Message from President & CEO Susan Suarez ...
Happy July! This year’s celebrations of the independence of our country will be different from past years in many ways, but one thing remains constant – the opportunity to celebrate America. The importance of religious freedom and the understanding that all people are created equal are some of the principles that set the US apart from other places in the world. It is as important now as it was then to protect those rights and to educate people about the dangers of prejudice and hatred.
I am grateful for your continuing support of our mission -
to teach the lessons of the Holocaust to inspire action against bigotry, hatred and violence
. The lessons of the Holocaust become more important each day. The ongoing conversations which followed the death of Floyd George and others about the importance of empathy for others and recognizing our own prejudices relates to these lessons and to what we try to tell students.
We are following all CDC guidelines to create a safe and healthy environment at the Museum. Guests have been returning to the Museum since our re-opening last month. The advance ticket purchase option has been working well, allowing us to limit the number of guest entries. Walk-ins are accommodated if there are any tickets available in the half-hour entry times from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. The Museum is open until 4:30, with the last guests admitted at 3:00pm. Please visit our
website
to find information on pre-visit preparations and other safety measures you need to be aware of before your next visit.
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Thanks to all who contributed in the Matching Gift Challenge! We are grateful to Museum Board Members Janet G. Cohen, Maureen Lerner and Rob Nossen for creating this Challenge Fund benefiting our program to send local teachers on future Holocaust Education Study programs to Europe.
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We hope you will be able to join us for our Zoom programs! See below for more details. We are also able to host private tours for groups up to 12 people, as well as community organization Zoom presentations about the Museum for those who would prefer to "visit the Museum" from home.
We continue to remember all those affected by COVID-19, and the personal sacrifices made by front line and essential workers and their families as this crisis continues.
Stay healthy and have a safe Fourth of July.
Susan Suarez
President & CEO
Photo credit: Dell River Imagery
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Tribute and Memorial Gifts to the Museum ...
In Honor of:
Edward Sachs donated in honor of Herb Berkeley
In Memory of:
From Mr. and Mrs. Phil Giriodi:
“In Memory of Abe Price and all Jews who suffered so much. Also in support of my friend Dr. Herb Price.”
If you would like to make an "In Honor Of" or an "In Memory Of" donation to remember friends or loved ones, you can easily do so online on our website - just
click here
. We will send a card with your personal message to the individual/family member you designate, and you will receive a separate acknowledgement of your donation. Thank you to those who have generously made these gifts.
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Our Education Staff is working on taking our core school activities (
Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto
,
Hana’s Suitcase
,
Curious George
,
The Mother’s Medal
, and more) online in light of the new approach to distance education.
An 8
th
grade-specific activity will highlight other genocides and similar events. Using graphic novels, students will learn about an aforementioned event that showcases Survivors and Upstanders.
The PopUp Museum is being reworked to meet the needs of schools and other organizations. There will be a greater likelihood and opportunity for schools to host a PopUp Museum exhibit in school libraries throughout SWFL.
Online Teacher Education Workshops In Development ...
With the increased use of technology in Education and the continuing impact of COVID-19 on teaching schedules, the Education Department saw an opportunity to provide Teacher Education Workshops in a new way. As a member of the Florida Department of Education Commissioner's Task Force on Holocaust Education, the Museum provides these Holocaust Education instruction programs throughout the year to help SWFL middle and high school teachers meet the state mandate in teaching about the Holocaust. Prior to the recent passage of the national "Never Again Education Act", Florida was one of a handful of states that required Holocaust Education in its schools.
Click here
for the full text of the new law.
The new online program for Teacher Workshops will feature pre-recorded sessions which teachers can access at a convenient time, and downloadable course materials as well. As with previous in-person workshops, credits are offered to the participants. Periodic live sessions will also be available to handle questions or present special speakers. This new program is being developed with funding from the Merrill Kuller Teacher Education Series Legacy Gift. More information will be available at a later date.
Residential Communities Zoom with Museum…
Director of Operations/Education Specialist Sam Parish hosts a 30 minute, interactive Zoom Presentation introducing the Museum and our Education Programs. You'll get an overview of the Museum's student-inspired founding and connections with local SWFL residents who are Holocaust Survivors, concentration camp Liberators and Veterans, and learn about the impact of our Education programs on SWFL students K-12 through college/university level. Learn about the age-appropriate programs that encourage young people to become "Upstanders" who take action against bigotry, hatred and violence, instead of being "Bystanders" when someone needs help.
