The Holocaust Museum & Janet G. and Harvey D. Cohen Education Center
975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd., Suite 108, Naples, FL 34110
Info@HMCEC.org 239-263-9200 www.HMCEC.org
December 2022 Newsletter ...
Message from Susan Suarez, President and CEO ...
Holiday Greetings from all of us at the Museum!

As we wind down a very busy year, we look forward to an exciting season! A new special exhibit will open next month, we are offering a number of films as well as lecture series, our School programs enter their busy Spring semester schedule, the Boxcar Exhibit will be on display at a variety of locations, and more. Please read below for details.

Construction Update ...
PBS Contractors are making great progress on the North Wing construction project. The interiors of the three adjoining suites have been demolished and the initial framing has been erected. See photos below.

The Luncheon ...
The Luncheon was held at the beautiful Royal Poinciana Golf Club. Proceeds from the sold-out event benefitted the Museum's Education Programs. Many thanks to our Luncheon Sponsors shown below, and all who attended. Congratulations to our Luncheon Committee members - Chair Maureen Lerner, Diane McGinty, Estelle Price, Sandy Roth and Nancy White - for a spectacular event! Pictures from The Luncheon will be available shortly.

Testimony Sponsors
Maureen and Arnold Lerner

Hope Sponsors
Suzanne and Norman Cohn
Rissa Grossman
Life In Naples
Fran and Robert Nossen
Estelle and Stuart Price
The Ronto Group
Nancy White
                               
Inspire Sponsors
Silvie and Herb Berkeley
Goldie and Lou Bertone
Diane and Ron McGinty
Susan and Nathaniel Ritter
Sandy and Fred Roth
                                                               
Patron Sponsors
Marcy Aizenshtat
Cheryl and Warren Alifeld
Shirley and Marshall Besikof
David Bupp
David Corban
Becky Cornacchia
First Foundation Bank
Eva and Alan Freeman
Shelli Halper
Janis Larson
Ellaine and Richard Rosen
Linda and Louis Singer
Phyllis and Stephen Strome

Best of The Gulfshore Voting is Now Open ...
It's that time again! Voting is underway for the annual reader survey of Gulfshore Life Magazine. The Museum is eligible for the "Best Museum - Collier County" category and we would appreciate your vote! The survey closes on January 31. Please click here to cast your vote and thank you for your consideration!

Save The Date for Triumph 2023 ...
Our annual fundraiser will take place on March 15, 2023 at Arthrex One Conference Center in Naples.

Special Guest speaker will be Michael J. Abramowitz, President of Freedom House, a nonprofit organization founded in 1941 under the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie to promote democracy and liberty around the world.

Freedom House keeps watch over the global state of political rights and civil liberties. Mr. Abramowitz engages with human rights defenders from all over the world. These include brave political activists, civil society leaders, journalists and others who are pushing back against repressive governments and dictatorships to secure basic rights and freedoms in their countries. Although Freedom House has tracked a steady decline in political rights and civil liberties in the last 16 years, Mr. Abramowitz says he has hope for the long-term because of the persistent and widespread demand for freedom.

Weekend Guest Relations Volunteers Wanted ...
Interested in volunteering with the Museum but busy during the week? We are looking for Volunteers to serve in Guest Relations positions on Saturday and/or Sunday. Hours are 12:45pm - 4:00pm. Please contact Info@hmcec.org for more information.

Year-End Giving ...
Your donations help us combat the alarming rise in hateful comments and actions. By helping us educate SWFL students and the public about the important the lessons of the Holocaust, you are inspiring them to take action against bigotry, hatred and violence.

Your support of our Museum's mission allows us to educate SWFL students about how hateful words and attitudes left unchecked led to the Holocaust. By telling the personal stories of local residents who survived the Holocaust, students better understand why we must all stand up to bigotry, hatred and violence. You can support the Museum in a variety of ways. For more information, please contact me at 239-263-9200, ext. 203 or email Susan@hmcec.org.

On behalf of the Museum's Board and Staff, I wish you and your families a very happy holiday season, and a healthy and happy New Year. We look forward to seeing you at the Museum and our upcoming programs!

Susan
Recent Tribute and Memorial Gifts to the Museum ...


