Upstanders change our world for the better. We define an “Upstander” as a person who stands up for others and does not stand by allowing bigotry, hatred, or intolerance to happen without interjection.
For the past fifteen years, the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County and the Claire Friedlander Family Foundation have partnered to give out the Friedlander Upstander Awards. These education scholarships are awarded to Nassau and Suffolk County students who have shown themselves to be Upstanders against intolerance in all of its forms. The student’s action as an Upstander could be one of intervention or prevention, large or small.
The Friedlander Upstander Awards are generously sponsored by the Claire Friedlander Family Foundation. This Foundation was established by Claire Friedlander, a Holocaust Survivor, whose life was saved by people who took a stand against prejudice. This award honors her life and embodies her legacy, and the Foundation is proud to support young Upstanders who make the often-difficult decision to extinguish the flames of intolerance wherever they burn.
The ideal student nominated for this award:
Is committed to making our world a better place by demonstrating that they are not bystanders, but Upstanders who have taken action on behalf of another against prejudice, hatred, or indifference;
Knows the importance of guarding the rights and safety of others, and exemplifies this through their daily actions;
Believes in HMTC’s underlying message that every individual can make a difference in their schools and communities, and knows that no act is too small to inspire change.
Is currently in high school (9th-12th grade), and lives in Queens, Nassau County or Suffolk County, Long Island, NY.
Application MUST include a nominating letter from any guidance counselor, teacher, principal, or other administrator who knows the student who has acted as an upstander and chooses to nominate that student for the Friedlander Upstander Award. The student applicant must be in excellent standing in their school and community.
Dates to know:
March 2, 2026, All applications are due (No extensions)
March 27, 202,6 All winners are notified by this date
April 12, 2026, Winners will be filmed at HMTC (time TBA)
April 29, 2026, Claire Friedlander Upstander Awards Event at Fresh Meadows Country Club
For additional information on the 2025 Upstander Awards, please contact Zachary Graulich at edu@holocaust-nassau.org.
The Claire Friedlander Education Institute at the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County (HMTC), which opened in 2014, includes four state-of-the-art classrooms for specialized video-conferencing programs and a wide variety of Holocaust and Tolerance Education workshops for students, adults, law enforcement personnel, nurses, and educators.
Students that attend a grade-specific, age-appropriate (5-12) workshop at HMTC can tour the museum, hear testimony from a Holocaust Survivor or child of a Survivor and participate in an interactive workshop. Each classroom has a smartboard that docents and educators utilize during workshops. Student programs that are offered by HMTC can be found here:
After the Institute opened, HMTC was able to expand distance learning programs for schools thanks to the dedicated video-conferencing room in the Institute. Through videoconferencing, HMTC is able to serve schools across the United States and throughout the world that wouldn’t otherwise be able to participate in a workshop or hear a powerful testimony from a Survivor.
All of HMTC’s education programming, whether for students or adults, connect the history and lessons of the Holocaust to present-day issues today, empowering people of all ages to combat intolerance, bullying, and prejudice in all of its forms.
The Institute is an ideal space for professional development workshops for adults. Programs are customized for a range of occupations including teachers, lawyers, law enforcement personnel, first responders, and medical professionals. Information about HMTC’s programs for adults can be found here:
