The Stiftungsbeirat (“Advisory Board”) rejects and condemns the tone and content of the succession of communications sent by Mr. Olewski since April 2025 as unacceptable, false and inconsistent with the values and mission of the Stiftung, the Gedenkstätte, and the Advisory Board. Factual falsehoods, defamation, and insults are reprehensible and have no place in our work. In this connection, the Advisory Board emphasizes that there were three Israeli speakers at the main commemoration at the Gedenkstätte Bergen-Belsen on April 27, 2025 — more than from any other country.
The Advisory Board acknowledges the many years of constructive and collegial relations with the Irgun and deplores the Irgun’s radical change in attitude since the passing of former chairwoman Jochi Ritz-Olewski.
The Advisory Board takes note of and acknowledges Mr. Olewski’s withdrawal as the representative of the Irgun on the Advisory Board and the withdrawal of Rikki Zeevi as his deputy from the work and activities of the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board calls on Mr. Olewski and Ms. Zeevi to resume constructive and collegial forms of communication and cooperation, and in particular to publicly withdraw all the above-mentioned communications. The Advisory Board recommends that as long as this is not the case, and that until and unless they publicly withdraw all of Mr. Olewski’s above-mentioned communications, there should be no interaction or communication of any kind between the Stiftung, the Gedenkstätte, and the Advisory Board with Mr. Olewski or Ms. Zeevi. The Advisory Board supports any staff decision by Dr. Elke Gryglewski in implementing that recommendation. Of course, the Advisory Board further supports the continued direct communication and interaction on the part of the Gedenkstätte and the Stiftung with individual survivors of Bergen-Belsen, former residents of the DP camp Bergen-Belsen, and members of their families living in Israel.
The Advisory Board further expresses its full confidence in the professional leadership of the Stiftung and the Gedenkstätte Bergen-Belsen of Dr. Elke Gryglewski, Katrin Unger, Stephanie Billib, and Dr. Akim Jah, condemns the reprehensible personal attacks, and assures them of its unconditional support.