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OMAR SHARIF JR. JOINS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM LA AS CHIEF
ADVANCEMENT OFFICER
Sharif
Jr., Leading Fundraiser for Academy Museum of Motion
Pictures, Joins Oldest Holocaust Museum in U.S. in Key Role
(LOS ANGELES – Aug. 31, 2022) — Omar Sharif
Jr. has joined Holocaust Museum LA as the new chief
advancement officer, announced by Beth Kean, the museum’s
CEO.
For the last five years, Sharif Jr. served as
a leading fundraiser for the Academy Museum of Motion
Pictures, completing the museum’s $388 million capital
campaign. Previously he was a vice president at JP Morgan
Chase and a national spokesperson for GLAAD, the LGBTQ media
advocacy organization.
In his new role at the oldest
survivor-founded museum in the United States, Sharif Jr.
will lead the development and communications strategy.
“He will play an integral part in the museum
going forward,” Kean said, as Holocaust Museum LA breaks
ground later this year on a major campus expansion that will
double the institution’s existing footprint and allow it to
accommodate greater numbers of students and visitors.
Sharif Jr. is the grandson of award-winning
Egyptian actor Omar Sharif on his father’s side and
Holocaust survivors from Poland on his mother’s.
“Omar’s mix of professional experience in
media and entertainment, advocacy and global
philanthropy—combined with his personal experience as the
grandson of Holocaust survivors and as an activist and
champion for LGBTQ rights and social justice—make him
uniquely qualified for this chief advancement officer role,”
said Kean.
Sharif Jr. earned his Bachelor of Arts from
Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and a Master
of Science from London School of Economics, U.K. He speaks
fluent Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic, Spanish and French and
volunteers as an ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS
Foundation and the Human Rights Foundation.
He is also an actor appearing in the hit
Israeli television series “The Baker and the Beauty,” and he
recently published “A Tale of Two Omars: A Memoir of Family,
Revolution and Coming Out During the Arab Spring.”
“Holocaust education and remembrance is integral to my
being,” said Sharif Jr. “This opportunity truly represents a
generational responsibility for me and one that I do not
take lightly.”
About Holocaust Museum LA
Holocaust Museum LA is the first survivor-founded and oldest
Holocaust museum in the United States and houses the West
Coast’s largest collection of Holocaust-era artifacts. Since
1961, the museum has carried on the mission of the founding
survivors to commemorate those who perished, educate future
generations about the Holocaust, and inspire a more
dignified and humane world. Museum admission is free for all
students and California residents.
https://holocaustmuseumLA.org/ |