FAU Announces Largest Gift in School’s History

On Nov. 17, Florida Atlantic University officially announced that it had received its largest gift in school history – and in this case, large may be an understatement. This whopping $20 million is coming from benefactors Kurt and Marilyn Wallach to create the Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Institute for Holocaust and Jewish Studies at FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.

A portion of this gift will go towards the construction of the institute which will serve as the hub for Holocaust, human rights and Jewish studies education programs as well as allied programs related to creating greater interfaith and interethnic understanding. The gift will also create an endowment to support the future establishment and operation of the new institute as it integrates and coordinates research, services and educational offerings in these disciplinary areas.

Kurt and Marilyn Wallach share a lifelong commitment to educating on the Holocaust to make sure the lessons of this point in our world’s history remain relevant today and to future generations.

“We speak for those who cannot speak. We remember all the victims, including our family members, who perished needlessly,” Kurt Wallach said in a press release. “No one should ever be subjected to such horror. We hope that through the education we can provide that lives will be saved and history will not be repeated.”

Although this gift will have an immeasurable impact on the FAU and South Florida community, Kurt Wallach’s contribution to Holocaust education goes far beyond this financial contribution. An acclaimed author, he has written three textbooks about the Holocaust: “The Killing of the Jews,” “Murder Beyond Madness,” and “Man’s Inhumanity to Man.”  He began writing these books at the age of 87 and completed his most recent six years later at 93. His book “The Killing of the Jews” received national attention and was applauded by Senator Rick Scott as well as Steven Spielberg who said, “In sharing your personal testimony as a survivor of the Holocaust, you have granted future generations the opportunity to experience a personal connection with history.”

“Kurt Wallach’s commitment to keeping the lessons of the Holocaust alive through his writing and teaching testimonials has long inspired us. Now, Kurt and Marilyn’s momentous gift to the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters will allow us to consolidate and grow our Holocaust and Jewish Studies programs by providing a central space on campus for our various allied initiatives,” said Michael J. Horswell, Ph.D., dean of FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “We hope that the future Wallach Building will also include a lecture hall, as well as an exhibition and reception space for traveling educational exhibits to engage students and our South Florida community in the important history of the Holocaust and related social justice topics. It is crucial that we keep the lessons alive for future generations, so those kinds of atrocities are never repeated.”