Building respect through empathy

Susan Suarez, President & CEO

Akey component of teaching about the Holocaust and building mutual respect is strengthening empathy. Personal stories, like “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank, put the reader in the author’s shoes, helping us to understand a different perspective. This is also why the personal stories of our local Holocaust survivors are so important. Not only do they provide the facts about history, they share feelings and emotions that make the story so much richer and memorable.

“We need to understand the other side to impact the other side. We become much more effective as humans and leaders when we engage in hearty conversations with those who are different from us, not necessarily to change our opinions, but to build the empathy muscle,” says Daniel Lubetzky.

Celebrating 20 years

This year, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary, the Museum will share many stories through its educational programs, survivor talks, lectures and film discussions as well as a new play in partnership with Gulfshore Playhouse about the life of local survivor and Museum volunteer, Abe Price, which will be performed at the luncheon on Dec. 2, 2021. This in-person event will be held at Arthrex One, the new event center on the Arthrex Campus in North Naples. Tickets and sponsorship packages are now available. For more information, contact Tim@HMCEC.org or call 239-263-9200, ext. 207.

New officers and directors

We welcome new officers and directors to the Museum Board for 2021-2022. We thank outgoing Board Chair Steve Strome for his extraordinary work on behalf of the Museum these past three years. He ably guided our organization before, during and after the turmoil caused by COVID-19. He oversaw the completion of the Museum’s first capital campaign and the opening of our new Museum in late 2019. Strome also kept the Museum board informed and engaged during the dark days of COVID in 2020 and has steered our growth since reopening. We are happy that he will remain on the Board and continue to contribute to the Museum’s future.

The incoming Board Chair is Stuart Price. Price and his wife, Estelle, are longtime supporters of the Museum and its mission. They are well-known in our community and the New Jersey/Philadelphia area for their generosity toward nonprofit organizations of all sizes. The Prices were named “Philanthropists of the Year” on National Philanthropy Day in 2020 by the Collier-Lee Chapter of AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals). The award recognized them for their long-standing philanthropic commitment in Southwest Florida.

Museum Board Chairs (l–r): Incoming Board Chairman, Stuart Price; immediate past Chairman, Steve Strome; and past Chair, Herb Berkeley

Our newest Board member is Stuart Mest, M.D. Dr. Mest is a pulmonary and critical care physician who served as chairman, department of medicine and chief of critical care at a southern New Jersey hospital. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. Dr. Mest is the child of two Holocaust survivors and has worked with us for many years as a docent and museum educator.

Abe Price (credit Erik Kellar)

Summer programs

This summer, we hosted a variety of student programs as well as private group tours for adults from across Southwest Florida. Additionally, the Museum experienced an increase in the number of public visitors, both local residents and people outside of the area.

The special exhibit in the Estelle and Stuart Price Gallery, “Caught on Film: The Wartime Photography of Ken Regele and the U.S. Army Signal Corps” is on display through Oct. 17, 2021. The collection of photographs, one of the largest in our archives, came to the Museum from former U.S. Signal Corps member Ken Regele. It presents a unique eyewitness look at WWII as captured by Signal Corps cameramen. You’ll see photos taken during battles, soldiers crossing hastily constructed Allied bridges alongside destroyed German ones, famous celebrities visiting the troops, and more.

Museum program news for the fall/winter season

The “Movies That Matter” series returns with three films about current human rights issues on Oct. 13, Oct. 20 and Oct. 27. Please check the Museum’s website next month for details and to RSVP.

“Vedem,” the new exhibit about the Czech-language underground magazine created by teenage boys in the Theresienstadt camp, debuts in November in the Estelle and Stuart Price Gallery. The exhibit will be accompanied by special in-person and Zoom programs during its run.

In January and February 2022, Museum Docent Ellaine Rosen will present her fivepart lecture series, “Nazi Looted Art — Unfinished Business.” The series will be in person and cost $100 for the series ($20 per session). RSVP required. More details available on the Museum website.

In late February and early March, Museum Docent Stuart Mest, M.D. presents his two-part series, “Eugenics, Experiments, Ethics: Nazi Germany, Japan and the U.S.” The cost for the series is $40. RSVP required. More details available on the Museum’s website.

We hope you’ll plan a visit to the Museum soon. To stay in touch with news and upcoming programming notes, sign up for our monthly newsletter using the link at www.HMCEC.org. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram, also.