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2013 Events

First Thursdays
June 6, 2013 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

Holocaust Museum Houston will be open extended hours on the First Thursday of every month. The Museum will remain open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. For questions about First Thursdays, please call 713-942-8000 or e-mail

events@hmh.org.

“Rescue in the Philippines: Refuge from the Holocaust”
June 6, 2013 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

“Rescue in the Philippines: Refuge from the Holocaust” recounts a fascinating, yet seldom-told, chapter in World War II history. This documentary film chronicles a real-life Casablanca, in which a high-profile group of poker buddies — including Col. Dwight Eisenhower — devised an intricate international plan of rescue and re-settlement, saving 1,300 Jews from certain death in Nazi concentration camps. “Rescue in the Philippines: Refuge from the Holocaust” tells this gripping story through interviews with historians, friends and relatives of key participants, and first-person accounts from refugees who detail their harrowing escape from Europe and immigration to the Philippines. Barbara Sasser, a senior consultant on the project, will introduce the film and take questions afterward. Tickets are $5 for HMH members, seniors and students and $8 for nonmembers. Seating is limited and advance registration is requested. Visit https://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. Seniors and students may pay at the door. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

Mixers on the Map
May 21, 2013 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Location Hotel Derek, 2525 W. Loop South, Houston, TX 77027

Join CultureMap at the quarterly happy hour series Mixers on the Map, where savvy young professionals mingle for a good cause. This month, the gathering welcomes supporters of SEARCH Homeless Services, Friends for Life, Young Neighbors and Holocaust Museum Houston's Next Generation. Guests will bid on a silent wine auction and have the opportunity to win a weekend stay at Hotel Derek and dinner for two at Valentino Vin Bar. Proceeds will benefit the young professional groups. Admission fee includes a complimentary cocktail, light bites and the chance to win cool prizes. Visit http://houston.culturemap.com/mixers-on-the-map/tickets to RSVP online.

"Brighten the Future by Coloring for a Cause!"
May 19, 2013 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Local Foods, 2424 Dunstan, Houston, TX 77005

Did you know one out of five kids say they have been bullied, and 85 percent of youths say they would stand up against bullying if given the right tools. The Holocaust Museum Houston B’nai Mitzvah Project offers an opportunity for youths preparing for Bar or Bat Mitzvahs to connect to the message of tolerance and ending hate. This project will empower participants and notecard recipients to become upstanders. Participants will be provided with notecards depicting a butterfly, a symbol of children’s lives lost. After hand-painting or coloring the cards, students can sell them to family and friends to spread the Museum’s message regarding the dangers of hatred, prejudice and apathy. Proceeds from the cards will be donated to Holocaust Museum Houston to help educate our community and create a more respectful society.To RSVP online, visit https://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx.

“Through Soviet Jewish Eyes: Photography, War and the Holocaust”
May 16, 2013 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Central Gallery

Although World War II is one of the most documented conflicts of the 20th century, western audiences have had little exposure to Soviet images. The exhibition “Through Soviet Jewish Eyes: Photography, War and the Holocaust” features 58 photographs revealing the war as presented through the lens of the most important Soviet photojournalists. Printed over six decades, the collection highlights works by Evgenii Khaldei, Georgii Zelma and Dmitrii Baltermants, among others, from the dawn of the Soviet era and throughout the Great Patriotic War, also known as the war’s Eastern Front. A large number of Soviet photojournalists were Jewish, and the exhibition explores aspects of what this religious and cultural identity might have meant when confronting war and Nazi persecution through Soviet and Jewish eyes. Charged by the Stalinist state to tell the visual story, these artists were emotionally and intellectually connected to recording the Holocaust. With their compelling war photography, they were the first to document the liberation of Nazi sites of atrocity – three years before others chronicled the liberation of concentration camps in Germany. The public is invited to a free reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 16, 2013. Admission is free, but advance registration is required for the reception. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. For more information, call 713-942-8000 or e-mail

exhibits@hmh.org.

"Through Their Eyes: A Survivor's Story"
May 9, 2013 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Location Avrohm I. Wiesenberg Multi-Purpose Learning Center

Join Holocaust Museum Houston for breakfast and a presentation of "Through Their Eyes: A Survivor's Story." Breakfast will include a program by Sandy Lessig, who uses the oral history of her father, a Holocaust survivor, to share his story of life in Germany under the rise of Nazism and Adolf Hitler. This interactive program pioneers a way to authentically share both the survivor's experience and the important lessons they teach after the survivors are not able - to be carried on for the benefit of future generations. In addition to developing this project and presenting it locally, Lessig has also presented it internationally at two conferences and is in the process of writing a guide for other communities to use. She served as co-chair of "The Generations After" for Houston, serves on Board of Advisors of Holocaust Museum Houston and has been a weekly docent here for more than 17 years. A question and answer period will follow. Tickets are $20, and advance registration is required. Visit https://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online.

First Thursdays
May 2, 2013 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

events@hmh.org.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award Dinner
April 30, 2013 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Location Hilton Americas-Houston, 1600 Lamar St., Houston, TX, 77010

Join us for Holocaust Museum Houston’s biggest event of the year, the presentation of the 2013 Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award. This year's recipient is Father Patrick Desbois, a Catholic priest whose organization has helped identify more than 800 hidden mass killing sites with more than 2,000 mass graves from the Holocaust. Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright will end the evening with the night’s keynote address. The annual event – one of the city’s largest and most widely recognized philanthropic dinners – supports the worldwide educational programs of the Museum. Proceeds also enable the Museum to offer free admission to the public. More than 1,300 people attended last year’s dinner. For more information, tickets or table information, call 713-942-8000, ext. 121 or e-mail

hmhdinner@hmh.org.

