To Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister Yoav Kisch, and to the Government of the State of Israel,
As the members of the international community of Holocaust scholars and educators, we watch with great concern the recent attacks by the Israeli minister of Education on Dani Dayan, the Chairman of Yad Vashem, the foremost institution of Holocaust commemoration, remembrance, and research. Mr. Dayan, appointed in 2021, has served his institution with great distinction, allowing Yad Vashem to maintain and to reinforce its independent and non-partisan character.
Today, when the memory of the Holocaust finds itself under increased pressure, when various institutions and governments become involved in Holocaust distortion and denial, the independence of Yad Vashem is more crucial than ever. Each attempt to seek political control over Yad Vashem is a clear threat to the memory of six million victims of the Shoah, and a challenge to the legitimacy of an institution which enjoys tremendous, and well-deserved prestige, worldwide. We call on the education minister and the government of Israel to make sure that Chairman Dani Dayan and Yad Vashem be allowed to continue their mission unhindered.
[Hebrew version of the text is available below the signatures]
1. Jan Grabowski, Distinguished University Professor, University of Ottawa, Canada
2. Frank Bajohr, Director of the Center for Holocaust Studies at the Institute for Contemporary History, and Professor at Ludwigs-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
3. Mark Roseman, Distinguished Professor of History, Indiana University, USA
4. Dr. Grzegorz Rossoliński-Liebe, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
5. Prof. Havi Dreifuss, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
6. Prof. Roni Stauber, Tel Aviv University, Israel
7. Prof. Youval Rotman, Tel Aviv University, Israel
8. Audrey Kichelewski, Associate professor in contemporary history, Strasbourg University, France
9. Dr Konrad Kwiet, Emeritus Professor, Resident Historian, Sydney Jewish Museum, Australia.
10. Marion Kaplan, Professor Emerita of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University, USA
11. Christopher Browning, Frank Porter Graham Professor of History Emeritus, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
12. Prof. Israel Bartal, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
13. Omer Bartov, Samuel Pisar Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Department of History, Faculty Fellow, Watson Institute for International & Public Affairs, Brown University
14. Professor Antoni Polonsky, Brendeis University
15. Prof. Shulamit Volkov, Tel Aviv University
16. Prof. Nadav Na'Aman, Tel Aviv University
17. Prof. Orit Rozin Tel Aviv University
18. Jan T. Gross, Emeritus Professor, Princeton University
19. Yehuda Bauer, Professor Emeritus of History and Holocaust Studie, Yad Vashem
20. Tal Bruttmann, Researcher, Cergy Paris Université
21. Dr hab. Adam Puławski, Brama Grodzka-Teatr NN
22. Dr Christoph Dieckmann, Haifa University, Frankfurt
23. Professor Shmuel Feiner, Chairman of The Historical Society of Israel
24. Prof. Guy Miron, Open University of Israel
25. Mina Cohn. Chair, The Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship (CHES)
26. Dr Ingrao Christian, CNRS/EHESS
27. Opher Aviran, Ambassdor (Retired), Israel, Senior Retired Israeli Diplomats
28. Prof. Avinoam Patt, Director, Center for Judaic Studies, University of Connecticut
29. Dr Hannah Wilson, The University of Leicester
30. Alana M. Vincent, Associate Professor, History of Religion; former chair of Religion, Holocaust & Genocide Unit, American Academy of Religio, Umeå Universit
31. Shifra Malina Waxman, Educator, Yad Vashem and JRoots
32. Dr Robert Rozett, Senior Historian, International Institute for Holocaust Research Yad Vashem
33. Renée Levcovitch, Daughter of Holocaust Survivors, Retired Federal executive & donor to fighting anti semitism
34. Tuvia Friling, Professor Emeritus, Ben-Gurion university of the Negev
