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A Holocaust survivor who was rejected from speaking to Brooklyn middle schoolers because of the war in the Middle East finally gave his talk Thursday — but got no apologies for being snubbed.
Sami Steigmann, 85 — who was denied a chance to tell his riveting story by MS447 principal Arin Rusch in December — said his presentation centered on combating hate and steered clear of politics.
“Did I say anything about Palestine, did I ever mention it? No,” he said at a press conference at the Boerum Hill school Thursday.
“The Holocaust must be taught forever and ever because it’s the best example [of] what hate can do — not only to a person, but to a group of people, to a nation, to the world,” he said.
“The whole world was involved in trying to annihilate only one group of people,” he said, adding, “Israel is disproportionately vilified.”
After his speech, Steigmann said he cordially met Rusch, who denied his earlier request to speak about antisemitism due to his pro-Israel views two months ago.
“I said, I hope that you find that I am qualified to speak, because at one time, she said that I’m not qualified to speak at public schools,” he said.
“And she said, I never said that.”
Steigmann still has no clue why he was rejected, or why the decision was apparently reversed — and that he’s received no apology from the school, he said.
“I don’t hold a grudge. It’s not important,” he said.
Rusch didn’t immediately return a request for comment from The Post Thursday.
Steigmann said the students’ inspired reactions to his speech made it all worthwhile.
“A number of [kids] came to me. They thanked me, they loved it,” he said.
But Moshe Spern, President of the United Jewish Teachers, was less forgiving.
“No apologies were made,” he said.
“Apologies are needed and if they’re not gonna be happening…then actions need to happen.”
“Because you’re causing Jewish families to take their kids out of New York City schools. You’re isolating them,” he said.
“You’re making it political, and you’re making them uncomfortable.”
The recent rise of antisemitism in the Big Apple makes hearing from Holocaust survivors in schools as vital, Spern said.
“We just have to remember that antisemitism is happening across New York City schools. This is not going away, which is why it’s really, really important,” he said.
“This is the last generation that will have the opportunity to hear from Holocaust survivors,” Spern said.
“This is the type of speech we need to hear, bringing people together.”
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