The Museum Experience
April 27, 2013 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Location The Museum Experience

Get to know the new Houston Museum District Day by joining the Museum Experience. Featured museums in Zone 2 set for Saturday, April 27, are Holocaust Museum Houston, Asia Society Texas Center, The Weather Museum, Houston Museum of African American Culture, Czech Center Museum Houston, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Lawndale Art Center and the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. Holocaust survivors will discuss life during the Holocaust and afterward in free lectures at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Holocaust Museum Houston. At noon and 2 p.m., representatives of Houston’s Darfurian community will discuss their own experiences during the genocide in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and as many as 4 million displaced by civil war. Other day-long activities at the Museum will offer children and students a chance to commemorate Genocide Awareness Month by making drawings that will be forwarded to children in displaced persons camps at current genocide sites around the world. For more information, visit

http://www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org.

"The Past, Present and Future of International Justice: The Role of the International Criminal Court"
April 15, 2013 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

Ambassador David John Scheffer is an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the first U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues during President Bill Clinton's second term in office. Scheffer will discuss the rise of modern international justice from Nuremberg to the present and beyond, drawing from his recent award-winning book "All the Missing Souls: A Personal History of the War Crimes Tribunals," which recounts his own experiences during the 1990s in the creation of five major war crimes tribunals. Scheffer currently teaches at the Northwestern University School of Law, where he directs the Center for International Human Rights. Scheffer received bachelor’s degrees from Harvard and Oxford University and an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center. Tickets are $5 for HMH members and $8 for nonmembers. Seniors and students may pay $4 at the door. Seating is limited, and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

“Uprooted”
April 11, 2013 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Mincberg Gallery

Through the use of personal objects, rare documents and photographs, “Uprooted” highlights the experiences of two Jewish families featuring materials from Holocaust Museum Houston’s Permanent Collection. For centuries, the Jewish people endured many periods of discrimination combined with periods of tolerance. From expulsions from Spain in 1492 to pogroms in Russia to full citizenship rights in France, they were forced to adapt to ever-changing policies of governments and forced migrations. This exhibition takes visitors through the decisions European Jews faced as they encountered totalitarianism, antisemitism and later the “Final Solution” policies of the Nazis. “Uprooted” includes numerous artifacts and documents on view for the first time. The Abramowicz-Mescherowsky-Teixidor and Levenback-Bielitz collections permit the examination of the difficult choices faced by these particular Jewish families – choices like placing a child alone on a Kindertransport or whether to remain in hiding and, in some cases, join the resistance or having to flee to foreign countries. The exhibition exemplifies the hope that safety could be found and lives re-established elsewhere, despite the annihilation policies of the Nazi government. Also explored are the post-Holocaust lives of both families as they sought restitution and, for some, emigration to the United States. The public is invited to a free preview reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 11, 2013. Admission is free, but advance registration is required for this reception. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. For more information, call 713-942-8000 or e-mail

exhibits@hmh.org.

Citywide Yom HaShoah Commemoration
April 7, 2013 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Location Congregation Beth Israel, 5600 N. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096

Join us for Houston’s annual Yom HaShoah commemorative service in memory of all who died in the Holocaust and to pay tribute to those who survived. The service is free and open to the public. Admission is free.

First Thursdays
April 4, 2013 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

events@hmh.org.

Easter Sunday
March 31, 2013 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

The Museum will be closed Sunday, March 31, 2013 in observance of Easter Sunday. The Museum reopens at 9 a.m. Monday, April 1, 2013.

“Opening the Archives of the International Tracing Service - A Goldmine and a Warning”
March 21, 2013 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

Paul Shapiro played an instrumental role in opening the International Tracing Service Archive, based in Bad Arolsen, Germany, and making its contents available to Holocaust survivors and scholars in the United States and around the world. For too many years, these archives were kept secret because of an agreement with the German government. There are 50 million documents contained in these Holocaust-era archives, discussing 17.5 million individuals who were impacted by the Shoah. More than 10,000 people each year from 60 countries across the globe are trying to trace their way back to their families – and at the same time, lay a foundation for future generations. Shapiro is director of the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies and since 1997 has led the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s effort to provide focused leadership to the field of Holocaust Studies in the United States and abroad. Prior to joining the Museum’s staff, Shapiro was involved for over a decade on a volunteer basis in the development of the Museum’s international archival collections, which remains an important activity of the Center. Tickets are $8 for nonmembers and $5 for HMH members, seniors and students. students and seniors may pay at the door. Seating is limited, and advance registration is requested. Visit https://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

Art Talk: Learn and Create Series: “Sigmund’s Sweets”
March 17, 2013 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Location Three Brothers Bakery, 4036 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77025

