Zane Buzby
Founder of The Survivor Mitzvah Project (SMP)

A) What qualities make the nominee deserving of the Z3 Bridge Builder Award?

Zane Buzby is an exceptional human being and a visionary. Her tireless work on behalf of the last Survivors of the Holocaust earned her the CNN Hero Award and the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Deborah Award. Courage, Compassion, Communication, Leadership, Innovation, Creativity, Integrity, and a Passion for Justice are just a few of the qualities that make her an inspiration to so many.
In 2001, during a break from her successful television directing career, Zane Buzby embarked on a life-changing journey to Eastern Europe to trace the birthplaces of her grandparents. On the back roads of Lithuania and Belarus, she encountered a haunting landscape still scarred by World War II. In small, decaying villages, she was shocked to find elderly Holocaust survivors living in extreme poverty, many in their 80s and 90s, isolated, ill, and alone. These survivors lacked access to even basic necessities such as food, medicine, heat, and shelter. Their suffering compelled her to take action.
Upon returning home, Zane Buzby drew on her skills in organizing large-scale projects and founded The Survivor Mitzvah Project (SMP). This non-profit organization, which provides life-saving aid to Holocaust survivors in 9 countries across Eastern Europe, has become a bridge uniting the Jewish community in ways that were previously unimaginable.

For decades, Jewish communities in Eastern Europe had been isolated due to the Iron Curtain, which kept millions of survivors hidden from the broader Jewish world, leaving their stories and cultural practices largely unknown to the broader Jewish diaspora. Through SMP, Zane Buzby has worked tirelessly to reconnect these survivors with Jewish communities across the globe. The project has helped foster a renewed sense of unity by ensuring that these survivors are no longer isolated, and their stories are now heard and embraced by Jews everywhere. This reconnection has also helped to heal the wounds of war. Holocaust survivors who lost their entire families during the Holocaust have discovered that they are no longer alone, but are part of a wider Jewish family spanning across oceans, united in shared history and compassion.
SMP’s efforts have also played a crucial role in bringing the untold stories and experiences of nearly half of the Holocaust’s victims to public discourse. While much of the world’s focus has been on the Western European victims of the Holocaust, the experiences of those in Eastern Europe, particularly those who remained under Soviet rule, have often been overlooked. Zane Buzby’s work has uncovered the rich, often tragic history of these survivors, many of whom endured not only the horrors of the Holocaust but also the hardships of postwar life. By documenting and sharing their stories, SMP has expanded public understanding of the full scope of the Holocaust, giving voice to those who were previously forgotten.

Importantly, Zane Buzby has encouraged people from the United States and abroad, both Jews and non-Jews to come together in this urgent humanitarian effort to bring emergency aid to the last survivors of the Holocaust. Tens of thousands of people of all ages have come together through the efforts of Zane Buzby to not only help these brave but forgotten individuals who have survived the darkest days of human history but also to make sure their incredible untold stories of "The Holocaust in the East" are finally brought to the public, worldwide.

And, due to the tragic events of October 7th, Zane Buzby created an initiative, "IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT HATE" to combat antisemitism and hatred of all kinds towards all ethnic groups and marginalized communities such as Jews, Asians, Blacks, immigrants, and LBGTQ+ individuals. The Survivor Mitzvah Project’s IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT HATE campaign and The Survivor Mitzvah's Holocaust Educational Archive contribute to an understanding of Jewish commonality in the wider society and encourage conversations on social justice between groups that otherwise would not come together.

B) In what ways has the nominee demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to their work in bridging divides?

The world associates the "6 Million" who perished in the Holocaust with Auschwitz and the large concentration camps. But 2.7 million Jewish men, women, and children, (almost half of the 6 Million) were killed outside of the concentration camps, in the East. Subject to mass killings by the Nazi mobile killings squads, little-known but horrific starvation camps, synagogues and villages where all of the inhabitants were burned alive, and so much more that is never taught and never mentioned on Holocaust memorial days, in classrooms, in museums, or online. The stories Zane Buzby has collected over the years during many trips overseas to interview survivors, are changing the face of Holocaust Education and museum exhibits and will affect the telling of the story of the Holocaust far into the future.

