Holocaust Museum L.A.

While we will never forget the past, our museum is embarking with renewed spirit... An unparalleled journey of education to brighten the world. It begins today. New name. New logo. New hope.

In commemoration of the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht, join us on November 10 at 11 am PST for a presentation by Aimee Bikel, author of Theodore Bikel’s The City of Light, and widow of the beloved late actor, singer, and activist. Based on a short story written by Theodore Bikel shortly before he died in 2015, Aimee Bikel’s book for young readers poignantly recounts moments from Theo’s childhood in Vienna, at first happy memories of family, sweet cakes and holidays, and... then darker times, when he experienced and witnessed brutal and violent antisemitism as Nazi influence grew. Set in Vienna in 1937-1938 during Nazi Germany’s annexation of Austria as well as Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass, a young Jewish boy watches destruction and violence while hiding behind the curtains with his parents. To learn more and register, visit http://bit.ly/bikel-webinar.

WE'RE LIVE NOW with Erika Schwartz! Erika was born in Nyíregyháza, Hungary in April 1944, a month after the German invasion. Sensing their impending fate, Erika’s father convinced authorities to let his wife and daughter move to Budapest and secured them false Christian identity papers. When the war ended in 1945, Erika’s mother discovered that they were the only two survivors from their family. A few years after the war, Erika’s mother left Hungary for the United States but was not allowed to bring her young daughter with her. She left her in Hungary with a married couple she trusted. The childless couple soon decided to kidnap Erika and keep her as their own. Erika's mother had to hire a detective in Hungary to find her daughter and bring her to the United States. Just after Erika’s fourth birthday, she reunited with her mother.

Erika Schwartz was born in Nyíregyháza, Hungary in April 1944, a month after the German invasion. Sensing their impending fate, Erika’s father convinced authorities to let his wife and daughter move to Budapest and secured them false Christian identity papers. When the war ended in 1945, Erika’s mother discovered that they were the only two survivors from their family. A few years after the war, Erika’s mother left Hungary for the United States but was not allowed to bring he...r young daughter with her. She left her in Hungary with a married couple she trusted. The childless couple soon decided to kidnap Erika and keep her as their own. Erika's mother had to hire a detective in Hungary to find her daughter and bring her to the United States. Just after Erika’s fourth birthday, she reunited with her mother. To hear more of Erika’s story, tune in on November 5th at 11 am PST for her Holocaust Survivor Talk. Click here to register: http://bit.ly/erika-schwartz-talk Photo by John Pregulman

On the morning of the 2020 presidential election, a century-old Jewish cemetery in Grand Rapids, Michigan was defaced with the words TRUMP, and MAGA, vandalized on the headstones. In the community where just hours later, the President arrived for a rally, this act of antisemitism served as a reminder of the continued rise in attacks against the Jewish people across the United States. Just over two years ago, the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania experi...enced the deadliest attack against the Jewish community in the United States, a massacre claiming eleven lives. These are merely two examples of violent acts of hatred that have increased the last few years. Two holy sites for the Jewish communities of Grand Rapids and Pittsburgh, respectively, are marred by acts of hate and bigotry. As the polls close for this election, we remind our community and the world that there is no place for antisemitism in our society. We have seen what can happen when hate speech and hate crimes are normalized and ignored, and we remain committed to ensuring it does not continue. https://www.washingtonpost.com//michigan-jewish-cemetery-/

It’s #ElectionDay! Holocaust history teaches us that freedoms like voting are important, and there can be detrimental effects when such freedoms are taken away. If you haven’t voted yet, use the link below to find your nearest polling place, where you can also drop off a completed ballot. https://www.usa.gov/election-office For a post- election talk, join our community tomorrow at 11 am PST for Building Bridges - The Morning After: Sifting Through the Election Results for I...mportant Lessons. Featuring our partners from the Jewish Center for Justice, the Los Angeles Urban League, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), and CAUSE Empowerment. Register now: http://bit.ly/building-bridges-nov-4

Between November 9 and November 10, 1938, Nazis unleashed a state-sponsored pogrom in which 30,000 Jewish men were arrested, Jewish owned homes and businesses destroyed, and more than 1,400 synagogues and Jewish institutions in Germany and Austria burned. Kristallnacht, literally "Night of Crystal" is referred to the Night of Broken Glass due to the shattered glass, broken from the windows of destroyed synagogues and plundered Jewish-owned businesses and homes, littering the ...streets. On November 9, 2020, March of the Living will mark Kristallnacht with an international message of unity and hope. Titled Let There Be Light," March of the Living will invite individuals, institutions and Houses of Worship around the world to keep their lights on during the night of November 9, as a symbol of solidarity and mutual commitment in the shared battle against anti-Semitism, racism, hatred and intolerance. Individuals of all religions and backgrounds are invited to write personal messages of hope in their own words at the campaign’s website: www.motl.org/let-there-be-light The main synagogue in Frankfurt (one of the few not destroyed on Kristallnacht) will be illuminated, along with other places of spiritual significance across the world. Personal messages and prayers from the virtual campaign will be projected on the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. These individual expressions of optimism and unity will help illuminate the world against darkness and hatred. #LetThereBeLight

It’s with immense sadness we report the passing of one of our cherished survivors, Sally Zielinski Roisman. Sally was born in 1930 in Przyrow, Poland to a middle class Jewish family. Of eleven children, Sally and five of her siblings were the only members of her family to survive the Holocaust. She eventually settled in Los Angeles with her husband and found comfort in art. She received several awards for her beautiful portraits of Jewish life before the Holocaust and biblic...al images, which reminded her of her father. Sally will be incredibly missed and her contribution to Holocaust education will never be forgotten. May her memory be a blessing. To hear Sally’s testimony visit our partners at the USC Shoah Foundation: https://www.youtube.com/watch

Holocaust history teaches us that freedoms like voting are important, and there can be detrimental effects when such freedoms are taken away. As we near Election Day, we urge you to use your voice and vote! Avoid Election Day crowds by dropping off your ballot at a certified ballot drop box or a polling place. Find your nearest drop off site here: https://www.usa.gov/election-office. After the election, we invite you to join us on November 4 at 11 am Pacific Time for Buildin...g Bridges - The Morning After: Sifting Through the Election Results for Important Lessons. Join several of California’s most respected community leaders the morning after the 2020 election as they analyze the election results and offer their thoughts on what the results mean for the future. Be part of a conversation about how our communities can work together toward common goals. Featuring our partners from the Jewish Center for Justice, the Los Angeles Urban League, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), and CAUSE Empowerment. Moderator: Museum Board Member Dan Schnur, Professor at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and UC Berkeley. To learn more and get tickets: http://bit.ly/building-bridges-nov-4

Watch a sneak peek of our Livestream Special! Thanks to the enthusiastic response from our guests, we have extended ticket sales for our Livestream Special: 45 Minutes of Inspiration until October 31, 2020! Join host Melissa Rivers and your favorite Hollywood stars, scholars and elected officials in our fight against hatred and antisemitism. Get tickets and instantly access the full show: https://app.mobilecause.com/form/8XwAeQ?vid=d6zzj... #LivestreamSpecial #45MinutesofInspiration #LetTruthSpeak #InspiringHumanityThroughTruth #HolocaustMuseumLA

Holocaust Survivor Talk: Joe Hess Joe Hess was born in Fulda, Germany in 1932 and was on one of the last Kindertransports. Joe and his siblings were separated from their parents. By 1948, Joe and his siblings immigrated to the United States where he finished his education and served in the Air Force during the Korean War. When Joe moved to California, he served as the Campaign Chair of the Jewish National Fund and has been dedicated to the Jewish community all his life.