Katie speaks with Rene Lichtman, born 1937, who is a “hidden child” Holocaust survivor who opposes the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza. Then Katie is joined by Layla Saliba & Aidan Parisi to get the latest updates on Columbia University’s handling of a recent chemical attack on Pro-Palestinian student activists, censorship on campus, and more.

The son of two Polish Jews who fled to France during the 1930s, Rene Lichtman was hidden at the age of two with a Catholic family outside of Paris after his father was killed during the 1940 Nazi invasion and his mother was forced into hiding. After the war, Rene moved with his mother to Brooklyn, New York. He was politically radicalized in the 1960s and became an active opponent of the Vietnam War. Rene was a founding member of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust. On December 22, 2023, Rene took part in a demonstration outside of the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan, against the US-backed Israeli massacres in Gaza.

Aidan Parisi is a queer, non-binary MSW student at Columbia University. A Washington DC native, social justice has always been embedded in their life. They grew up in a household with two strong parents who imbued upon them the principles of challenging the status quo that perpetuates the subversion of marginalized communities. As an activist, Aidan has been involved in a number of social justice causes that include uplifting the rights of those who are queer/trans, immigrants, low-income, and marginally housed. Currently, Aidan is being targeted for their fierce stance against genocide and forced displacement.

Layla Saliba (she/her) is a Palestinian American graduate student at Columbia University. She is studying social work with a concentration in policy practice. She is passionate about disability justice and wants to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for everyone. She truly believes that a better world is possible for everyone and that is what guides her advocacy work. In her free time, you can find her feeding the NYC pigeons, reading, and spending time with friends.

Help Aidan and Layla with these links:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/grieving-cu-community-members-need-your-support?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

https://www.change.org/p/tell-columbia-university-fire-shai-davidai?recruiter=85462137&recruited_by_id=a717f684-f75c-491a-a512-afecba3efc38&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink

https://www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2023/11/14/columbia-university-apartheid-divest-who-we-are/

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