The humanitarian work Zane has done has saved countless lives across Eastern Europe and has brought kindness and compassion to Holocaust survivors who have only known hatred, desolation, and misery. Her work is life-changing for the survivors and also for the volunteers across the world. The Survivor Mitzvah Project demonstrates how a single act of generosity can dramatically alter the course of a person’s life, replacing isolation and despair with hope and human connection. In the process, SMP has built a community of volunteers, donors, and supporters who are united by a shared commitment to helping Holocaust survivors live their remaining years with dignity and security. This collective effort not only addresses the immediate needs of survivors but also strengthens the bonds between people from diverse backgrounds who come together to work toward a common goal.

Zane Buzby has demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to her work by growing The Survivor Mitzvah Project (SMP) from a grassroots effort into a vital organization operating across nine countries, providing life-saving support to over 2,500 Holocaust survivors on a regular basis. Remarkably, she has accomplished this largely through her own efforts, with no institutional backing from large funders, showing extraordinary dedication to her cause. SMP is a hands-on, highly responsive initiative, exactly the type of grassroots project that can benefit most from recognition like the Z3 Bridge Builder Award.
The award-winning SMP provides a unique and comprehensive service to Holocaust survivors in Eastern Europe, often delivering the only help they receive. SMP's ongoing support is available to all survivors, not just those who endured concentration camps and ghettos, but also those who survived mass killings, fled with the partisans, lived as refugees or in hiding. By ensuring no one is left behind, Buzby has created an inclusive system of care that bridges divides not only within the Jewish community but across international borders.
Buzby’s leadership stands out due to her hands-on approach. SMP is not a bureaucracy, but a flexible, self-organized operation driven by individual initiative. This allows SMP to meet survivors’ needs on a personal level, rejecting a one-size-fits-all strategy and ensuring that survivors receive care tailored to their unique circumstances. By proactively addressing health and housing concerns, Buzby’s organization prevents crises before they occur, preserving the dignity and quality of life of survivors in a way that many larger organizations cannot.
In addition to providing essential food, medicine, heat, and shelter, SMP goes beyond material aid by offering emotional support to Holocaust survivors, including those bedridden, with mobility issues, or unable to participate in traditional community activities. This compassionate, inclusive approach has created a lifeline for survivors who are often isolated, alone, and vulnerable. SMP’s commitment to emotional well-being is unparalleled, ensuring that survivors feel cared for and part of a wider family, which significantly improves their overall quality of life.

Importantly, due to the tragic events of October 7th, Zane Buzby created an initiative, "IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT HATE" to combat antisemitism and hatred of all kinds towards all ethnic groups and marginalized communities such as Jews, Asians, Blacks, immigrants, and LBGTQ+ individuals. The Survivor Mitzvah Project’s IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT HATE campaign contributes to an important dialogue on social justice, tolerance for cultural differences, and a warning to confront evil wherever it takes hold.

C) How has the nominee's work impacted the Jewish community and beyond?

Perhaps one of the most significant contributions of The Survivor Mitzvah Project is its role in ensuring the continuity of Jewish history throughout the world. Zane Buzby’s decision to film the testimonies of hundreds of Holocaust survivors during humanitarian aid expeditions and correspond with them has resulted in a significant and unique Holocaust Educational Archive. The stories and cultural practices of the survivors represent a crucial chapter of Jewish history and the last living link to Jewish communities that once thrived in Eastern Europe but were decimated during the war. By documenting and sharing these stories, Zane Buzby has ensured that future generations will have access to the lived experiences of Eastern European Jews who survived one of the darkest periods in human history. This preservation of history is essential for maintaining a sense of identity and continuity within the global Jewish community.
Zane Buzby’s storytelling abilities have brought these powerful narratives to audiences throughout the United States and beyond. She has involved students, teachers, and community members in the process, encouraging a deep and personal engagement with history. Zane Buzby’s educational efforts have created an important dialogue not only about the Holocaust but also about contemporary issues such as social justice, tolerance, and the importance of confronting evil wherever it arises. By sharing the stories of Eastern European Holocaust survivors, SMP has helped bridge generational gaps within the Jewish community, inspiring younger people to learn about their heritage and to take an active role in preserving Jewish history.
By encouraging young people to take part in The Survivor Mitzvah Project as their Bar and Bat Mitzvah Projects, Zane has demonstrated the important Jewish values that include kindness, compassion, and caring for Holocaust Survivors can be life-changing not only for the survivors but for volunteers and young people involved in this mitzvah. Through her work, Zane continually reinforces the fact that we are the last generation to have the honor and the duty to help make sure no Holocaust survivor will ever be hungry, cold, or neglected again.