2023 Award Recipient
DavidRonnel
Project The AHEAD Fund & HELP Committee
Project The AHEAD Fund & HELP Committee
Growing up Jewish in Little Rock, David was often the target of antisemitism and hate speech. David emerged from this experience with a mission to take on antisemitism in his home state, and his motivation to make a difference in his community guided him to the Arkansas State Capitol. As a leading member of the Holocaust Education Living Proposal (HELP) Committee, David met with countless legislators to encourage the passage of a bill that would mandate Holocaust education in public schools across Arkansas. David achieved his goal, making Arkansas the first state in the region to require Holocaust education in public schools statewide.
His project followed up this legislative success by passing another bill to designate the last full week of instruction in January annually as “Holocaust Education Week” in Arkansas public schools. David continued his mission by founding the Arkansas Holocaust Education Award Donation (AHEAD) Fund, the first and only nonprofit in the state that awards teachers for their outstanding efforts to teach students about the Holocaust. The AHEAD Fund has raised over $30,000 to recognize educators and incentivize lessons on tolerance, diversity, and Holocaust education in Arkansas schools.
David served as a member of the Holocaust Education Living Proposal (HELP) Committee to pass legislation (Act 611 of 2021) that makes Holocaust education mandatory in Arkansas public schools. David continued his work to address the alarming trend of rising antisemitism, bigotry, and hate speech in the state by starting the Arkansas Holocaust Education Award Donation (AHEAD) Fund to highlight and award educators who excel in teaching the lessons of the Holocaust to Arkansas students.
