At the Museum

Susan Suarez President & CEO

March being Women’s History Month provides a timely reminder to remember the courageous women who were UpStanders during the Holocaust — women like Magda Trocmé, Sophie Scholl, Irena Sendler, Hannah Senesh and Noor Kahn. Each put their lives and their families’ lives on the line to help protect Jewish people and fight against the Nazis. Each of them made an important impact, some paying with their lives for doing so.

We also honor the thousands of others whose actions will never be known. We also honor modern-day UpStanders like Claudette Colvin, who as a teenager in 1955 refused to obey a bus driver and give up her seat, six months before Rosa Parks’ refusal to do the same; Niemat Ahmadi from North Darfur, Sudan, who stepped in to help sustain relief efforts for the 2003 Darfur war and genocide survivors and established the Darfur Women’s Action Group (DWAG); Malala Yousafzai, who as a young teenager was shot and nearly killed for going to school against Taliban restrictions. Surviving her attack, she became an advocate for girls’ and women’s right to education. Today, there are thousands of other women UpStanders at work in our communities and across the world. While they might not make the news or headlines, they are just as committed to standing up and fighting for people whose basic human rights are being withheld or in peril.

This month

It has been a busy season so far at the Museum. Here is information about this month’s events.

Triumph of Resistance dinner is sold out

Our annual fundraising event, "Triumph of Resistance," is now sold out. We are excited to hear special guest speaker Ruth Bielski Ehrreich share the story of her father, Tuvia Bielski, and his brothers. Together, the Bielski brothers built a refuge in the forests of what is now Belarus, and rescued 1,200 Jewish men, women and children fleeing the Holocaust. Ruth also joined us earlier this year to introduce a screening at the Museum of the film “Defiance,” which depicted the Bielski brothers’ story, and graciously answered questions about the film.

“Growing Up Sephardic in an Ashkenazi World”

GenShoah SWFL member Sam Varsano will present “Growing Up Sephardic in an Ashkenazi World” at the Museum on Wednesday, March 13 at 2 p.m. His presentation will take place in the Herbert H. Schiff Classroom. Reservations are required – please visit hmcec.org to RSVP.

“Zoog Mir in Yiddish”

GenShoah SWFL member Sol Awend will present a class Sunday, March 17 that is suitable both for those interested in learning to speak Yiddish and those who already do. The program will take place in the Maureen and Arnold Lerner Classroom at 3:30 p.m. Reservations are required as space is limited – visit hmcec. org to RSVP.

Lecture by docent Stuart Mest, M.D.

Museum Docent Stuart Mest, M.D. will present “The Holocaust: Medically Driven Genocide.” The lecture will take place at the Museum Wednesday, March 20 at 2 p.m. in the Herbert H. Schiff Classroom. Reservations are required –please visit hmcec.org to RSVP.

Other news

Additional docent tour added

Due to popular demand, we have added another docent-led public tour. They will now be offered on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Reservations and prepayment are required for these tours, as space is limited. Please visit our website for more information and to purchase your tickets.

Matching Challenge Grant

The Museum has received a generous Matching Challenge Grant of $100,000 from Jack and F.E. Nortman, along with friends of the Boxcar Foundation to help support the Museum’s traveling "Boxcar Education Project." The Boxcar Exhibit travels to schools, public libraries and other locations throughout Southwest Florida. Since 2008, over 150,000 students, teachers and members of the public have seen the exhibit and learned more about the dangers of hate. Please consider a donation, as your gift will be matched to double the impact!

“Forgeries and the Holocaust” Exhibit extended

“Forgeries and the Holocaust” will be on display in the Estelle and Stuart Price Gallery through March 2024. We hope you will explore this fascinating exhibit and take the brief quiz at the end to test your knowledge of how to spot a forgery.

Antisemitism film

Now showing in the Maureen and Arnold Lerner Classroom, "Antisemitism" is a film produced by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. This film is available to view for all visitors to the Museum.

Save the Date

Sunday, May 5 at 4 p.m. – Yom HaShoah Community Commemoration at the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center.

Many thanks for your continuing support of our mission – to teach the lessons of the Holocaust to inspire action against bigotry, hatred and violence, and our programs and events. I hope to see you at the Museum soon!