Join Holocaust Museum Houston’s Next Generation for an afternoon at 3 Brothers Bakery with Holocaust survivor Sigmund Jucker, who will share his story, his family’s Polish baking traditions and lessons on how to make delicious hamentashen cookies. Jucker began baking in 1932 in Chrzanow, Poland at 10 years old alongside his twin brother, Sol. There was a baker’s strike so the twins filled in at the family bakery. Everything was truly handmade, since there were no mixers. The dough was placed in a trough, and everything was mixed by hand. Unfortunately, when Sigmund and Sol were 19 years old, the family was sent to Nazi concentration camps in 1941. On May 8th, 1945, Sigmund was released from the concentration camp. On Liberation Day, he was fortunate to have survived with his two other brothers and their older sister. On May 8th, 1949, Sigmund, Sol and their younger brother Max opened Three Brothers Bakery in Houston where they have been able to preserve the Polish baking traditions passed on for generations. As an outreach program of Holocaust Museum Houston, Next Generation is dedicated to promoting inclusion among individuals through preserving the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides and cultivating awareness of these lessons in contemporary society. Membership is open to all individuals age 21 to 39. Tickets are $15 for Next Generation members and $20 for nonmembers. Visit https://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

“The Flat”
March 15, 2013 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Location Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096

When Israeli director Arnon Goldfinger’s grandmother Gerda Tuchler died at 98, she left behind a flat filled with books, works of art, photographs and memorabilia. His findings lead him to explore his grandparents’ history, including a long-term friendship with a Nazi officer that survives the war. Zionists traveling with Nazis to Palestine? Unbelievable, and yet, it happened. The relationship was unknown to the family, nor were many other aspects of the Tuchlers’ history until Goldfinger contacted people who knew his grandparents, reviewed archives and traveled to Germany in an attempt to understand their story. This film is presented as part of the 2013 Houston Jewish Film Festival. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $8 for members of Holocaust Museum Houston; the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston; and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; seniors (65+) and students. To RSVP or for a complete list of all the festival films, please visit

http://erjcchouston.org/filmfest.

“Remembrance”
March 13, 2013 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Location Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096

In 1944, Anna, a Jewish prisoner in a concentration camp, and Tomasz, her Polish prisoner-of-war lover, manage a harrowing escape from the camp. She takes refuge with Tomasz’s sister-in-law, a Polish partisan, while he goes in search of his brother. In the ensuing chaos at the end of the war, the two are separated, each believing that the other is dead until 30 years later when Hannah, happily married and a mother in New York, believes she has seen Tomasz being interviewed on television about his war experiences and renews her search for him. This film is presented as part of the 2013 Houston Jewish Film Festival. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $8 for members of Holocaust Museum Houston; the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston; and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; seniors (65+) and students. To RSVP or for a complete list of all the festival films, please visit

http://erjcchouston.org/filmfest.

“Disobedience: The Sousa Mendes Story”
March 13, 2013 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Location Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096

Based on events in 1940 Bordeaux, this film tells the story of Portuguese Consul Aristides de Sousa Mendez, who defied Dictator Antonio Salazar’s directive to forbid the entry of “undesirables,” particularly Jews, into Portugal. Against Salazar’s orders, De Sousa Mendez issues approximately 30,000 Portuguese visas allowing people to escape to Portugal. This film is a portrait in courage, relaying the story of a man who chose to live by his convictions despite danger and hardship. After his death, de Sousa Mendez was declared to be among the righteous of nations and posthumously promoted to the rank of ambassador. This film is presented as part of the 2013 Houston Jewish Film Festival. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $8 for members of Holocaust Museum Houston; the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston; and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; seniors (65+) and students. To RSVP or for a complete list of all the festival films, please visit

http://erjcchouston.org/filmfest.

“The Flat”
March 12, 2013 5:00 PM - 6:45 PM

Location Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096

http://erjcchouston.org/filmfest.

“Numbered”
March 11, 2013 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Location Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096

Auschwitz prisoners were denied their names and tattooed with numbers. In this engrossing film, survivors discuss what the numbers mean to them: a tattoo is a sign of shame, a badge of honor or something else entirely? “Today, it is a sign of prestige; I have a number. It gives me a kind of superiority,” says one survivor. Another will not wear short sleeves. A daughter has her father’s number tattooed to her ankle as a sign of remembrance and solidarity with her deceased father; a grandson takes his grandfather’s number as a sign of survival and continuity. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $8 for members of Holocaust Museum Houston; the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston; and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; seniors (65+) and students. To RSVP or for a complete list of all the festival films, please visit

http://erjcchouston.org/filmfest.

“The Last Flight of Petr Ginz”
March 10, 2013 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Location Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005

A story of celebration and tragedy, "The Last Flight of Petr Ginz" is a whimsical and fantastical journey through one boy's imagination. Combining animation, art and live action, the documentary is a testament to how a boy's creative expression represents the best of what makes us human. By 14, Petr Ginz had written five novels and penned a diary about the Nazi occupation of Prague. By 16, he had produced more than 170 drawings and paintings, edited an underground magazine in the Theresienstadt Ghetto, written numerous short stories and had walked to the gas chamber at Auschwitz. This film is presented as part of the 2013 Houston Jewish Film Festival. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $8 for members of Holocaust Museum Houston; the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston; and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; seniors (65+) and students. To RSVP or for a complete list of all the festival films, please visit

http://erjcchouston.org/filmfest.

