Museum Hosts 2019 Chicago Risa K. Lambert "What You Do Matters" Luncheon

CHICAGO — More than 2,000 Chicagoans, including about 250 Holocaust survivors, are expected to attend the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual “What You Do Matters” Luncheon in Chicago on September 9, 2019. Organizers anticipate the event will raise $5M+ to support the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s efforts to keep Holocaust memory and its lessons alive for generations to come.

The luncheon will honor former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a steadfast friend of the Museum, for his commitment to advancing the mission of Holocaust education and remembrance, and for his dedication to countering rising antisemitism. The luncheon is being chaired by Highland Park and Northbrook, Illinois, natives Aaron Tucker, Carly and Scott Bernstein, Danielle Rudas Goodman, and Jordan Goodman. The youngest chairs to host the Luncheon – now in its 24th year – these millennials are committed to the Museum and its mission to bring Holocaust education to new generations.

Keynote speaker Deborah Lipstadt will discuss her newest book, Antisemitism: Here and Now which explores how and why this ancient hatred seems to have reemerged with a vengeance and how we can respond to it. Lipstadt is a renowned historian, author, and speaker, perhaps best known for her successful defense in a lawsuit brought by a Holocaust denier. Her book History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving (a National Jewish Book Award winner) inspired the motion picture, DENIAL. Lipstadt also authored The Eichmann Trial; Holocaust: An American Understanding; and Beyond Belief: The American Press and the Coming of the Holocaust, 1933–1945. She currently serves as the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University.

“The message of this year’s annual fundraising event could not be more timely,” says Jill Weinberg, director of the Museum’s Midwest Regional Office. “Gathering together, we renew our strength -- we remember, we learn, and we plan for the future. I’m deeply grateful for the unwavering support and generosity Chicagoans have shown for this important event over the years. It reinvigorates our important work and ensures that these stories will live on.”

Luncheon Honorary Chairs are Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Media sponsors for the luncheon include WGN Radio and WGN TV.

Tickets to the September 9 luncheon begin at $250 per person.. Guests can RSVP online HERE. To learn about event sponsorship opportunities, please contact the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Midwest Regional Office at 847.433.8099 or midwest@ushmm.org.

About the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. Its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. For more information, visit www.ushmm.org.

MEDIA May Contact: Orly Telisman; orly@orlypr.com or 312.375.1230 or Raymund Flandez; rflandez@ushmm.org or 202.314.1772

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