Dr Butter

On Wednesday, April 24, Rotary Club of Ann Arbor awarded the second annual 2019 Robert S. Northrup Humanitarian Award to Dr. Irene Butter. Dr. Butter is a Holocaust survivor, champion of peace and justice and University of Michigan Emerita Professor of Public Health. She is the co-founder of the Raoul Wallenberg Medal and Lecture at U of M and co-founder of Zeitouna, an Arab-Jewish women’s dialogue group in Ann Arbor.

 

Dr. Butter told her story of a happy childhood which ended when her family was taken into custody by the Germans. Through it all she never gave up hope and was able to survive and move to the United States. She pursued her education, completing a PhD and pursuing an academic career at the University of Michigan. In her retirement, she has written, Shores Beyond Shores: From Holocaust to Hope My True Story. Attendees were able to purchase a book with a personal message from Dr. Butter. Dr. Butter continues to speak to many groups and encourages all to remember the past, never be a bystander and always know that one person can make a difference.