“Hitler’s Children”
March 10, 2013 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

“Hitler’s Children” is a unique documentary film about the descendents of some of the most powerful figures in the Nazi regime: Himmler, Frank, Goering, Hoess - men and women who inherited a legacy that permanently associates them with one of the greatest crimes in history. They have lived their lives with the constant reminder of what their fathers and grandfathers once did, and in this 80-minute film, they share their stories for the first time. Director and producer, Chanoch Ze’evi, himself a third-generation descendent of Holocaust survivors, used detailed and intensive research to create this in-depth documentary. His interviews with the descendents are mesmerizing as he explores the effects of the Holocaust from a different view point. This film, in English, German, Hebrew with English subtitles, is presented at Holocaust Museum Houston as part of the 2013 Houston Jewish Film Festival. Tickets may be purchased at the door and are $10 for the general public and $8 for members of Holocaust Museum Houston; the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston; and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; seniors (65+) and students. Online advance reservations are not available for this screening. For a complete list of all the festival films, please visit

http://www.erjcchouston.org.

“Disobedience: The Sousa Mendes Story”
March 8, 2013 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Location Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096

Based on events in 1940 Bordeaux, this film tells the story of Portuguese Consul Aristides de Sousa Mendez, who defied Dictator Antonio Salazar’s directive to forbid the entry of “undesirables,” particularly Jews, into Portugal. Against Salazar’s orders, De Sousa Mendez issues approximately 30,000 Portuguese visas allowing people to escape to Portugal. This film is a portrait in courage, relaying the story of a man who chose to live by his convictions despite danger and hardship. After his death, de Sousa Mendez was declared to be among the righteous of nations and posthumously promoted to the rank of Ambassador. This film is presented as part of the 2013 Houston Jewish Film Festival. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $8 for members of Holocaust Museum Houston; the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston; and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; seniors (65+) and students. To RSVP or for a complete list of all the festival films, please visit

http://erjcchouston.org/filmfest.

“Besa: The Promise”
March 7, 2013 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Location Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096

“Besa,” a code of honor, requires that all Albanians, most of whom are Muslim, protect refugees. Rexhap Hoxho is the son of an Albanian Muslim who protected a Jewish family during the Holocaust and retained their Hebrew books after the family’s departure, it being too dangerous for a Jewish family to travel with Hebrew books. Until the fall of communism in 1991, Hoxho had no way of searching for the family, but yet, he felt that “besa” demanded he find and return the books to their rightful owners. His journey eventually leads him and his son to Jerusalem, documented by Jewish-American photographer Norman Gershman. This film is presented as part of the 2013 Houston Jewish Film Festival. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $8 for members of Holocaust Museum Houston; the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston; and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; seniors (65+) and students. To RSVP or for a complete list of all the festival films, please visit

http://erjcchouston.org/filmfest.

First Thursdays
March 7, 2013 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

events@hmh.org.

“Healers and Resisters: The Legacy of Physicians and Nurses Involved in Resistance During the Holocaust”
March 7, 2013 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

Dr. Cheyenne Martin, medical ethicist and noted scholar on medical resistance in the Holocaust, will present a public lecture examining the powerful legacy of hundreds of Jewish and non-Jewish physicians, nurses and dentists involved in resistance activities during the Nazi era. Their voices and faces are largely invisible in medical and Holocaust literature, yet they made remarkable contributions to resistance efforts across occupied Europe – a striking contrast to Dr. Josef Mengele and other Nazi doctors who tortured and murdered thousands of children and adults in euthanasia and experimental programs. Drawing on her extensive archival research and interviews with medical survivors, she will discuss the broad spectrum of individual and collective resistance-related activities undertaken by these caregivers and analyze decisions to engage in resistance , as well as the risks and wrenching ethical issues they faced in providing care in the face of brutal conditions and murder. Martin is the Rebecca & Edwin Gale Professor of Ethics, at the UTMB Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and School of Nursing in Galveston. She received her doctorate in bio-medical ethics from the University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston and was a fellow at the Kennedy Center for Bioethics in Washington, DC, and at Rice University. She served as a member of the Holocaust Museum Houston Academic Committee and as a member of the International Scholars Conference on the Holocaust Advisory Board. Tickets are $5 for HMH members, seniors and students and $8 for nonmembers. Seating is limited and advance registration is requested. Visit https://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. Seniors and students may pay at the door. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

“A Night with a Survivor: Chaja’s Journey”
March 6, 2013 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

Join Holocaust Museum Houston’s Next Generation for an evening with Holocaust survivor, Chaja Verveer. Verveer will share her story, her family’s surviving photographs and artifacts and her challenge for the next generation, our generation, to build a community of respect. Verveer has spent years piecing together the events that shaped the first four years of her life. She was born in 1941 in German-occupied Holland where Jews were being isolated and murdered. With the help of the Dutch Resistance movement, one-year-old Verveer became Carla van den Berg and went into hiding, only to be betrayed in 1944 and sent to survive the exterminations camps. She believes that the traumas she endured as a child made her stronger, and she has dedicated her life to teaching the dangers of hatred, prejudice and apathy. She is now serving on the board of advisors for Holocaust Museum Houston and is a commissioner on the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission. As an outreach program of Holocaust Museum Houston, Next Generation is dedicated to promoting inclusion among individuals through preserving the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides and cultivating awareness of these lessons in contemporary society. Membership is open to all individuals age 21 to 39. A reception will take place at 6 p.m., with remarks beginning at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, but seating is limited and advance registration is requested. Visit https://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online.

