Obermayer Awards

In Germany Widen the Circle, with support from the Obermayer Foundation, provides annual awards to non-Jewish Germans who have made extraordinary contributions to fighting hate and prejudice of all kinds, and to preserving Jewish history, culture, cemeteries, and synagogues in their own local communities. The Obermayer Awards are co-sponsored by the Berlin Parliament and given in its elegant plenary chamber.

Widen the Circle

Widen the Circle is a nonprofit established in 2019 and supported by the Obermayer Foundation. It seeks to widen the circle of respect, reconciliation, and understanding, particularly in places where there is a history of extreme persecution of one group by another. Widen the Circle’s approach starts with individuals and groups who have themselves worked at the ground level in their communities to fight prejudice and to confront the history that allowed prejudice to grow. Widen the Circle shines a light on those people, then adds its own capabilities and network to amplify their work in order to combat hate—in Germany, in the U.S., and beyond. Widen the Circle oversees the Obermayer Awards.

Additional Initiatives

The Foundation has been active in relevant American and international historical genealogical organizations. In addition, the Obermayer Foundation promotes social justice and expanding economic opportunity for all. Areas of focus include enabling economic self-sufficiency for Boston's disadvantaged population, creating expanded economic opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses, and promoting community economic development investing. Other American support has been related to Jewish history and genealogy, interfaith families, and access to alternative news media.