35. Dr Srdja Pavlovic, Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies, University of Alberta
36. Prof. Dina Porat, Tel Aviv University
37. Professor Dalia Ofer, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
38. Anna Cichopek-Gajraj, Associate Professor, Arizona State University
39. Dr David Silberklang, Yad Vashem; University of Haifa; Hebrew University
40. Robert J. Williams, Finci-Viterbi Executive Director Chair of the USC Shoah Foundation and Advisor to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, University of Southern California
41. Dr Bella Gutterman, Independent Reasercher
ד"ר בלה גוטרמן, דוקטור, חוקרת עצמאית
42. Dr Arkadi Zeltser, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem
43. Anna Veronica Pobbe, PhD, Adjunct Professor, University of Milan
44. David E. Fishman, Professor of Jewish History, Jewish Theological Seminary of America
45. Samuel Kassow, Northam Professor of History, Trinity College
46. Natali Beige, PhD student, lecturer, Haifa University
47. Eliyana R. Adler, Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University
48. Dr Gali Mir-Tibon, Talpiot Academic College
49. Professor Gennady Estraikh, New York University
50. Dr. Joel Rappel, Elie Wiesel Archive
51. Jeffrey Burds, Associate Professor, Northeastern University
52. Moshe Shnet, Prof. Emeritus, Oranim Academic College
53. Diana Dumitru, Chair of Romanian Studies, Georgetown University
54. Professor Aviad Kleinberg, Ruppin Academic Center
אביעד קליינברג, פרופסור, המרכז האקדמי רופין
56. Jeffrey Kopstein, Professor and Director, Center for Jewish Studies, University of California, Irvine
57. Elissa Bemporad, Professor of History, Queens College and The CUNY Graduate Center
58. Dr Samuel Feldberg, Research Scholar, University of São Paulo, Brazil
59. Dr. Anat Livne, Former CEO, Ghetto Fighters' House Museum
60. Mr. Kelly Hiebert, Westwood Collegiate (SJASD)
61. Mary Jane Rein, Executive Director, Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Clark University
62. Judith Schumer, Immediate past chairperson: Nevada Governor’s Advisory Council on Education Relating to the Holocaust, Reno Nevada Holocaust Day of Remembrance- Chairperson
63. Dr Sharon Kangisser Cohen, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem
64. Daniele Gioia, PhD candidate, University of Florence
65. Professor Marlene Grossman, Vanier College
66. Zachary Yehudah Larkin, Program Management Officer, USC Shoah Foundation, University of Southern California
67. Andrea Bolender, Executive Board/2G leader, Voices4Truth and Humanity
68. Jeffrey Herf, Distinguished University Professor, Emeritus, University of Maryland, College Park
69. Dr Gerald J. Steinacher, James A. Rawley Professor of History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
70. Anika Walke, Georgie W. Lewis Career Development Professor and Associate Professor of History, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
71. Jerry Z. Muller, Professor Emeritus of History, Catholic University of America
72. Norman JW Goda, Braman Professor of Holocaust Studies, University of Florida
73. Dr Dina Friling, Kaye Academic Collage of Education
74. Misko Stanisic, Director and Founder of Terraforming, Serbia and a member of the Serbian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance - IHRA
75. Professor Michael Bazyler, Professor of Law and The 1939 Society Scholar in Holocaust and Human Rights Studies Fowler School of Law Chapman University, Orange CA
76. Jacob Barnai, Prof. (Emeritus), Haifa University
77. Piotr Forecki, Associate Professor, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
78. Shifra Shvarts שפרה שורץ, Professor Emerita פרופסור אמריטה, Ben Gurion University Health Sciences
79. Profesor Barbara Engelking, Centrum Badań nad Zagładą Żydów, IFIS PAN
80. Professor Ilan Troen, emeritus, Stoll Family Chair in Israel Studies, Brandeis University
81. פרופ׳ אילן טרואן, לופין פרופסור להיסטוריה מודרנית, אמריטוס, אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב
