On the occasion of her 85th birthday, Judy Meisel, a longtime Santa Barbara resident, educator, and Holocaust survivor, is being honored with the creation of a scholarship in her name at the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.

Since arriving in the U.S., Judy has dedicated her life to education and is a noted civil rights advocate.  She dined with Dr. Martin Luther King in Philadelphia before he was a nationally known civil rights leader and later marched with him in D.C.  Until recently, she toured the country speaking to students and community groups about her life experience and the importance of respect and tolerance.

Judy’s own words describe her best:

“Each person is important and should be respected.”
“Take care of one another.”
“If you hear a derogatory remark, speak up to be part of the solution—not part of the problem.”
“Make your days count.”
“One person can make a positive difference.”
“Never give up…” 

Mrs. Meisel is soon moving to Minneapolis to be near her son. To celebrate her incredible contributions to the Santa Barbara community and her legacy of compassion and justice, a scholarship fund has been established at the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. Students receiving this financial grant will have an interest in human rights.

All community members interested in supporting the Judy Meisel Scholarship Fund are encouraged to send a check to: Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, P.O. Box 3620, Santa Barbara, CA 93130. Please write “Judy and Fred Meisel Scholarship Fund” on the memo line of the check.  Or, make a donation at the secure website: www.sbscholarship.org.

To see a videotape of Mrs. Meisel talking about the Holocaust, go to www.ushmm.org, the website for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.