In Honor of:

In honor of Rosalee and Jerry Bogo from Margie and Roger Gelfenbien

In honor of Alicia and Michael Feldman from Laurie and Michael Farr

In honor of Rabbi Nicole Luna from Larry and Flo Giltman

In honor of Estelle and Stuart Price from Susan and Joel Pittelman

In honor of donation from Dawn Twenge: “dedicated to all whose heart aches for the Jewish people and that others would grow to understand.”


In Memory of/With Condolences to:

In memory of Ellen Hersh from Merrill and Andrew Solan

In memory of Michelle Lee from Nancy and Frank Gaffney, Jerry Kumin, Patti and Herb Price

With condolences to Rabbi Adam and Jennifer Miller from Estelle and Stuart Price

In memory of Norman Siegel from Fred Hirschovits

To Make an "In Honor of" or an "In Memory of" Donation ...
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.
Thank you to Our Legacy Society Members for
Their Generous Support of Our Mission ...

The Legacy Society has been created to honor friends who affirm their commitment to our Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center through their will or other planned gift. Participation in the Legacy Society represents an investment in the future of our Museum and its mission – to teach the lessons of the Holocaust to inspire action against bigotry, hatred and violence.

Anonymous
Hymie Akst
Carla Benninga
Howard and Dorothy Berger
Herb Berkeley
Irving Berzon*
Patti and Pete Bloom
Rosalee and Jerry Bogo
Joyce Rogol Feldstein *
Richard and Barbara Glowacki
Shelli Halper
Homer Helter *
Merrill Kuller *
Maureen Lerner
Suzanne C. Low
Daniel and Jean Mann
Candace Patton
Estelle and Stuart Price
Frederic Roth
Michael Seaman *
Stephen Strome
Peter Thomas *
                                                                                              * deceased

Gifts from Legacy Society members provide ongoing support to create and host special exhibits, educational programs, artifact conservation, Museum admission costs for students and more.

You can become a member of the Legacy Society by taking any of the following steps:
  • Name the Museum as a beneficiary in your will or trust
  • Name the Museum as a beneficiary of your retirement plan or life insurance policy
  • Make a gift to the Museum that provides you, or someone you name, with income for life
  • Make a gift to the Museum through a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust
 
Just include the full name and address of the Museum in your will or gift documents: The Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center, 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd., Suite 108, Naples, FL 34110.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Legacy Society members are honored in our newsletters (unless you prefer anonymity) and at a special gathering each year. For more information, please contact Museum President and CEO Susan Suarez at 239-263-9200, ext. 203 or e-mail Susan@hmcec.org.
Upcoming Events ...

Tuesday, December 13 - David Nelson Lecture Series, 11:00am-12:00pm in the Maureen and Arnold Lerner Classroom at the Museum; Stories of the Holocaust: "Varian Fry - the Artists' Schindler." Click here to purchase tickets.

Sunday, December 18 - Annual GenShoah Member Potluck Dinner - ***reminder*** to those who have RSVP'd - the dinner is being held at a Member’s home. It will not be held at the Museum.  Any questions, please call Shelley Lieb at 239-986-0939.

Friday, January 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day …
The Museum will commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 with a special film presentation from 11:00am – 12:00pm in the Maureen and Arnold Lerner Classroom. We will also offer complimentary admission from 1:00pm – 4:00pm. Last guests will be admitted at 3:00pm. Advance reservations are required – visit www.hmcec.org to reserve your place.
 
January and February 2023 Lecture Series “Nazi-Looted Art – Unfinished Business”
Museum Docent Ellaine Rosen brings back her popular series, “Nazi-Looted Art – Unfinished Business.” The five-part series will be held at the Museum in the Maureen and Arnold Lerner Classroom from 2:00pm – 4:00pm on the following Mondays: January 16, 23, and 30 and February 6 and 13. The lectures are free but a suggested minimum donation of $18 is greatly appreciated! Advance registration is required – click here to RSVP.
 
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
“Movies That Matter – The Steve Brazina Memorial Series” presents a Zoom Panel Discussion of “APART” at 4:00pm Eastern (U.S. and Canada) - The film explores the impact on families from the incarceration of mothers on drug-related charges. Advance reservations are required; you will receive a private link to view the film the week before the Zoom. Tickets are $10; click here to purchase and register for private film viewing link and the Zoom link.
 
