2023 Award Recipient
AronGoodman
Project TovaTok
Project TovaTok
When Aron noticed his classmates lacked basic knowledge about the Holocaust, he was inspired to record video interviews with his grandmother, Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman, and began posting them to TikTok. As the videos received thousands of views, Aron saw an opportunity to make a positive impact far beyond his local community by educating his peers around the world about the Holocaust directly from a survivor. With that mission, TovaTok was born. Together Aron and his grandmother have produced more than 150 videos, sharing Tova’s story and raising awareness of modern-day antisemitism and racism.
Aron interacts with TovaTok’s half-million followers, providing easily accessible Holocaust education for his generation. The channel has grown into a worldwide educational initiative, with 80 million views in over 20 countries. In addition, Aron has worked with companies like Microsoft on a Diversity and Inclusion video to increase awareness of the effects of racism and antisemitism. Aron has consulted on social media for more than 30 Holocaust museums, memorials, and organizations and partnered with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs on a social media campaign.
TovaTok, an online platform created by Aron and his grandmother, Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman, has produced more than 150 videos, sharing Tova’s story and raising awareness of modern-day antisemitism and racism. Aron’s interviews with his grandmother and informational content on how to identify antisemitism have yielded over 80 million views on TikTok and Instagram. In many videos, Tova describes her experience as a child survivor of the Auschwitz death camp and responds in real-time to antisemitic incidents and rhetoric in the public sphere. Aron’s efforts to share his grandmother’s story with the world provide a critical firsthand account directly from a Holocaust survivor to those who would not otherwise have access.
