust education.

Building on the first- and second-generations’
decades-long work preserving Holocaust memory,
millennials must continue to give serious thought to
what the next era of Holocaust education should look
like, amplifying the commemorative and historical
work that has already been done while reshaping it
for mediums that enable today’s children to learn and
become more compassionate individuals.

If we truly want to build a better world, we must
not be afraid to openly discuss the Holocaust and
the lessons it has taught us, identifying the threads
between antisemitism eight decades ago and the
antisemitism, racism and homophobia that continue to
plague society. This is the only way we can ever truly
continue learning from the atrocities of the past.

In the absence of these conversations — and evolu-
tion in the way these conversations are framed —
the next generation will never fully understand the
moral knowledge that is gained through effective and
thoughtful Holocaust education. ■
Sophie Don is the senior manager, programs
and operations at the Philadelphia Holocaust
Remembrance Foundation.

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