For almost a decade, Benjamin Leitman has worked in the financial industry, currently serving as a business manager at New York-based ML Management. Benjamin Leitman dedicates some of his time to helping institutions focused on social justice, such as The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies & Human Rights (TOLI).
With origins that date back to 2006, TOLI was created to educate teachers globally about social justice and human rights through the lens of genocides such as the Holocaust. It was named after Auschwitz survivor Olga Lengyel, an American immigrant and philanthropist. With the help of gifts donated by community members, TOLI offers mini-grants to teachers who have graduated from its summer seminars.
Graduates can receive a grant of up to $1,000 to develop a project in their schools, classrooms, and communities. Besides varied classroom projects, the US mini-grants support field trips to Holocaust centers, Holocaust survivors' visits, social justice resources, and more.
The European mini-grants, aimed for graduates of TOLI's summer seminars in Europe, are up to $300. This money can be used for projects that also focus on teaching students about human rights, the Holocaust, Jewish culture and life in their community, respect for diversity, and more.
