Arnold Schwarzenegger to Be Honored with Inaugural 'Award of Courage' at Holocaust Museum LA's 15th Annual Gala

Holocaust Museum LA will honor icon Arnold Schwarzenegger with the first ever "Award of Courage" at the 15th annual gala Monday, Nov. 6, at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Schwarzenegger, recognized as both a cinematic and real-life hero, has been a longtime advocate against antisemitism and bigotry. The son of a Nazi, he has publicly spoken out against hate on social media for many years, regularly posting videos and statements to his fans.

Through the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, the actor and former governor of California recently brought together the USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education, the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, and other partners to co-host "Terminating Hate: Breaking the Cycle of Extremism." His personal commitment to fighting antisemitism and extremism and his leadership were instrumental in convening the many experts to address this issue.

HMLA CEO Beth Kean, in announcing the museum's worldwide "Award of Courage," said, "The first 'Award of Courage' embodies all the lessons of the Holocaust: The spirit of educating and elevating humanity to fight hate in all forms. Arnold, by speaking out publicly, embodies our museum's essence of inspiring humanity through truth."

In addition to Schwarzenegger, Holocaust Museum LA will honor Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, an accomplished artist, director and vice president of the Annenberg Foundation, and founder of GRoW @ Annenberg, a philanthropic initiative of the Annenberg Foundation. GRoW supports a broad range of innovative projects and organizations that address social and cultural issues, meets urgent community needs, and offers inspiration and collaboration - all with the goal of improving the quality of life in communities around the world.

Committed to Holocaust Museum LA's goals to educate to stop hate, Weingarten directed a $1 million gift to the museum's "Building Truth" campus expansion project.

The museum will also recognize Sandra Gerson Kanengiser, chair of the board and president of the Jack and Goldie Nomberg Foundation, a private foundation endowed by the estate of her maternal uncle, Jack Nomberg, a Holocaust survivor. Kanengiser's parents Robert and Barbara Gerson also were survivors.

In response to the alarming rise in antisemitism, Kanengiser directed a $1 million grant from the Nomberg Foundation to support free educational tours for students at Holocaust Museum LA. Kanengiser, a partner emeritus at Irell & Manella LLP, also serves as a trustee of the AJA Foundation and on the board of the Los Angeles Ballet and has served as a board member of the Los Angeles Giving Circle and Design for Sharing, a CAP UCLA arts education program serving LAUSD schools.

Television personality Melissa Rivers will emcee the event.

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