Hip-Hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari is leading the charge to educate the public on the Jewish Holocaust, through a new campaign launched by her nonprofit organization Gedenk (“Remember”).
Ari will officially kick off the effort Friday (May 2) with three public service announcements on Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).
Widely regarded as one of the darkest periods in history, the Holocaust pertains to the genocide of approximately 6 million European Jews during World War II, at the hands of the Nazi regime in Germany led by Adolf Hitler.
For Ari, the Gedenk campaign hits home, as she works to promote awareness and educate youth about the tragedy with her new effort.
“I founded Gedenk because I discovered there was an urgent need to expand youth education about the Holocaust,” the Grammy winner said. “As a third generation to Holocaust survivors, I was appalled by studies showing that 50 percent of kids graduating high school in America don’t know what the Holocaust is.”
Established in 2006, Gedenk is a humanitarian movement dedicated to teaching and raising youth awareness about the Jewish Holocaust as well as anti-Semitism, racism and its negative consequences on the world today.
The PSAs, which depict how ordinary people can become victims of hate crimes, will debut at 10 a.m. EST Friday on the Viacom screen on 44th and Broadway in Times Square in New York.
In addition to the PSAs, the campaign will include quotes from various celebrities and political figures such as Public Enemy frontman Chuck D, Fugees members Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, rap icon DMC, music mogul Russell Simmons and political activist Kevin Powell.
The entertainers and activists will offer comments that examine why they feel It’s important for young people to learn about the Holocaust.
The Gedenk campaign is the newest endeavor for Ari, who has worked with artists ranging from Kanye West and Jay Z to Alicia Keys, Wynton Marsalis, Britney Spears and Maroon 5.