Michael and Juliet Gray were honored with the 2024 Humanitarian Award by the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center on February 27. The Award is presented to individuals and businesses demonstrating a commitment to educating current and future generations about the dangers of hatred, prejudice, and indifference in order to strengthen their communities and the world.
The Humanitarian Awards dinner is the museum's signature annual event honoring community leaders and Holocaust survivors, and among the City of Chicago's largest annual fundraisers. During this year's event, award winning actress, producer and human rights activist Debra Messing, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the audience of more than 1,700 community members with their personal experiences and poignant observations about our world, both past and present. Wintrust was also recognized for its humanitarian efforts.
"Michael and Juliet have worked tirelessly to sow positive change in Chicago and around the world through their work to confront and combat hatred in all its forms," said Tina Tabacchi, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Chicago Office. "Their commitment to expanded anti-hate initiatives for stronger, peaceful, and more tolerant communities has reached tens of thousands of people locally, across the United States, and far beyond our borders."
A partner in Jones Day's Labor & Employment Practice and based in the Firm's Chicago Office, Mr. Gray serves on the Executive Committee of the museum's Board of Directors and has served on the museum's board since 2015. Jones Day is a longtime supporter of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. In addition to sponsoring the Humanitarian Awards dinner for the ninth consecutive year, the Firm also provides pro bono counsel to the museum.
"Juliet and I are beyond appreciative to the museum and its supporters for this recognition. We are grateful to Jones Day and the Jones Day Foundation for the generous support of the museum's mission and commitment to anti-hate initiatives," said Mr. Gray. "With community support and the museum's world-class team, we all can be the answer, the answer to the growing division in the world, the answer to antisemitism on college campuses, and the answer to hate."
On March 7, as part of the museum's Jones Day Foundation Community Series, a special series of events focused on confronting antisemitism and hatred in all its forms, Mr. Gray will moderate a powerful discussion with leaders in the fight against antisemitism. Speakers include: Matthew E. Berger, President and CEO of Mashber Strategies and former Executive Director of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism; Brette Steele, Senior Director for Preventing Targeted Violence at the McCain Institute; and Dr. Casey Babb, International Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.
Original source can be found here.