Never forget. Always be kind. That is the message InSight Through Education delivers to Palm Beach County (PBC) students, using lessons from the Holocaust and other genocides to confront prejudice and inspire empathy.
Roneet Edrich, executive director of the Palm Beach Gardens-based 501(c)(3), says rising antisemitism makes it more urgent than ever to tell the atrocities of Jewish history accurately — to prevent repetition and to teach compassion.
“Hate often begins with small acts of cruelty and indifference,” Edrich says. “So it’s crucial to teach lessons of kindness to help students [grades K-12] confront hatred and empower them to stand for empathy, respect and moral courage. They’re taught to be upstanders, not bystanders.”
Established in 2010 by Palm Beach Gardens Holocaust survivors Ruth and George Salton and other supporters to help fund Holocaust education mandated by Florida law, InSight Through Education has provided more than 30 educational, professional development and community programs through $2.5 million in grants to county schools.
One of the nonprofit’s most impactful initiatives is the traveling Hate Ends Now Cattle Car Exhibit, a sensory 3-D replica of a World War II cattle car. The exhibit teaches students about the Holocaust, the power of propaganda and two families’ experiences, and it is scheduled to visit 30 Broward and Palm Beach County high schools this year.
“For the first 11 years, we provided $100,000 annually in funding through private donors, grants, community and partner organizations, the state, and corporate partnerships,” she says. “We’ve grown exponentially over the last three years, nearly doubling funding every year, with a goal of funding $1 million this school year,” Edrich says.
The nonprofit’s educators are certified, full-time county teachers — trained through organizations like the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum — along with survivor volunteers. The next step in its mission is to expand into Broward and St. Lucie counties.
Edrich looks forward to InSight’s Garden of Education fundraising gala, which will celebrate 15 years of what she calls “an amazing partnership” with PBC schools at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 10. The event will feature award-winning actress Patricia Heaton, an advocate for Jewish causes, as the guest speaker.
“We’ve been the backbone of Palm Beach County’s Holocaust studies program,” Edrich adds. “Our partnership is one of the strongest in the nation, and we serve as a model for other communities.”
For more information or to support InSight Through Education, call 561-570-2656 or visit insightthrougheducation.org.