February and March 2023
Stuart Mest, M.D. Lecture Series - "Eugenics, Experiments, Ethics: Nazi Germany, Japan and the United States"  This two-part series will be presented twice at the Museum from 5:00pm – 6:00pm on the following dates: Part 1 Tuesday, February 28 and Part 2 Tuesday, March 7; and repeated on Thursday, March 23 (Part 1) and Thursday, March 30 (Part 2.) Tickets are $40 for the two-part series, and advance registration is required. Click here to RSVP and purchase tickets.
 
January, February and March 2023
Yiddish Group
Interested in learning or brushing up on Yiddish phrases? You are invited to attend a three-part series on to be held at the Museum from 4:00pm – 5:30pm on the following Sundays: January 22, February 12 and March 19. You do not need experience with the language to attend this fun class. The program will be conducted by Sol Awend, Harriet Bernman and Felicia Anchor. Admission is free, and advance registration is required. Click here to register.
Construction Update ...
As you can see from the photos below, PBS Contractors are making great progress on the North Wing construction project. The interiors of the three adjoining suites have been demolished, initial framing has been completed and the first walls are up.
Visit by Baker Museum Staff and Docents ...

We were honored to host a number of Staff members and Docents from the Artis—Naples Baker Museum for a tour. Our guests came to increase their knowledge of Holocaust history to better answer visitor questions about the Baker's current exhibit, Envisioning Evil: "The Nazi Drawings" by Mauricio Lasansky. This powerful exhibit features large prints on the theme of the Holocaust. Lasansky created the series as he and the world learned more about the horrors of the Holocaust during the Eichmann trial.

The tour was led by Docent Ellaine Rosen. In addition to the historical facts, Ellaine informed the group about the local SWFL connection to the Holocaust - the important personal and family stories of SWFL residents who survived.

If you haven't yet seen Envisioning Evil, it is on display through February 19, 2023.
Docent Ellaine Rosen sharing the stories of the SWFL Holocaust Survivors who worked with the Museum as Educators, Speakers and Docents.
The Baker group learned more about the history of the Holocaust, from pre-war life through the rise of the Nazi Party, the Holocaust itself, post-war Nuremburg Trials and the setup and administration of Displaced Persons Camps.
By The Grace of The Game Author Event Was Well-Attended ...
The Museum has been a Sponsor of the Greater Naples Jewish Book Festival since its inception eight years ago. Each year we sponsor a Holocaust-themed book Author event. This year we sponsored the Zoom Author Talk with Daniel Grunfeld. His non-fiction book, By the Grace of the Game, highlighted the role basketball played in helping his Jewish refugee family adjust to life in the U.S. Not only did they endure and survive the Holocaust; they later had to flee communist Romania. He spoke of his Grandmother and called her his “hero” for all she had to endure in her life to keep her family together, and how grateful he was for her presence in his life. Both Dan and his father, Ernie had careers with the New York Knicks.

The Greater Naples Jewish Book Festival will continue to host live and virtual Author events through March 2023. Events cover both fiction and non-fiction works. For information on upcoming events, please click here. 
Recent Private Group Tours ....
Former Museum Board of Directors Member Nancy Barbounis organized a private tour and light lunch at the Museum for fellow Columbia University alumni.

We also hosted a private tour with a light lunch for members of the Naples Jewish Congregation. In January, February, March and April we will be hosting several groups, including Greater Naples Leadership.

Interested in arranging a private tour for your organization, friends or family members? We would be happy to host you! Private group tours (and School Field Trips) are held when the Museum is closed to the public. You will have the Museum to yourselves and also have the option to enjoy a light breakfast or lunch while here. Please contact Education Specialist David Nelson for more information at David@hmcec.org or 239-263-9200. ext. 205.
Docent Derek Chorlton leading
the group through the Museum.
Nancy Barbounis (fourth from right) with
the Columbia University Alumni group.
Education Department News ...
Between School Group Field Trips and Private Group tours, the Education Department is ending this semester with a busy month. December started with a Naples High School Field Trip. Museum Docent and Education Volunteer Stuart Mest, M.D. led the students on a tour of the Museum, sharing the history of the Holocaust and his own family's personal experiences during the Holocaust. Museum Education Specialist David Nelson then led a Research activity in the Maureen and Arnold Lerner Classroom. He showed the students how primary documents are used in doing research.
Students from Naples High School learning how to work with primary
research documents. The document on the screen is
the WWII "Enemy Alien" Internment exemption form for Kurt Kriszhaber.
Students from the Fadayomi Home School Association of Collier and Lee County in Gallery 1 learning about the rise of the Nazi Party.
Students and Chaperones from
Fadayomi Home School Association gathered in front of the Anne Frank photomosaic in our Lobby.
In addition to the above groups, Oak Ridge Middle School has scheduled six Field Trips to the Museum this month to accommodate their 450 8th graders! Education Specialist David Nelson will present the Rescue and Resistance program to them, which explores how brave people stood up to the Nazis in their persecution of their Jewish neighbors, friends and strangers. He will be assisted by Education Assistant Katie Butte and Intern Nadia Turner (see story below.)

