Michael Korenblit » 2012 Awards

Along with his wife Joan (also an awardee), he has dedicated his life to their organization. Under their conscientious direction, the organization has made a huge difference in awareness and understanding of diversity and respect for human rights.

Michael is a bestselling author (Until We Meet Again), speaker and former public-school educator, as well as the executive producer of educational documentaries and an award-winning public affairs series on CSPAN. He provides engaged, “hands-on” leadership for the organization, even as he shares the lessons of the Holocaust and their relevance today. A compelling presenter whose gifts and talents could easily have propelled him to a successful private career in speaking, he has instead devoted his energies to founding and leading RDF and taking the story of his parents (Majir and Manya Korenblit, Holocaust survivors) to audiences most likely to effect change in their communities and the world – especially schools. Through his presentation, the story becomes a fulcrum for highly-salient issues, such as bullying (student or workplace), inter-faith understanding, civic engagement, social activism, social justice, and others. Since 2000, hundreds of schools, faith and community groups, agencies, businesses, and corporations throughout Oklahoma and the nation have invited him to give talks and lead workshops – reporting meaningful transformations in their organizational cultures after his presentations.