“From the Budapest Opera House to the Gates of Auschwitz” -- SOLD OUT
March 3, 2013 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

A Holocaust survivor who was able to turn his childhood dream of becoming a musician into reality following that grim period in history will present an evening of opera melodies and inspirational stories featuring Hungarian soprano Dalma Boronkai Rodriguez and Mexican tenor Antonio Rodriguez. Interspersed with music, survivor Al Marks will tell the story of opera singer Ferenc Fellner, who survived the same four camps as Marks. Born in Budapest, Marks and his two parents were deported from his Hungarian birthplace to Auschwitz in 1944. After losing both of his parents to the gas chambers and crematoriums that took 6 million lives during the Holocaust, Marks was transported to the Melk camp. On July 8, 1944, the U.S. Air Force bombed Melk by mistake on the way to Vienna, causing more than 600 casualties and leaving Marks with a piece of a bomb in his chest that remains there to this day. After the attack, Marks was moved to Ebensee, his last camp before liberation. Daughter Karen Marks Aarons will accompany on piano. A pre-concert wine reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Museum’s foyer, with the performance beginning at 7 p.m. We're sorry. This event has reached its seating capacity. Please join us for a future event.

The Stefi Altman Seminar for Educators: “Holocaust Studies 101”
March 1, 2013 8:30 AM - 4:15 PM

Location Avrohm I. Wisenberg Multipurpose Learning Center

Need to brush up on your understanding of Holocaust history? Or, is this the first time you are implementing a Holocaust-based unit of study in your classroom? Join Holocaust Museum Houston’s education department on March 1 for this one-day “Holocaust Studies 101” workshop. This program, conducted under the auspices of The Stefi Altman Seminar for Educators, will include a docent-led tour of the Museum, following which participants will participate in several history-based lesson activities educators can use in their own classrooms. The afternoon will include practice implementing pedagogical guidelines specific to the Holocaust and connect to the morning’s resource-based activities. The program will conclude with a Holocaust survivor speaking, subject to availability. This program is aligned to the TEKS for Social Studies (especially World History and U.S. history) and would connect well with those related to English Language Arts teachers as well. It features the latest historiography regarding the Holocaust as discussed at several international conferences in 2012. This program has been approved for 5.5 hours credit in creativity and instructional strategies by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented. Seating for this program is limited to 30 teachers (first-come, first-served), and registration must be completed by Friday, Feb. 22. The cost for the one-day session – including materials – is $5. Lunch is not included. To register for the workshop, please visit www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx. For more information, e-mail

education@hmh.org.

“Anne Frank, The Girl That Never Was,” with Rolf Wolfswinkel
February 20, 2013 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

What if Anne Frank had survived World War II? She has become the face of the Holocaust, a cultural icon and a star of the screen and stage. But how much of that is hype and projection? Where is the girl she really was? In this lecture, Rolf Wolfswinkel will make the point that icons have to carry so much of the weight of all our dreams and desires that we lose sight of the person underneath all that baggage. Perhaps, the Anne Frank we all think we know is a girl that never existed. Wolfswinkel is professor of modern history in the Liberal Studies Program of New York University’s Faculty of Arts & Science. Tickets are $5 for HMH members and $8 for nonmembers. Seniors and students may pay $4 at the door. Seating is limited, and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

First Thursdays
February 7, 2013 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

events@hmh.org.

“Sarah’s Key”
February 7, 2013 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

In modern-day Paris, journalist Julia Jarmond finds her life becoming entwined with a young girl, Sarah, whose family was torn apart during the notorious Vel’d’Hive Roundup in 1942. American by birth, Julia has been living in Paris for more than 20 years. What begins as research for her article becomes more personal when Julia discovers that she and Sarah have something in common, prompting her to change her outlook on her husband, her adopted nation and herself. Based on the best-selling novel by Tatiana de Rosnay, the 111-minute film stars Kristin Scott Thomas as journalist Jarmond. Cynthia Capers, Holocaust Museum Houston’s associate director of education and changing exhibits, will introduce the film. Tickets are $5 for HMH members and $8 for nonmembers. Seniors and students may pay $4 at the door. Seating is limited, and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

“Studying the Holocaust and History through Photography: Concepts and Controversies”
January 31, 2013 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Location Avrohm I. Wisenberg Multipurpose Learning Center

Holocaust Museum Houston will offer this one-day educator’s workshop during which participants will explore the various forms of Holocaust-era photography and consider the perspective and use of the images during the Holocaust. Participants will expand photograph analysis and media literacy skills to incorporate in their classrooms as activities that enrich teaching of the Holocaust and the new understandings being developed by historians today. After taking part in analysis-based programming, participants will spend part of the afternoon at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston as they tour the exhibit “War/Photography: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath” with the lead curator of that show, Anne Wilkes Tucker. After viewing this show, participants will return to Holocaust Museum Houston for a preview of the upcoming exhibition, “Through Soviet Jewish Eyes,” a photography-based exhibition exploring images created during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. This exhibition will be on view at HMH beginning in April 2013. This workshop has been approved by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented for five hours in creativity and instructional strategies. The cost for the one-day session – including materials – is $25. Lunch is not included. Seating is limited, and advance registration is required. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. Please Note: Online registration is non-refundable. For more information, e-mail

education@hmh.org.

