Widen the Circle

Widen the Circle is a non-profit organization, founded in 2019 with the support of the Obermayer Foundation. Our mission is to combat hate and prejudice by promoting a shared understanding of the past. We focus particularly on regions with a history of extreme persecution of one group by another.

Our goal is to expand the circle of respect, reconciliation, and understanding. We believe that confronting the past is crucial to combating modern prejudice and hate. Our work is based on the efforts of individuals and groups who are already actively fighting against prejudice in their communities. We support and amplify their efforts to achieve a broader impact, particularly in Germany and the USA.

• Obermayer Awards: These awards honor individuals and organizations that creatively and selflessly work to preserve Jewish history and culture and against the rise of hate, prejudice, and anti-Semitism[1][4].
• Widen the Circle Network: This network serves as a platform for exchanging ideas, skills, and new approaches for people working on remembrance projects and using the past to combat modern prejudice, particularly in Germany[1].
• International Bridge Building: We build bridges between education experts and activists in the USA and Germany to share tactics and strategies and collaborate with thought leaders on both sides of the Atlantic to support this work[1].

Our work is aimed at promoting long-term change. This includes:

• Remembrance Work and Education: We organize events such as the Summer Forum and the Winter Forum to strengthen commitment to preserving Jewish history and culture and combating prejudice[2].
• Community Engagement: Our community coordinator Lena Senoner plays a central role in organizing monthly online discussions and key events that strengthen the network and promote exchange[2].
• Public Relations and Fundraising: Our team, including Dan Fleshler and Megan Fowler, works to inform the public about our mission and generate support for our activities[2].

Our team is small but highly talented and split between the USA and Germany. Joel Obermayer, the founder and executive director, leads the organization and brings his experience from the board of the Obermayer Foundation. Other key individuals such as Rebecca Richards-Kramer, Craig Bystrynski, and Kristin Böschen contribute to program management, content creation, and social media presence[1][2].

Widen the Circle is passionately committed to a world where respect, reconciliation, and understanding are at the forefront. Through our work, we hope to create a better future where hate and prejudice are pushed back.

• 1 - https://widenthecircle.org/about-us
• 2 - https://widenthecircle.org/de/about-us/team
• 3 - https://www.thecircle.ch/home
• 4 - https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/wolfratshausen-us-auszeichnung-fuer-erinnerungsort-badehaus,SuUxWbA
• 5 - https://stories-for-tomorrow.de/widen-the-circle-ein-netzwerk-gegen-den-hass/