An editions of Adolf Hitler’s book, “Mein Kampf.” A Boston-based publishing company will donate proceeds from the book to an organization helping Holocaust survivors. Photo: Adam Jones, Ph.D. via Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – The Boston-based publishing company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will donate proceeds from the sale of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf autobiography to an organization helping aging Holocaust survivors, in response to criticism for its previous policy of donating the money to general cultural organizations in Boston.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has partnered with Boston-based Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) to determine “how best to provide aid directly to the victims of the horrific events of the Holocaust,” said Andrew Russell, the publishing company’s director of corporate social responsibility, according to theAssociated Press. 

In conjunction with CJP — the Boston area’s Jewish Federation — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has decided to donate the proceeds to Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Boston (JF&CS) for “direct support of the health and human services needs of [Holocaust] survivors,” Russell said.

“JF&CS will direct the grant money exclusively to support the needs of the Holocaust survivors we meet with every day,” said JF&CS CEO Rimma Zelfand. “As Holocaust survivors grow increasingly frail, many of our clients have a far greater need for care than is covered by our existing funding.”

This episode involving Mein Kampf serves as a “reminder that efforts need to be put into combating antisemitism, educating the next generation about the Holocaust and, of course, supporting the victims,” said Robert Trestan, the New England regional director for the Anti-Defamation League.