“Fragments: Architecture of the Holocaust, An Artist’s Journey through the Camps”
January 31, 2013 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Laurie and Milton Boniuk Resource Center and Library

Artist Karl Koenig applied his photographic eye and used the remarkable effects of his gumoil photographic printing techniques to explore the architectural remains of 10 Nazi concentration camps. His style and expressive printmaking method have allowed him to offer a unique interpretation of what these buildings may have been like for concentration camp prisoners. Koenig discovered the polychromatic gumoil method in 1990. The actual photographs were taken over a 10-year period (1994-2004) of 10 different camps. Based on his book of the same title, the exhibition highlights one print from each camp: Mauthausen, Breendonck, Theresienstadt, Buchenwald, Dachau, Sachsenhausen, Vught, Auschwitz, Auschwitz II and Majdanek. Koenig stated, “I aim to lead viewers to look intensely at specific buildings or architectural details, horrible or ordinary as they may be, and find themselves transported inside them…. Once inside, however, the observer is inside the hell of the camps.” Koenig passed away in 2012 of an illness. Library hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public is invited to a free preview reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Admission is free, but advance registration is required for this reception. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. For more information, call 713-942-8000 or e-mail

exhibits@hmh.org.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day
January 28, 2013 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

A memorial service, cosponsored by the American Jewish Committee, will be held for all members of the Consular Corps to commemorate the tragic loss of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. For more information, call 713-942-8000, ext. 104 or e-mail

events@hmh.org.

“Brunch with Survivors”
January 27, 2013 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Location “Brunch with Survivors”

Please join us for brunch with area Holocaust survivors for the launch of the second printing of the book “The Album: Shadows of Memory.” This book represents the recollections of eight Holocaust survivors who, in 2004, began the process of writing down their memories of their lives before, during and after the Holocaust. Each of the eight survivors will be present at the brunch. Tickets are $30 for HMH members and $40 for non-members, and admission includes brunch and one copy of the book “The Album: Shadows of Memory.” Additional copies of the book will be available for purchase, and survivors will be on hand to autograph copies. Seating is limited, and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

The Museum Experience
January 26, 2013 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Location The Museum Experience

Get to know the new Houston Museum District Day by joining the Museum Experience. Featured museums in Zone 1 set for Saturday, Jan. 26, are The Menil Collection (Cy Twombly, Richmond Hall), Rothko Chapel and the Houston Center for Photography. For more information, visit

http://www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org.

Museum Educators Open House
January 26, 2013 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

The 17th annual Museum Educators Open House in the Houston Museum District is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2013, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Houston area educators, school administrators, home school educators and student teachers are invited to discover the fascinating exhibitions, programs and educational resources available for their students. Educators who attend the event for at least three hours and attend at least three or more presentations are eligible for three hours of continuing education credit. To register, visit

http://www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org.

“Danish Rescue Boat Conservation Breakfast”
January 18, 2013 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Location Morgan Family Center

Join Holocaust Museum Houston for breakfast and to learn about the Museum’s work to conserve its Holocaust-era Danish rescue boat, the Hanne Frank. This rare artifact tells the heroic story of a three-week period in 1943 when Danish citizens risked their own lives to save more than 7,200 Jews from almost certain execution at the hands of Nazi Germany. Breakfast will include remarks by Dina Rudaizky, a Houstonian whose grandparents were rescued on a boat like the Hanne Frank, and tour by Walter Hansen, the project manager for the boat restoration project. Tickets are $20, and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

“Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today,” with Sandra Schulberg
January 8, 2013 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

Sandra Schulberg will introduce this documentary about one of the greatest courtroom dramas in history. The film shows how the four Allied prosecution teams – the United States, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union – built their case against the top Nazi leaders. As documented in the film, the trial established the “Nuremberg principles,” laying the groundwork for all subsequent prosecutions anywhere in the word for crimes against humanity and genocide. The original film was completed in 1948 and restored by Schulberg in 2009. She will lead a discussion after the screening. Tickets are $5 for HMH members and $8 for nonmembers. Seniors and students may pay $4 at the door. Seating is limited, and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

“Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today,” with Sandra Schulberg
January 8, 2013 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

First Thursdays
January 3, 2013 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

events@hmh.org.

New Year’s Day
January 1, 2013 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

The Museum will close at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, and remain closed Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, in observance of New Year’s Day. The Museum reopens at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013.

2012 Events

Christmas Day
December 25, 2012 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

The Museum will close at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 24, 2012, and remain closed Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012, in observance of Christmas Day. The Museum reopens at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012.

First Thursdays
December 6, 2012 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

Holocaust Museum Houston will be open from extended hours on the First Thursday of every month. The Museum will remain open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. For questions about First Thursdays, please call 713-942-8000 or e-mail

events@hmh.org.

Fall Film Series: “Varian’s War”
December 6, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

“Varian's War” is based on Varian Fry's extraordinary true story. Fry was an American journalist who was convinced, years before America became directly involved in World War II, that Nazi Germany's abusive policies against Jews and other "outsiders" would soon have grim consequences around the world. But Fry had a hard time convincing other Americans of the extent of the Nazi threat in 1938, and he eventually relocated to Germany to cover the rise of the Nazis in hopes of bringing his warning call to the world. Fry's efforts earned him the respect of Europe's intellectual and creative community, and in 1940, Fry aligned himself with a number of American organizations as he began working to smuggle refugees out of Europe and to safety. Along with thousands of ordinary citizens, Fry helped to save Marc Chagall, Heinrich Mann, Max Ernst, Andre Benton and a number of other important artists and writers from execution at the hands of Hitler's henchmen. The film stars William Hurt, Julia Ormond, Alan Arkin and Lynn Redgrave. Tickets are $5 for HMH members and $8 for non-members. Seating is limited, and advance registration is required. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

"I Know a History… Together, We Learned"
December 5, 2012 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Location Azuma, 5600 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77005

Join Holocaust Museum Houston’s Next Generation and the Japanese American Citizens League Young Professionals for a special Japanese dinner. Members will have the opportunity to celebrate our commonalities and remember the bond between the Holocaust survivors and the Japanese-American soldiers who liberated Dachau. We will look forward and examine how our missions are creating a better future for the Houston community and discuss upcoming collaborations between Japanese American Citizens League and Holocaust Museum Houston. Tickets are $25 per person, and seating is limited. This event is open only to members of Next Generation. For questions or information about Next Generation, please call 713-942-8000, ext. 400 or e-mail nextgeneration@hmh.org.