Schedule Your School Field Trip Now ...

Our 2023 Field Trip schedule is already filling up. Naples High School will return for an additional four Field Trips with their 10th grade students, Pine Ridge Middle School will be here on four days, Mason Academy and Bonita Springs Charter School have each reserved three Field Trip days.

If you would like to arrange an age-appropriate Field Trip for your middle or high school students, please contact Education Specialist David Nelson at David@hmcec.org or call 239-263-9200, ext. 205.

2023 Teachers' Workshop ...

Plans are underway for the 2023 Teachers' Professional Development Workshop at the Museum. All active SWFL middle and high school and college/university level teachers are invited to participate. State and School District Curriculum Coordinators will be also be invited to attend the Teacher Workshop. The full day program is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, February 25, and will include breakfast and lunch. There is no charge to attend, as the Workshop has been funded by the generous Legacy gift from the Merrill Kuller Educator Series.

Education Specialist David Nelson will be incorporating information from the recent Holocaust Education seminar at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM.) Joining David will be USHMM Teaching Fellow Keith Stringfellow from Winter Haven, FL. David and Keith have been working together to design the Workshop's agenda.

Since the Holocaust is generally covered in SWFL schools' Spring semester, this Workshop is scheduled before Spring Break so the teachers will have necessary tools and updated information to implement when they return to school.

The theme will be "You’ve seen the new 'Standards for Florida Holocaust Education' Guidelines - come and find out how to use them." All participants will leave equipped with the resources to provide quality Holocaust education in their classrooms. The program will also explore examples of USHMM lesson plans, such as the "Some Were Neighbors" unit. This looks at the Americans and the Holocaust using a variety of educational film clips. Participants will also learn about the available Holocaust Education resources of both our Museum and the USHMM.

For questions and to RSVP, please contact David Nelson at David@hmcec.org or call 239-263-9200, ext. 205. Feel free to share this information with other teachers who might find it of interest to attend.
Boxcar Travel Schedule ...
The Boxcar Exhibit is getting ready for its upcoming travel schedule. This month, the flatbed trailer tires will be replaced. In January, the Boxcar will be on display at the Naples Central Avenue Branch Public Library. It will move to the North Fort Myers Public Library in February. Then it will travel uptown in March to Naples High School.

The Boxcar Exhibit is on loan to the Museum from F.E. and Jack Nortman and The Boxcar Foundation.
SWFL Holocaust Survivor Memoirs ...
We have been honored to work with many Holocaust Survivors over the years. They have generously given of their time as Education Volunteers, speaking to students at the Museum and in schools, as Museum Speakers at community organization events, and as Docents and Volunteers at the Museum. Each one has made a lasting impact on others by sharing their family's experiences during the Holocaust.

Several Survivors have written their memoirs and donated copies to the Museum to help raise funds for our Holocaust Education Programs. Copies are available in our Lobby or can be mailed for a small shipping fee. Please contact Info@hmcec.org if you wish to have copies mailed. Current titles available are:

Imperfect Memories - A Memoir of Escape from the Holocaust 
by Michael Eisenstadt

Not A Trace of Smoke 
by Cesare Frustaci

Memoirs of a Survivor: My Life Under Nazi Occupation 
by Abe Price (Abram Piasecki)

Holocaust Survival of Hella and Heinz Heinz Wartski 
by Hella and Heinz Wartski
Curatorial Department News ...
Cody and Nadia reviewing details for
preparing 2023 exhibits.
Nadia learned how to research and enter artifact descriptions into the Museum Collection's database.
As part of the digitization of the Museum's collection records, donated photos are scanned into the database.
Nadia conducting a tour for students from Oak Ridge Middle School during their recent Field Trip to the Museum.
Nadia Turner is working with Curator Cody Rademacher this month as a Curatorial Department intern. She is a Senior at Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa, majoring in Secondary Education and History.

