Censored Survivor: NYC Principal Blocks Holocaust Speaker Over "Zionist Views"

A disturbing precedent has been set in Brooklyn, where the principal of MS 447 (The Math & Science Exploratory School) has denied a request to host Holocaust survivor Sami Steigmann to speak to students.

The Denial: When a parent suggested bringing Steigmann—who survived Nazi medical experiments as a child—to address the student body about antisemitism, Principal Arin Rusch rejected the idea. In an email, she stated that Steigmann’s presentation would not be right for the school "given his messages around Israel and Palestine".

The Survivor's Stance: Steigmann, a well-known motivational speaker, has clarified that his school presentations focus on resilience, kindness, and tolerance, not Middle East politics. "She didn't even have the courtesy to call me," Steigmann noted, adding that he would have readily agreed to avoid political topics if asked. However, his personal social media posts affirming Israel as the Jewish homeland were seemingly enough to disqualify him from sharing his testimony of survival.

The Reaction: While NYC Councilwoman Inna Vernikov blasted the decision as "repugnant" and potential "viewpoint discrimination," the office of Mayor Eric Adams has surprisingly backed the principal’s decision, stating that speakers must be the "right fit".

ZAH Perspective: This is a "soft" form of Holocaust denial. By silencing a survivor because he is a Zionist, the school system is effectively saying that Jews are only welcome as victims, not as a sovereign people. To separate the Holocaust from the necessity of Israel is to strip Jewish history of its most vital lesson. When a principal decides that a survivor's belief in the Jewish State makes his trauma "inappropriate" for children, we have entered a dark new era of educational erasure.

Advocacy Angle:

Action Item: We cannot let this pass quietly.

• Contact the NYC Department of Education: Demand to know why "Zionism" is a disqualifying factor for Holocaust education.

• Social Media Campaign: Share Sami Steigmann’s story. Remind the world that "Never Again" is a Zionist slogan—it means we will never again be defenseless. Excluding Zionists from Holocaust education renders the education hollow.

Prayer Point:

 "Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you; your elders, and they will tell you." (Deuteronomy 32:7)

God of our Fathers, we ask that the voices of the witnesses not be silenced. Give strength to Sami and all remaining survivors to tell their stories boldly. We pray against the censorship that seeks to hide the truth of Your covenant with the Land. Open the eyes of the educators and leaders to see that they are blocking the very light that dispels the darkness.