Thanksgiving Day
November 22, 2012 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

The Museum will be closed Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012, in observance of Thanksgiving Day. The Museum reopens at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 23, 2012.

Fall Film Series: “Blessed is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh”
November 15, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

This documentary tells the story of Hannah Senesh, who at age 22 parachuted into Nazi-occupied Europe in an effort to save the Jews of Hungary. As a poet and diarist, she left behind a body of work that has inspired generations. Narrated by Academy Award nominee Joan Allen, “Blessed Is the Match” is the first film to present the life story of this remarkable, talented and complex woman. Filmmaker Roberta Grossman first read Hannah’s diary in junior high school and, for the next 20 years, continued to be inspired and captivated by her act of fighting back. A modern-day Joan of Arc — bold, brilliant, and uncommonly courageous — Hannah was safe in Palestine in 1944 when she joined the only military rescue mission for Jews during the Holocaust. After parachuting behind enemy lines, she was captured, tortured and ultimately executed by the Nazis. Her mother, Catherine Senesh, witnessed the entire ordeal — first as a prisoner with Hannah and later as her advocate, braving the bombed-out streets of Budapest in a desperate attempt to save her daughter. Tickets are $5 for HMH members and $8 for non-members. Seating is limited, and advance registration is required. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

Art Talk: Learn and Create Series: “Rubin’s Colors”
November 14, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Location The School of Art, College of Arts and Humanities, Houston Baptist University, 7502 Fondren Road Houston, TX 77074-3298

Holocaust Museum Houston’s “Next Generation” will host “Rubin’s Colors” at The School of Art at Houston Baptist University. Individuals are invited to create their own works of art using glass inspired by at the artistic collaboration of Holocaust survivor Rubin Samelson and artist Hans Molzberger. Growing up in Sosnowiec, Poland held fond memories for Samelson. It wasn’t until the German invasion in September 1939 that his peaceful existence was shattered. Samelson’s mother and younger sister, Felicia, were deported, and it was never discovered when and where they were murdered. His father was also sent to a camp but he managed to escape only to be captured by the Soviets who in turn exiled him to Siberia. Meanwhile, Samelson and his brother William were herded into the Wiesbaden ghetto, where they toiled in a glass factory. They worked in hot and grueling 12-hour shifts, during which their only sustenance was watery ersatz coffee. From here the two brothers were sent to labor in a munitions factory in Kolditz, Germany. It was here in Kolditz, that Rubin and William were liberated by American soldiers in April 1945. After liberation, Rubin and William were reunited with their father and together they sailed for America in January 1948. Samelson continued working with glass and is now a master glass blower and stained glass designer. In 2010, he first partnered with artist Hans Molzberger in creating a work of art, “The Window” for display in Molzberger’s exhibition, “Never Let it Rest!,” which was exhibited at Holocaust Museum Houston in April 2010. Samelson and Molzberger have continued to collaborate and have created several works together including, “Pleasure Island” and most recently, “Rubin’s Colors,” which is a multimedia piece using video, glass and metal to detail Samelson’s personal story of coming out of the darkness of the Holocaust. Holocaust Museum Houston’s Next Generation is a new group for young professionals age 21 to 39 dedicated to promoting inclusion among individuals through preserving the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides and cultivating awareness of these lessons in contemporary society. Seating is limited, and advance registration is requested. Tickets are $15 for Next Generation members and $20 for nonmembers. To RSVP online, visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx. Please note: online registration is non-refundable.

Teacher and Administrator Workshop – “Immigration and Education,” with a Special Screening of “Strangers No More”

November 7, 2012 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

Join Holocaust Museum Houston for a special film screening and discussion regarding immigration in the school system, beginning at 4:30 p.m. The evening program will include a screening of the film “Strangers No More” about the Bialik-Rogozin School in Tel Aviv which won the 2011 Academy Award in the category of documentary (short subject). Bialik-Rogozin's former principal, Karen Tal, will introduce the film and lead a discussion following it that addresses issues of diverse populations in education. In the heart of Tel Aviv, the Bialik-Rogozin School is an exceptional school where children from 48 different countries and diverse backgrounds come together to learn. Many of the students arrive at Bialik-Rogozin School fleeing poverty, political adversity and even genocide. “Strangers No More” follows several students’ struggle to acclimate to life in a new land while slowly opening up to share their stories of hardship and tragedy. With tremendous effort and dedication, the school provides the support these children need to recover from their past. Together, the bond between teacher and student, and amongst the students themselves, enables them to create new lives in this exceptional community. This workshop has been generously underwritten by the Consulate General of Israel. Admission is free, but seating is limited, and advance registration is required. Visit http://http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online.