Nadia had an interesting path to us. Her family lives nearby, and when out for a bike ride, she saw the Museum's road sign. She visited our website to learn more about our work and applied for the Curatorial Internship position.

Nadia is getting a great behind-the-scenes view of how a History Museum works. And, in addition to learning about exhibits and operations, Cody has tailored her internship so she can participate in working with middle and high school students visiting the Museum. This provides Nadia with an example of student education beyond the traditional school classroom setting. She had the opportunity to lead a student tour of the Museum. She has also gone on our Docent-led tours to see how we share the history and lessons of the Holocaust with the public.

Working with students here provides Nadia with a preview of what to expect in her student teaching course next semester. She will re-join us during her Spring school break to continue working on the digitization of the Museum's permanent collection.
This Month in Holocaust History ...
GenShoah SWFL News ...

A GenShoah "Open House Get-Together" is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, January 19th at the Museum from 10:00am-11:30am. More details will be available shortly in an upcoming GenShoah newsletter.
2G Stories: "Portraits of Remembrance" Project ...
Due to the wonderful response to the stories created by GenShoah SWFL members for the "Portraits of Remembrance" Project, we are running the series again. Written to be shared with SWFL students in our Education programs, the stories share the important personal stories of those affected by the Holocaust.

This important Project preserves for future generations the important stories of GenShoah SWFL members’ parents and grandparents. If you are interested in submitting a story about your family's Holocaust experiences, e-mail genshoahswfl@hmcec.org for more information. The writing should be for a middle school-age audience, and be approximately 500-700 words in length. We request you also include appropriate geographical and accurate historical references, a personal highlight and photograph. We have posted the stories on our website "Education - Resources."
2G Story by GenShoah Member SWFL Vivian Mackey ...
GenShoah SWFL member Vivian Mackey wrote about the Holocaust experiences of her mother, Ruth Zweig, in "Danger, Loss and Survival: Ruth Zweig’s Immigration to the USA." Click here to read it. The map above shows the complicated journey Ruth took across Europe to the U.S.
Yiddish Group …

Interested in learning or brushing up on Yiddish phrases? You are invited to attend a three-part series on to be held at the Museum from 4:00pm – 5:30pm on the following Sundays: January 22, February 12 and March 19. You do not need experience with the language to attend this fun class. The program will be conducted by Sol Awend, Harriet Bernman and Felicia Anchor. Admission is free, with advance registration required. Click here to RSVP.
Around the Museum ...

Need an Idea for Winter Break? ...
Looking for something to do over the winter holidays? Visit the Museum! Kids & students visit free from 12/28/22-1/8/23. Advance reservations are required on our website.

Visitor Comments ...
What did you like best about your visit?
"To learn how the Nazis facilitated and developed their horrible programs of persecution and annihilation."
"All the Videos."

What could we improve upon?
"Nothing - just continue educating the public."

Of Interest to Holocaust Survivors and Their Families ...
The New York-based Center for Jewish History is launching the DNA Reunion Project, offering DNA testing kits to Holocaust Survivors for free through an application on its website. Click here to read about it.
Thank You to the following organizations for sponsoring
Museum Programming and Events ...
Funding has been provided to the Holocaust Museum & Janet G. and Harvey D. Cohen Education Center from Florida Humanities through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. NEH is committed to Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan.
 
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by the Holocaust Museum & Janet G. and Harvey D. Cohen Education Center, do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Public Recognition Awards ...
We are honored to have received these awards as a result of Museum visitors sharing their experience on review sites. Thank you so much for spreading the word about our Museum and work!


The Guidestar Gold Transparency Seal signifies to potential Donors that an organization is in good standing and worthy of their support. We are honored to have received this distinction.
For more information on how you can support the Museum's Education mission, please contact Museum President and CEO Susan Suarez at239-263-9200, ext. 203, or e-mail Susan@hmcec.org. Thank you!