By Sara Noah
US filmmaker Steven Spielberg took the stage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March, 2024. His presence was not just about celebrating cinematic achievements; it was also an opportunity for Spielberg to share his concerns about the rise of extremist views in our society.
Speaking at the University of Southern California, Spielberg expressed his growing alarm over radical ideologies. As the founder of the USC Shoah Foundation, an organization dedicated to recording and preserving Holocaust survivors’ testimonies, he has listened to countless accounts that resonate with the past. “The echoes of history are unmistakable in our current climate,” Spielberg emphasized.
Radical views, he warned, create a dangerous environment. They erode the fabric of a society that once celebrated differences. Spielberg’s words were as poignant as the powerful narratives in his films. Here is the full transcript of his remarks:
“Good afternoon, everyone. It fills me up, as my late mom Leah used to say, to be here today with you—30 years after the Shoah Foundation’s founding and 20 years after the University of Southern California became our dedicated partner. We celebrate our accomplishments and reflect on all that we still hope to achieve. I am grateful to President Carol Folt for her unflagging leadership and support.”
During the event, Celina Biniaz, 92, one of the last living Holocaust survivors from Oskar Schindler’s List, was also honored. Biniaz’s survival story is a testament to resilience. Her parents worked for Schindler, a German businessman who employed Jews to protect them from the Nazis. She escaped the horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau when she was just 13 years old.
The USC Shoah Foundation continues its vital work, collecting testimonies not only from Holocaust survivors but…