New York, NY, October 13, 2008 … The Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) nationally acclaimed Holocaust education program, Bearing Witness, was honored with the National Catholic Educational Association's 2008 President's Award, during an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Bearing Witness: Anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and Contemporary Issues provides Catholic school teachers with the training and resources necessary to teach their students about anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and Catholic-Jewish relations.  It has been cited by the Vatican as one of the most important programs in improving relations between Catholics and Jews.

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director and a Holocaust survivor, accepted the award and recounted his personal experience.  As a young child, Mr. Foxman was saved from certain death by his Polish-Catholic nanny, who had him baptized and raised him as a Catholic, until his parents returned at the end of the war.

Through Bearing Witness, participants explore the history of anti-Semitism, from biblical times to modern day.  Themes include the role of the Church during the Holocaust, recent changes in Catholic teachings on Jews and Judaism, issues of prejudice in contemporary society and practical strategies for teaching students about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism.

Graduates of the program may extend their learning as part of Bearing Witness Advanced, which takes them to Israel to learn from resident scholars and visit Jewish and Christian holy sites.  This extension to Bearing Witness is made possible by the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation.

In 1996, ADL's Washington, D.C. Regional Office created Bearing Witness in conjunction with the Archdiocese of Washington and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  In 1998, it became an ADL nationally sponsored program, replicated by many of the League's 30 regional offices.