Brandeis graduates encouraged to 'stand up for justice'

In a stirring speech at Brandeis University's 66th Commencement on Sunday, May 21, Rosalie Silberman Abella, the first Jewish woman named to the Canadian Supreme Court, reminded graduates of the role they have to play in protecting those who are vulnerable in the world:

"Remember the three lessons we were supposed to have learned from the concentration camps of Europe: Indifference is injustice's incubator; it's not just what you stand for, it's what you stand up for; and we can never forget how the world looks to those who are vulnerable."

Abella, a human rights law expert who was born in a displaced persons camp in Germany, recalled her upbringing as the daughter of Holocaust survivors and the impact it had on her determination to build a career as a lawyer. 

Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz, delivering remarks at his first Brandeis commencement, recognized Andrew Burian, who was deported to Auschwitz at just 13. Burian is shown here with his grandson, Jordan Anhalt, a 2017 Brandeis graduate.