82. ד"ר דלית דננברג, התיכון ליד האוניברסיטה, ירושלים
83. Guus Meershoek, Lecturer Police History, Dutch police Academy
84. Boris Maftsir, Documantary filmmaker, Creator of documantary film project about Holocaust in USSR territories.
85. Arkadiusz Walczak, Lecturer, University Jana Dlugosza Częstochowa Poland
86. Dr Victoria Grace Walden, Senior Lecturer in Media Studies, Project Lead of the Digital Holocaust Memory Project, University of Sussex
87. Shimon Redlich, Professor Emeritus, Ben-Gurion University
88. Thomas Kühne, Director and Strassler Colin Flug Professor, Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University
89. Professor Zohar Segev, University of Haifa
90. Professor (emeritus) Yoav Gelber, University of Haifa
91. Dr Merav Haklai, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
92. Laura Jockusch, Albert Abramson Associate Professor of Holocaust Studies, Brandeis University
93. Stephanie Rein, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine NYU Langone
94. Claire Zalc, Research Director, History, EHESS/CNRS-France
95. דניאל וגנר, פרופסור, מכון ויצמן למדע
96. סימון מורן, פרופסור, אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב
97. Richard Breitman, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, American University
98. Lawrence Douglas, James J. Grosfeld Professor of Law, Jurisprudence & Social Thought, Amherst College
99. Robert-Jan van Pelt, University Professor, University of Waterloo
100. Joanna Michlic, Visiting Professor, Lund University
101. Professor Sara R. Horowitz, York University, Toronto, Canada
102. Alvin Rosenfeld, Professor of Jewish Studies and Director of the Instuture for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Indiana University
103. Menachem Rosensaft, Adjunct Professor of Law, Cornell Law School
104. Pierre Sauvage, Documentary filmmaker, Chambon Foundation
105. Stephen Whitfield, Professor Emeritus of American Studies, Brandeis University
106. Emmanuel Menetrey, Professeur d’Histoire-Géographie, Collège Dinet (Seurre, France)
107. Dr hab. Elżbieta Janicka, Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences (ISS PAS)
108. Raanan Rein, Elias Sourasky Professor of History, Tel Aviv University
109. Dr. Efraim Zuroff, Director SWC ISRAEL Office and Eastern European Affairs, Simon Wiesenthal Center
110. Prof. Dan Porat, Hebrew University
111. Cedric JS PULCIAN, Combatant of France, UNITED - NATIONS In The Service of Peace medal
112. Sharon S. Nazarian PhD, President, Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation
113. Goldie Morgentaler, Professor Emerita, University of Lethbridge
114. Dr. Daniela Ozacky Stern, Lecturer, Western Galilee College
115. Carine Delnaud, History teacher, Lycée Bahuet (France)
116. Dr Laurence Weinbaum, Chief Editor, The Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs
117. Professor Aviva Halamish, Open University of Israel
118. Walter Reich, Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Professor of International Affairs, Ethics and Human Behavior, George Washington University, and former Director, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, George Washington University
119. Ruth Panofsky, Professor of English, Toronto Metropolitan University
120. PESCHANSKI Denis, Senior researcher Emeritus at the CNRS, National center for scientific research (CNRS, France)
121. Dr. Matthias J. Becker, TU Berlin
122. Patrick Siegele, MA, Head of ERINNERN:AT Austria
123. אריה ספוזניק, פרופסור, אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב
