On Friday, May 9, 2025, members of our community gathered for the 2025 Cleveland Luncheon in support of the Museum’s critical mission. At this time of surging antisemitism, conspiracy theories, and Holocaust distortion, we defend the truth and bring the timely lessons of this history to new generations beyond our walls and around the globe.
This inspiring event showed how your support enables us to continue teaching how and why the Holocaust happened and reinforced the urgency of confronting antisemitism and hate. Please help us further our work by sharing your Museum experience with others. And if you haven't made a gift or would like to increase your support, please donate today.
Featured Guests
Honoree
- John Newburger
National Leadership Honoree and Holocaust Survivor
John Newburger was born in the charming university town of Giessen, Germany, in 1935, surrounded by a loving family and friends. Then, on November 10, 1938—the morning after Kristallnacht—uniformed men came to his house and arrested his father, Ludwig.
Ludwig was taken to Buchenwald concentration camp and imprisoned for many months. John and his mother, Ilse, were left alone. Life had changed forever for their family.
Ludwig was released from Buchenwald under the condition of leaving Germany. With the help of a sponsor, William Rosenwald, John and his parents were able to immigrate to America in 1939. They settled on the south side of Hyde Park in Chicago.
John attended the University of Illinois and then earned a master’s degree in engineering mechanics from New York University. He worked for Bell Telephone Laboratories for 20 years, and then for Ohio Bell and Ameritech, helping to bring in new technology. John and his late wife, Gloria, were married for 44 years. He has three children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
We honor John Newburger for his longstanding support of the Museum’s mission to keep Holocaust memory alive and inspire people to confront antisemitism and hate.
Speakers
- Vidhya Ramalingam
Founder and CEO of Moonshot
Vidhya Ramalingam is an expert at disrupting and countering the modern rise of violent extremism through data-driven innovation. In 2023, she toured four cities with the Museum program, “When Extremist Ideas Are No Longer Considered Extreme,” exploring the dangers of hate and radicalization that exploit antisemitic myths and conspiracy theories often directly inspired by Nazi ideology.
Vidhya is the founder and CEO of Moonshot, an organization working to end online harms—applying evidence, ethics and human rights. Under her leadership, Moonshot has become the US government's premier provider of technology to assess risks of targeted violence online, and operates a proven model to prevent targeted violence and terrorism online on behalf of all Five Eyes governments.
Moonshot has twice been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies list, including as the 9th most innovative security company in the world. Vidhya is also recognized internationally for her role leading intergovernmental policy responses to terrorism. Following the 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway, she led the European Union’s first intergovernmental initiative on racially motivated terrorism.
Vidhya has been recognized by Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, served as a Commissioning Panelist for the UK security and intelligence agencies, and regularly testifies before the US Congress on terrorism prevention.
- Dr. Edna Friedberg
Museum Historian and Senior Program Curator
Dr. Edna Friedberg is a Museum historian, senior program curator, and the host of the Museum’s popular Stay Connected Live interview series. Since joining the Museum in 1999, she has served as the historian for our multilingual online Holocaust Encyclopedia and curated a special exhibition on the legacy of the Nuremberg trials and postwar justice. Edna’s essays connecting Holocaust history with social, cultural, and political issues today have appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and the Forward.
Cleveland Luncheon Sponsors
Gifts as of April 29, 2025 Gifts of $50,000 and above Rebecca and J. David Heller Maltz Family Foundation John Newburger Gifts of $25,000–$49,999 Gail and Sheldon Goodman Family Foundation Cari & Gary Gross and Rochelle & Harley Gross Audrey and Albert Ratner Deborah and Ronald Ratner The Wuliger Family Gifts of $10,000–$24,999 Benesch Leslie and Kevin Blum Rina Frankel and Family Erica Hartman-Horvitz and Richard Horvitz The Lerner Foundation Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough LLP Oswald Companies Rosskamm and Rothstein Families Marjorie Simon Danielle and Jeffrey Wild Gifts of $5,000–$9,999 Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine Susan and Michael Cristal Irving and Gloria Fine Foundation First National Bank In memory of Roman (z”l)—Elaine, Michael, Julie, Hannah, and Jamie Frayman Judy and Mort Levin Dr. Alan and Mrs. Joni Lichtin William Proper Gifts of $2,500–$4,999 Renée and Kerry Chelm Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation Marilyn and Kenneth Oif The Robert and Eileen Sill Family Foundation Sandi and Burton Zucker Gifts of $1,000–$2,499 Karen and Fred Abel Megan Beems Ellen E. & Victor J. Cohn Supporting Foundation Mt. Sinai Care Foundation Anita and Michael Pupa Shelley Roth Arthur Herbert Wasserstrom Ellen and Dan Zelman
Midwest Regional Office
The Midwest Regional Office serves Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York (upstate), North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Find out more about past programs and how to contact us.