FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 28, 2011
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124
aperkins@pa.muw.edu

Christians United for Israel bring Holocaust speaker to MUW

COLUMBUS, Miss. – Holocaust survivor Irving Roth will speak at Mississippi University for Women on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. in the W Room of Hogarth Student Center.

Irving, a writer and internationally-known educator, is being brought to campus by Christians United for Israel (CUFI), a recently formed campus organization. The New York resident tells his story with hopes that listeners will prevent history from repeating itself. 

At home, Roth serves as the director of the Holocaust Resource Center at the Temple Judea of Manhasset, New York, and is the former education director of the Holocaust Memorial and Education Center of Nassau County. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades for promoting a more accepting and diverse world, earned Roth the Spirit of Anne Frank Award.

Jase Sayre, founder of MUW’s CUFI chapter, said, “I'm so excited that Mr. Roth is coming to campus. I hope he inspires our campus, like he has inspired me.

A political science major and paralegal minor, Sayre founded the organization after “an amazing summer experience.”

“I have always been pro-Israel, but my reasons to advocate for the cause are a recent occurrence,” he explained. “Last year, my close friend (Savanna Faith Johnson) helped me start MUW’s chapter of College Republicans. While I focused on economic issues, she promoted people to support Israel. Her actions planted the pro-Israel seed in me.”

While interning for his congressman in Washington, D.C., Sayre attended the Faith and Freedom Conference where he met the Eastern coordinator who encouraged him to apply for a scholarship to attend the yearly summit and chance to go to Israel.

“To my great surprise, I was also blessed enough to be one of forty students (out of 450) that was chosen for a two week, all paid expense advocacy mission trip to Israel,” he said. “My experiences spurred me to become active in the cause and not simply say, `I’m pro-Israel.’”

According to Sayre, CUFI was founded in 2006 when Pastor John Hagee invited 400 other Christian leaders to fly to his church and discuss the growing threats against Israel. CUFI on Campus was launched in 2009.

The MUW chapter has the distinction of being the first one in Mississippi and currently there are 10 members. For more information, contact Sayre at sjs@muw.edu.