Jewish World Watch, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit committed to bringing help and healing to survivors of mass atrocities across the globe, announced Monday it received a share of a $550,000 grant for its landmark winter conference in New York.
The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity awarded JWW as one of its first beneficiaries of its inaugural grant-making cycle. Launched in October 2022, the foundation identifies and supports organizations whose efforts are grounded by Elie Wiesel’s legacy as an educator, activist, journalist and a man of faith.
“We are honored to be among the first organizations to receive a grant from the Elie Wiesel Foundation,” Serena Oberstein, executive director of JWW, said in a statement.
JWW is joined by World Uyghur Congress and Uyghur Human Rights Project as grantees, selected in-part for their advocacy of and for the Uyghur community. At least 1.8 million Uyghurs have been separated from their families and forced into “re-education camps” since 2017 in northwest China or East Turkestan, according to the foundation.
“Our inaugural activist portfolio grants are laser-focused toward advocates working purposefully and urgently toward restoring the rights and dignity of the Uyghur population,” Elisha Wiesel, chairman of the foundation, said in a statement.
“For those of us working at the intersection of Judaism and activism, Elie Wisel’s legacy represents perseverance, hope and the obligation each of us has to work for a world free of genocide.”
The $550,000 grant will support the trio’s winter conference of Uyghur activists and allies in New York to address the international response of Uyghur genocide.
JWW officials said the conference is intended to build collaboration among stakeholders and energize current efforts of Uyghur activism.
“The opportunity to work alongside our valued allies at the Eli Wiesel Foundation and in collaboration with Jewish World Watch and World Uyghur Congress is of enormous value,” Omer Kanat, executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, said in a statement.
“The conference in December will be a chance to demonstrate a commitment to upholding the vow of `never again’ in solidarity, and to call for further action to stop ongoing genocide.”