Dworken & Bernstein invest in anti-bias education with Cy-pres Funds
(CLEVELAND, OH) March 27, 2019 – The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage has received a $100,000 distribution from the law firm of Dworken & Bernstein to support its mission to combat hate in all forms through anti-bias education. The firm uses a doctrine known as “Cy Pres” to redirect unclaimed funds generated in class actions to meet the needs of the community, and have distributed funds in excess of $37 million to support literally hundreds of charitable causes.
Past supported causes cut across the entire spectrum of community needs, from addressing poverty, hunger, homelessness, and opioid abuse to fighting diseases resulting in physical and mental illness to supporting institutions of education and hospitals, and the list goes on. The firm is proud to add the Maltz Museum to its list of beneficiaries.
Irving Rosner, Partner at Dworken and Bernstein spoke to this cause, “Hate is the most dangerous disease affecting humankind and addressing and stopping ‘hate’ is the most vital of all issues we all need to confront.” Rosner noted that both he and his wife are children of Holocaust survivors and see the issue as personal, further noting that it should be personal to all of humankind, addressing the need for vigilance. Rosner said, “We all need to be vigilant, speak up and support all victims of hate.”
Each year, many as 30,000 visitors experience Jewish history, culture, and tradition come to life through the Maltz Museum’s exhibitions and programming. Approximately one-third of those visitors are students who visit on school tours to learn about the importance of being upstanders. Through the Museum’s Stop the Hate® initiative, students are asked to consider the benefits of a more inclusive society, the consequences of intolerance, and the role of personal responsibility in effecting change.
The Maltz Museum’s most popular student tours are “Introduction to Themes of the Holocaust” and “Stop the Hate.” Both tours focus on historical figures and events and use artifacts, photography, and interactive media to lift history out of the books and into life. Often, students will also hear from a Holocaust survivor who shares their personal story of what they went through during what is arguably one of the world’s most violent periods in history.
“We look to our past so we can understand the present and create a better future,” explained David Schafer, the Maltz Museum’s Managing Director. “Today, students are confronted with and are fighting against issues like racism, abelsim, homophobia, xenophobia, and more. We are so grateful to Dworken & Berstein for their generous distribution, so these students can know they are not alone.”
Rosner said, “The Maltz Museum is a community treasure and offers an optimal vehicle for education on the dire consequences of ‘hate’. History teaches valuable lessons that everyone needs to be mindful of. The funds are to be focused on further education of our youth using the Maltz Museum as a vehicle. Dworken & Bernstein looks forward to its alliance with the Maltz Museum in dealing with these societal issues.”