124. Dr. Gunther JIkeli, Indiana University
125. Doris Bergen, Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies, University of Toronto
126. Richard I. Cohen, Emeritus Professor, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
127. Natalia Aleksiun, Harry Rich Professor of Holocaust Studies, University of Florida
128. Dr. Daniel Schatz, Visiting Scholar, Georgetown University
129. Robert Shapiro, Professor of Judaic Studies, Brooklyn College of City University of New York
130. Dr. Merav Asaf, Kaye Academic College of Education
131. Professor Menahem Ben-Sasson, The Hebrew University
132. Professor (emeritus) Haim Saadoun, The Open University
133. Dr. Cornelia Shati-Geissler, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem
134. Tami Wassner-Rich, Lecturing Fellow, University of Haifa, Holocaust Studies Dept.
135. Professor Liviu Rotman, National University for Political Science and Public Administration
136. Dr. Irena Klepfisz, Barnard College (Retired)
137. Professor Dan Michman,
Head, The International Institute for Holocaust Research; and Incumbent
of the John Najmann Chair of Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem
138. Annemiek Gringold, Curate & Projectleader, National Holocaust Museum Netherlands
139. Dr. Svetlana Natkovich, University of Haifa
140. J. H. Chajes, Wolfson Professor of Jewish Thought, University of Haifa
141. Katarzyna Markusz, PhD candidate, Institute of History, Polish Academy of Sciences
142. Dr. Carolin Lange, Institut für die Geschichte der deutschen Juden, Hamburg
143. Dr. Andrei Schwartz, JD, WJC JDCorps
144. Dr. Smadar Tuval, Kaye Academic Collage of Education
145. Prof. Nathan Cohen, Bar Ilan University
146. Dr. Stephanie Courouble-Share, Historian, Research Fellow, Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), New York, USA
