David Draiman, lead singer, Disturbed

As frontman for the multi-platinum hard-rock band Disturbed, David Draiman writes songs that are often personal and political. As a kid, he was drawn into occasional fistfights over anti-Jewish remarks. As an adult, he addresses Holocaust denial and antisemitism in his song "Never Again."

Topics: Artists, Holocaust denial, Popular culture figures

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Vidal Sassoon, hairdresser and businessman

Although Vidal Sassoon has stopped cutting hair himself—he jokes that no one wants an 84-year-old stylist—he maintains a strong pride in his Jewish identity, a robust sense of political activism, and a vigilance toward antisemitism.

Topics: Fighting prejudice, Popular culture figures

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Michael Kahn, artistic director, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington D.C.

During his career, Kahn has produced The Merchant of Venice three times. It is among the most popular and the most contentious of Shakespeare's plays, with ever-evolving relevance for modern audiences.

Topics: Artists, Identity and religion, Popular culture figures

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David Albahari, writer

In many of his novels, Serbian-Jewish author David Albahari challenges readers to re-examine history. Though widely published around the world, Albahari's work is not always popular in his native country, where antisemitism persists.

Topics: Authors, Burden of memory, Concentration camps

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Sir Ben Kingsley, actor

Sir Ben Kingsley has played key roles in several films about the Holocaust, including Simon Wiesenthal, Itzhak Stern, and Otto Frank. Kingsley believes that it is important to confront tragedy in film and art, and that as an actor he is able to be both storyteller and witness.

Topics: Artists, Popular culture figures

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Mike Godwin, author and attorney

An early adopter of computer culture, Mike Godwin noticed in online discussions an abundance of glib comparisons to Hitler and the Nazis. In response, he coined Godwin's Law, a modern adage intended to promote more thoughtful dialogue.

Topics: Holocaust denial, Propaganda and the media

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Stephen H. Norwood, Professor of U.S. History and Judaic Studies, University of Oklahoma

In his book, The Third Reich in the Ivory Tower, Stephen Norwood looks at the ways many American universities actively or passively helped to legitimize Nazi Germany. In their failure to take a stand against antisemitism, Norwood sees parallels in academia today.

Topics: Academic perspectives, Antisemitism on college campuses, The role of education

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Betty Lauer, Holocaust survivor

Surviving the Holocaust by pretending to be a Christian Pole, Betty Lauer gained a unique perspective on the step-by-step process of dehumanization that fueled it.

Topics: Identity and religion, Survivor reflections

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Hannah Rosenthal, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, U.S. Department of State

The history of Jews in the United States, as well as her own life experiences, have demonstrated for Hannah Rosenthal that coalition building is critical to affecting change around the world.

Topics: Fighting prejudice, Government and political figures

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Edward Koch, former mayor of New York City

As a young man, former New York City Mayor Ed Koch was drafted into the Army, where in basic training he encountered antisemitism for the first time. Many years later, that encounter continues to resonate.

Topics: Fighting prejudice, Government and political figures

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