MEDIA ADVISORY — Paul Rusesabagina, real-life hero, inspiration for Hotel Rwanda, to be honored by Vanderbilt Hillel at ceremony on Monday, Sept. 25

Vanderbilt Hillel will honor Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager who saved more than 1,200 lives during the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and inspired the movie Hotel Rwanda, by designating a tree in his name at a ceremony Monday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. The ceremony will be held on the grounds of the Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life at Vanderbilt University. Rusesabagina will attend the ceremony before delivering a 7 p.m. lecture at Vanderbilt’s Student Life Center. Vanderbilt Hillel, an organization representing the university’s Jewish community, is honoring Rusesabagina for his “work towards advancing the well-being of humanity as a whole.” Often dubbed as the “Oscar Schindler of Africa,” he sheltered more than 1,200 Tutsis and moderate Hutus during the Rwandan genocide.

WHAT: Vanderbilt Hillel will honor Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager who saved more than 1,200 lives during the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and inspired the movie Hotel Rwanda, by designating a tree in his name. Rusesabagina will be present for the ceremony.

WHERE: Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life at Vanderbilt University, located at the corner of 25th Avenue S. and Vanderbilt Place – across from Memorial Gym.

WHEN: Monday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m.

Media contact: Princine Lewis, (615) 322-NEWS
Princine.l.lewis@vanderbilt.edu

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