Presentations can be tailored to fit any schedule, and can be viewed on computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones. The interactive format allows you to ask questions
during the Q&A
.
For more information, or to scheduled a Zoom presentation, contact Sam Parish -
Sam@HMCEC.org
.
New Video ...
Education Assistant David Nelson has created and uploaded a new Holocaust History video to the Museum's YouTube channel. "Hanau - One Day in May 1942" depicts the
May 30, 1942 deportation of the Jewish population of Hanau, Germany.
Click here
to view the film.
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"This Week in Holocaust History" ...
"This Week in Holocaust History"
is a list of key dates in Holocaust history during the years 1933 through 1945. Compiled by Museum Education Assistant David Nelson, this new study aid helps students, teachers and parents to either create new homework projects or help complete previous assignments. For questions or additional information, e-mail
Info@HMCEC.org
and put "This Week in Holocaust History" in the subject line.
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Teachers: Advanced Certificate and Degree Programs Available Online ...
Interested in obtaining a Certificate or Degree in Holocaust and Genocide Education Studies? Gratz College in Philadelphia is offering a variety of college and graduate level courses online. For more information,
click here
. Please note - financial aid may be available. If you are interested in learning more about this, please email Museum President and CEO Susan Suarez at
Susan@HMEC.org
.
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Current Exhibit in The Estelle and
Stuart
Price Gallery ...
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Portrait of Dr. J Robert Hudson; On loan to
Through Their Eyes
exhibit courtesy of Jayne Hudson Uckotter
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Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and Troy Middleton tour the newly liberated Ohrdruf camp. Photo courtesy USHMM/National Archives
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Through Their Eyes: The Liberation of Concentration Camps
On display in the Estelle and Stuart Price Gallery ...
This exhibit provides a unique view of Liberation as seen and experienced by local SWFL residents who were there 75 years ago. It includes donated and loaned artifacts, documents and photographs from local Holocaust Survivors, Liberators, their families and others.
The special portrait shown above is on loan from Jayne Hudson Uckotter. Pictured is her father, Dr. J. Robert Hudson. He was with the 378th Medical Battalion of the 45th Infantry Division. His battalion was one of the first medical teams to treat the prisoners in Dachau. One of the prisoners he helped was Survivor and artist György Beifeld. In gratitude for Dr. Hudson's care, Mr. Beifeld painted this portrait of him.
Thanks to Curator Cody Rademacher and cameraman Tim Morrison for their work on the videos which gave you a glimpse of the actual exhibit until we could re-open. Links are provided below if you haven't seen them.
Please note - both the exhibit and the videos contain graphic images.
Click here to view the videos, which are available on our YouTube channel:
This exhibit is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.
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Curatorial News ...
Curator Cody Rademacher recently received two new collections of WWII service-related materials from the families of Liberators Wilmer Lee Hurley and John P. Igoe.
Kenneth Hurley donated items from his father, Wilmer Lee Hurley, and his aunt, Ethel Hurley, who served as a nurse in Naples, Italy, in World War II. The brother and sister came from North Carolina.
Wilmer was a Sergeant with the Third Army's 11th Armored Division, known as the "Thunderbolts." The
11
th
Armored Division liberated the Mauthausen and Gusen concentration camps. The
photo below shows him in front of the 105mm Mobile Artillery vehicle he drove in the Battle of the Bulge under the command of General George S. Patton. His sister, Ethel Hurley, was a nurse stationed in Naples, Italy, with the 106th General Hospital. After the war, she gave her brother a Nazi banner she acquired during her service, so
it was owned by both a wartime nurse and a member of a Liberating Division!
The donated Hurley Collection includes this banner, photographs, personal papers and 11th Armored Division training materials and Unit History.
The Igoe Family Collection was donated by Liberator John P. Igoe’s daughter Peggy Dugan. The collection includes accounts and a collection of photographs and slides of images of Dachau’s liberation (most of which are quite graphic), a dagger-style bayonet with sheath, multiple armbands, and an embroidered patch. Pictured below is an armband worn by an Member of the Hilfspolizei, a Nazi auxiliary police group which "assisted" the regular police.
We thank the Hurley and Igoe families for allowing us to preserve these donated items for future generations and honor their fathers' and aunt's service to our country in WWII.
If you are a Liberator, or a family member of a Liberator, who might be interested in donating papers, artifacts, photographs and other materials gathered during their service, please contact Curator Cody Rademacher to schedule an appointment. He can be reached at 239-263-9200 or
Cody@HMCEC.org
.