147. Haim Saadoun, Professor emeritus, The Open University Israel
148. Bande Alexandre, Historien Enseignant, Classes Préparatoires Janson de Sailly France
149. Professor Israel Bartal, Hebrew University
150. Prof. Hillel Newman, Dept. of Jewish History and Bible, University of Haifa
151. Mikhal Dekel, Distinguished Professor, City College of New York (CUNY)
152. Prof. Emile Schrijver, General director, National Holocaust Museum, Jewish Cultural Quarter, Amsterdam
153. Susannah Heschel, Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College
154. Doctor David Mastin, Lycée Stendhal
155. Dr. Irving Greenberg, Chairman, United States Holocaust memorial Council, 2000-2002
156. Dr. Kim Wünschmann, Director, Institut für die Geschichte der deutschen Juden, Hamburg
157. Dr. Maya Dover Daffan, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem
158. Sophie Nagiscarde, Cultural Department, Memorial de la Shoah, Paris, France
159. Dr. Miriam Offer, Western Galilee College, Holocaust Studies Program
160. Mick Groeneveld, Communications dept., National Holocaust Museum, Amsterdam
161. Professor Adele Reinhartz, University of Ottawa
162. Fred Konikoff, Professor of medicine, Emeritus, Tel Aviv University
163. Professor Steven T. Katz, Slater Professor of Jewish & Holocaust Studies, Boston University, USA
164. Dr. David Suurland, Rabobank, counter terrorism and radicalism financing policy maker..
165. Vignal Marc, Lauréat du concours national de la résistance et de la déportation, 1979, France, psychosociologue, ancien intervenant au mémorial de la Shoah
166. Christine Guimonnet, Historienne, Professeur d'histoire-géographie, Lycée Camille Pissarro, Pontoise, France
167. Dr. Katrin Stoll, Imre Kertész Kolleg, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
168. Dr. Leonid Rein, International Institute for Holocaust Research at Yad Vashem
169. Dr Karolina Panz, Polish Academy of Sciences
170. Jeffrey Veidlinger, Joseph Brodsky Collegiate Professor of History and Judaic Studies, University of Michigan
171. Professor Judith Lyon-Caen, École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris
172. Prof. Denis Charbit, The Open University of Israel
173. Ranen Omer-Sherman, Endowed Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Louisville
174. Pontus Rudberg, Associate Professor, Uppsala University
175. Dr Rivkah lapidus, Alumnus Fielding Graduate School of Clinical Psychology
176. Helmut Walser Smith, Martha Rivers Ingram Professor of History, Vanderbilt University
177. Prof. Marcos Silber, University of Haifa
178. Frank Chalk, Professor of History (Emeritus). and co-founder, Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, Concordia University
179. Dr Sylwia Szymańska-Smolkin, Researcher, Södertörn University, Stockholm
180. Lawrence Baron, Emeritus Professor, San Diego State University
181. Dr. Cécile Gonçalves, Institut de Sciences et Théologie des Religions de Marseille
182. Professor Dmitry Shumsky, Head of the Institute of History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
183. Matthew Kott, Researcher, Uppsala University
184. Daniel Pedersen, Ph. D., Stockholm university
185. Denise Elaine Heap, Director and President, Center for White Rose Studies, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania USA
186. Dr Lars M Andersson, Uppsala University
187. Dr. Graciela Ben Dror, Editor, Moreshet, Journal for the Study of the HolocaustMemorial, Israel
188. Szurek Jean-Charles, Emeritus Professor, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France)
189. Professor Claire Andrieu, Sciences Po, Paris
190. Alex Maws, Head of Education and Heritage, The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR)
191. Sandra Rosenfeld, Independent Holocaust Researcher
192. Thomas J Rushford, Professor of History, Independent Scholar
193. Michele Sarfatti, Historian, Milan, Italy
194. David Meola, Fanny and Bert Meisler Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies, Univeristy of South Alabama
195. Paul Gradvohl, University Professor, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
196. קובי פלד, פרופ', אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב
197. Professor Anna Shternshis, University of Toronto
198. Jack Kugelmass, Melton Legislative Professor, University of Florida
199. Justin Cammy, Professor of Jewish Studies and World Literatures, Smith College
200. Dr. Iael Nidam, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem; Hebrew University
201. Dr. Micaela Procaccia, Independent Scholar, Rome, Italy
202. John B. Ziegler, Professor, Women’s & Children’s Health (conjoint), University of NSW
203. Prof. Piero Di Nepi, Teacher of Humanities, Retired. Ex vice-principal in the High School "Renzo Levi" of the Jewish Community of Rome
204. Robert Szuchta, history teacher, Warsaw
205. Pim Griffioen, Ph.D., Historian, Amsterdam
206. Professor Antony Polonsky, Brandeis University Emeritus
207. Matard-Bonucci Marie-Anne, Professeure en Histoire contemporaine, Université Paris 8
208. Joly Laurent, Senior research fellow at CNRS, Centre de recherches historiques, Paris
209. Professor Nadege Ragaru, Sciences Po, Paris
210. Dr. Svetlana Ushakova, Lead Researcher, USC Shoah Foundation
211. Professor Anne Grynberg, Emeritus, INALCO, Paris
212. Michael Denning, History Teacher and PhD student in Holocaust Studies, Gratz College
213. Michael Berenbaum, Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies, American Jewish University
214. Dr. Iael Nidam, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem; The Hebrew University
215. Michaela Küchler, Consul General of Germany in Chennai, Former Ambassador for Holocaust Remembrance and President of the #IHRA (2020/21)
216. Dr Simonetta Della Seta, Independent Scholar, founder director of the NaMuseum of the Italian Judaism and the Shoah, Rome, Italy
217. Dr. Anna Ullrich, Center for Holocaust Studies (Munich)
218. Giles Bennett, Researcher, Representative of the Fellowship Program, Center for Holocaust Studies at the Institute for Contemporary History, Munich / Germany
219. Dr.
Alan Goldberd,
Professor Emeritus Syracuse University
220.
Rabbi Dr.
Allan Nadler,
Drew University
221.
Avital Lutzky,
Education Officer, Kreuzberg Initiative Against Antisemitism
222. Dr
Konrad Matyjaszek,
Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences
222.
Helena Datner, PhD, Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw
223. James Vrettos, Professor ---Cable television host of The Radical Imagination, Touro University
224. Nathan Marcus, PhD, Ben Gurion University
225. Roland Kostić, Senior Lecturer in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Uppsala University
