(JTA) — The family of Steven Sotloff, the journalist who was beheaded by a member of ISIS, has established a foundation to provide scholarships for journalism students.
The 2Lives Steven Joel Sotloff Memorial Foundation will “provide scholarships for journalism and liberal arts students who have the passion, skills and desire to follow in Steven’s footsteps and pursue careers in journalism – particularly to tell the stories of people in conflict-torn regions around the world,” according to its mission statement.
The name of the foundation, which will be managed by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, is based on a statement in one of the two letters he smuggled out to his parents, Arthur and Shirley.
“Everyone has two lives. The second one begins when you realize that you only have one,” it said.
Sotloff, who grew up in Miami, was abducted on Aug. 4, 2013, after crossing the Syrian border from Turkey. On Sept. 2, ISIS released a nearly three-minute video online titled “A Second Message to America” showing the beheading of Sotloff.
Sotloff published articles from Syria, Egypt and Libya in various publications, including Time.com, the World Affairs Journal and Foreign Policy. He also freelanced for The Jerusalem Post and the Jerusalem Report magazine.
It was revealed after his death that Sotloff, 31, held Israeli citizenship. His connections to Israel and the Jewish community reportedly had been sanitized from the Internet and social media in order to keep the information from his radical Islamic captors.
Sotloff, a grandson of Holocaust survivors, made aliyah in 2005 and studied foreign relations at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, a private college.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