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Wilmer Lee Hurley, in helmet, in front of his 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7. The
self-propelled artillery
vehicle was also used by the British Army, and called "105 mm Self Propelled Gun, Priest" due to the pulpit-like machine gun ring. Other self-propelled gun vehicles were known as "
Bishop"
and "
Deacon."
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An example of one of the many armbands John P. Igoe found in WWII Europe. It was worn by members of the Hilfspolizei as they assisted the local police in
harassing and attacking political opponents.
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Copy of a commemorative booklet from the 11th Armored Division's time of training given to Mr. Hurley in August 1944. The cover artwork vividly illustrates the Division's nickname - the "Thunderbolts."
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A German dagger-style dress/parade bayonet from the Igoe Collection. The highly polished steel and lack of sharp edge lead to the conclusion that it was likely for ceremonial use.
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In-Person Private Group Tours Now Available...
The Museum is now taking reservations for Private Group Tours of up to 12 participants. A Survivor Talk via Zoom can also be part of your experience!
To help ensure your safety during an in-person tour, the Museum follows all CDC guidelines, with social distancing, hand sanitizing stations and masks.
Tickets for the tour is $15 per person. For more information on available dates and tour structure, please contact Education Assistant David Nelson at
David@HMCEC.org
.
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Upcoming Virtual Zoom Programs in July ...
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Wednesday, July 8, 2020
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Zoom Discussion of the film 'Against The Tide'
This Moriah Films documentary examines the conflict that erupted in the American Jewish community over the best means to rescue the European Jews trying to escape the Holocaust. It tells the little known story of Peter Bergson, who tirelessly stood up against American Jewish leaders in the late 30's and early 40's in an effort to save the Jews of Europe. Watch the film on your own before the discussion.
Click here
to view the trailer n the Moriah Films Library Archive on the Simon Wiesenthal Center website.
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You must RSVP to receive the link to participate in the Zoom Discussion. Link will be sent to the email you enter on RSVP form.
The discussion format will include smaller breakout groups so everyone will have a chance to comment on prepared discussion questions.
We suggest when you receive the Zoom link either:
print it out for reference
- or -
cut and paste the link into your calendar for July 8th at 4pm.
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Special Zoom Film Discussion ...
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Discussion of the film
Just Mercy
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Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson and
Jamie Foxx as Walter McMillian in
Just Mercy
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The feature film
Just Mercy
deals with the true story of a family man wrongly sentenced to death in 1987 for a crime he didn't commit, and the young lawyer who works to save his life. We are pleased to announce that a representative from the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) will participate in the discussion. Founded in 1989 by
Bryan Stevenson
, a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer and bestselling author of
Just Mercy
, EJI is a nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons. They challenge the death penalty and excessive punishment and provide re-entry assistance to formerly incarcerated people.
The film is available for viewing on Netflix. To register for the Zoom discussion, click the button below. The Zoom link will be sent to the e-mail address you provide on the form. We hope you will participate in this important discussion.
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Please Join Us In Our Mission …
We thank our Members, Donors and Volunteers for their support of our mission and Education programs. Through their loyal support, we are able to inspire thousands of students and adults to act against bigotry, hatred and violence. The lessons for us from the Holocaust are more important than ever. If you would like to join a group of people who have had an enormous impact on our community through their interest in our work, please contact Susan Suarez, President and CEO, at
Susan@HMCEC.org
or call her at 239-263-9200.
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PLEASE SAVE THE DATES ...
Announcing Films for the 3rd Annual "Movies That Matter Series" ...
The following films will be shown this Fall:
October 14:
Sustainable Nation
(about clean water)
October 21:
Bedlam
(about mental health)
October 28:
Telling
Amy’s Story
(about domestic violence)
This year's series will be presented in a new format. You will receive a link to view the film prior to a scheduled Zoom expert panel presentation. You'll have the opportunity to participate in an audience Q&A through Zoom's "Chat" feature. More information on tickets and procedures will be provided as we get closer to screening dates.
The Luncheon Winter Fundraising Event - December 10, 2020 ...
Please also mark your calendars for The Luncheon event on December 10. We are working on an alternate method of holding this event, and more information will be coming soon.
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Thank you to all those protecting us during this crisis and the essential businesses still open and serving us. We hope you and your loved ones stay healthy and safe.
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The Holocaust Museum & Janet G. and Harvey D.Cohen Education Center
975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd., Suite 108, Naples, FL 34110
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