A Holocaust survivor was denied the opportunity to speak to middle-school students about antisemitism because of his support for Israel.
When a Brooklyn middle-school parent asked the principal of The Math & Science Exploratory School, Public School 447, whether Nazi labor-camp survivor Sami Steigmann could speak to students, they were told no.
“In looking at his website material, I also don’t think that Sami’s presentation is right for our public school setting, given his messages around Israel and Palestine,” principal Arin Rusch wrote to the parent on Nov. 18, according to the New York Post.
“I’d love to explore other speakers,” she added, signaling that she was open to Holocaust lectures — just not from survivors who support Israel.
Deported at just 18 months old, Sami Steigmann survived a Nazi labor camp and endured medical experimentation.
“I’m not what happened to me. I’m what I choose to be,” says Steigmann. pic.twitter.com/wKdakme5Nz
— NTD+ (@NTDPlus_) December 1, 2025
The now-viral email has since understandably triggered massive outrage.
Moshe Spern, the president of the United Jewish Teachers, wrote in a Nov. 26 email to local superintendent Rafael Alvarez, complaining that Steigmann’s censorship “begs the question of, ‘Are we now censoring Holocaust survivors for their views of Israel?’”
The grandson of a Holocaust survivor himself, Spern added that Rusch’s position on the matter was “appalling,” “discriminatory,” and “personally offensive.”
“There are only so many survivors out there who still speak,” Spern continued. “This is not meeting the moment. This is sending a message to Jews in [New York City public Schools].”
Brooklyn City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, also Jewish, was outraged by Rusch’s email as well.
“It’s particularly abhorrent to deny someone who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust the opportunity to share his experience with students — particularly during a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing among our youth,” she told the Post.
“Not only is this behavior repugnant, but the school is potentially engaging in viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment and of Equal Protection that covers religious or ethnic discrimination. To see public schools engaging in this conduct is unsurprising, and we will not sit idly by,” she added.
The Nazis conducted medical experiments on Sami Steigmann when he was just one-year-old. He is alive today because a German woman saved his life.
By joining the #WeRemember campaign, you can ensure that Sami’s story will never be forgotten. Post your picture today. pic.twitter.com/ut7qWTOSAJ
— World Jewish Congress (@WorldJewishCong) January 18, 2019
The city’s Department of Education has nevertheless chosen to defend Rusch’s decision to deny Steigmann a speaking opportunity.
“We do not shy away from teaching history in our classrooms, and we are proud to have welcomed many Holocaust survivors into our schools, including MS 447, to share their stories,” a spokesperson told the Post.
“We thoroughly evaluate every classroom speaker and are careful to ensure speakers maintain political neutrality, especially on contentious current events, as required in a public school setting,” they added.
Even New York City Eric Adams, who’s usually considered more moderate than the average modern-day Democrat, had the audacity to argue that Steigmann “wasn’t the right fit.”
“Mayor Adams is dedicated to ensuring all New Yorkers — particularly our students and young adults — hear stories from the genocide and oppression of the Holocaust, so we never again perpetrate such evil,” a City Hall spokesman told the Post.
“While this speaker wasn’t the right fit, we will continue to ensure our students hear from the living survivors of this history into the future,” the spokesperson added.
Holocaust Survivor Sami Steigmann at EJH’s vigil in NYC:
“If you would stand on your feet & silent for 1 minute for every victim of the Holocaust, you would be on your feet & silent for almost 11 & a half years.”
Watch Sami’s full speech on our YouTube: https://t.co/4xenwDvhLf pic.twitter.com/in6gs1fkPu
— End Jew Hatred (@EndJewHatred) January 29, 2021
Steigmann wasn’t pleased by the rejection.
“She didn’t even have the courtesy to call me,” he told the Post, referencing Rusch.
Born in what is now Ukraine in 1939, he spent 1941 through 1944 in a Nazi labor camp.
“My parents told me that I was subjected to Nazi medical experimentation but did not go into specifics (too painful to remember),” according to his website.
“All I know is that I suffered all my life from neck, head, and back problems. The severity was so great that I had days and weeks that I could not sit, lay down, or walk (not all at the same time). My headaches were so severe that I was crying in pain,” his writing continues.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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