Israeli violinist Miri Ben Ari, Grammy Award-Winner and founder of Gedenk, following presentation of the Yad Vashem Young Leadership Remembrance Award.

Miri Ben Ari, the Grammy Award-Winning Israeli violinist, creator of “a revolutionary fusion of classical style with jazz, R & B and hip-hop,” has been nominated by First Lady Michelle Obama as a “a Remarkable Woman Mentor” during the White House commemoration of Women’s History Month.  March 30, she joined a distinguished group of nominees who visited D.C. area high schools to encourage young women “to go after their dreams.” That evening, Ben Ari performed at the White House “Remarkable Women Dinner’ celebrating young women from around the world.

Ben Ari’s recently received the first Israeli Martin Luther King, Jr. Award presented by President Shimon Peres at the Israeli White House, and will be honored by the Boston Holocaust Center and UJA Federation for “love and care of humanity” during Spring 2011.

Ben Ari is the co-founder of “Gedenk” (“Remember”), an organization dedicated to promoting awareness among young people about the Holocaust.” She received the American Society for Yad Vashem Young Leadership Associates’ Remembrance Award March 24. The award, presented at the Metropolitan Pavilion, was given in recognition of the important work she does on behalf of Holocaust remembrance.

Called to the podium by Yad Vashem Young Leadership Associates Chairman Jeremy Halpern, the Honoree spoke from the depths of her heart, stressing the need to remember, and the obligation of assuring that the first generation of the new millennium, those becoming adults as the last of the survivors’ lives are concluding, know and remember the tragedy of the Jews of Europe and understand the devastation hate can create.

Jerusalem’s Mayor Nir Bakat has said that no pigua (explosion), no disruption, will stop the activities of normal life. The legacy of the Holocaust must not stop Jewish life.  But awareness and knowledge of that history is essential.

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat…

At the Mmetropolitan Pavilion, Hip Hop violinist Miri Ben Ari received Yad Vashem's Young Leadership Associates Remembrance Award.

Miri Ben Ari received the Yad Vashem Young Leadership Associates Remembrance Award from Chairman Jeremy Halpern.

American Society for Yad Vashem Chairman Eli Zborowski, Mrs. Zborowski, and Honoree Miri Ben Ari.