Guardian of the Human Spirit Luncheon
November 5, 2012 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Location Hilton Americas-Houston, 1600 Lamar, Houston, TX 77010

Join us for this annual luncheon honoring dedicated Houstonians who have worked to enhance the lives of others. Selected to receive this year’s award are members of the Harry Mach Family, who have been longtime supporters of Holocaust Museum Houston and have championed other such causes as Family Services of Greater Houston, Alley Theatre, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, Incarnate Word Academy, University of St. Thomas, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts and the Houston-Gulf Coast-South Texas Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, among others. Harry Mach is president and chief executive officer of Mach Industrial Group, and wife Cora Sue serves as vice president. Son Butch Mach is vice president of production and a current vice chair of the Museum. Son Steven serves as vice president of finance. Butch’s wife, Carmen, serves in the company’s tax compliance unit. Steve’s wife, Joella, is a full-time mother and an active community volunteer. For tickets or table information, call 713-942-8000, ext. 121 or e-mail

spiritlunch@hmh.org.

40th Annual Jewish Book and Arts Fair: “Portrait of Wally”
November 4, 2012 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Location Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096

“Portrait of Wally,” Egon Schiele’s tender picture of his mistress, Walburga (“Wally”) Neuzil, is the pride of the Leopold Museum in Vienna. But for 13 years, the painting was locked up in New York, caught in a legal battle between the Austrian museum and the Jewish family from whom the Nazis seized the painting in 1939. “Portrait of Wally” traces the history of this iconic image – from Schiele’s gesture of affection toward his young lover, to the theft of the painting from Lea Bondi, a Jewish art dealer fleeing Vienna for her life, to the post-war confusion and subterfuge that evoke The Third Man, to the surprise resurfacing of “Wally” on loan to the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan in 1997. The “Wally” case brought the story of Nazi art loot into the open, eventually forcing museums in Europe and the United States to search their own collections for suspect objects. Many museums ended up returning art to Jewish families who had abandoned hope until “Wally” showed that institutions could be held accountable for holding property stolen during the Holocaust. The case was resolved in dramatic fashion in the summer of 2010, but only after the history of Schiele’s extraordinary painting was unearthed to revisit the crimes of the Holocaust and to witness the reluctance of major institutions in Europe and New York to send the “last prisoners of war” back to their families. This film is presented as part of the 40th Annual Jewish Book and Arts Fair. Tickets are $8 for ERJCC members and $10 for the general public. Visit http://www.erjcchouston.org to register online. For more information, call 713-729-3200.

40th Annual Jewish Book and Arts Fair: “The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of the Gustav Klimt Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer – Anne-Marie O’Connor”
November 4, 2012 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Location Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096

This is the story of art and justice. It is a book about a portrait by Gustav Klimt of Adele Bloch-Bauer, one of the intellectual Jewish women who were handmaidens of modernism in turn-of-the-century Vienna. Many of Klimt’s portrait models were Jewish, and their support for Klimt helped to free him to experiment with modern art forms and to create some of his best works. These portraits would be launched into history by the rise of Hitler and World War II, when Jewish art collections were seized by Nazi officials. The battle to reclaim this portrait was restitution, not just of a painting, but of this lost history. This lecture is presented as part of the 40th Annual Jewish Book and Arts Fair. Tickets are $10 for ERJCC members and $15 for the general public. Visit http://www.erjcchouston.org to register online. For more information, call 713-729-3200.

First Thursdays
November 1, 2012 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

events@hmh.org.

40th Annual Jewish Book and Arts Fair: “Crossing the Borders of Time: A True Story of War, Exile and Love Reclaimed – Leslie Maitland”
October 30, 2012 6:15 PM - 7:15 PM

Location Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX 77096

On a pier in Marseille in 1942, an 18-year old German Jewish girl – pried from the arms of the Frenchman she yearned to marry – was compelled to board one of the last ships to escape the country before the Nazis chocked off its ports. As the Lipari carried Janine and her family to Casablanca on the first leg of a perilous journey to Cuba, she would read through her tears Roland’s parting words: “I give you my vow that whatever the time we must wait, you will be my wife. Never forget, never doubt.” Five years later – her fierce desire to reunite with Roland obstructed by war and then by her family – Janine started anew with a dynamic American husband. Yet, she never ceased dreaming of her lost love, and her daughter, investigative reporter Leslie Maitland, eventually determined to find him. This non-fiction account – set against an impeccably researched historical portrait of Jewish life in Germany, in Occupied France, in a little-known Cuban detention camp, and within the refugee community of New York City’s “Fourth Reich” – culminates in the daring fulfillment of a vow of love made 50 years earlier in a world torn by persecution and war. This lecture is presented as part of the 40th Annual Jewish Book and Arts Fair and is cosponsored by Holocaust Museum Houston. Tickets are $10 for ERJCC members and $15 for the general public. Visit http://www.erjcchouston.org to register online. For more information, call 713-729-3200.

Holocaust Museum Houston on the Road: Highlights from the Philipson Collection in Austin, Texas

October 28, 2012 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Location The Philipson Residence, 7802 Ginko Cove, Austin, TX 78750

Michelle and Gregg Philipson cordially invite you to an afternoon tea in their home in support of Holocaust Museum Houston. Please join the Philipsons as they open up their home and share highlights from their vast Holocaust collection, which includes original works from Arthur Szyk as well as one-of-a-kind photographs and documents from World War II. This is a great opportunity for Austin residents to learn more about Holocaust Museum Houston and how the Austin community can help spread the Museum’s mission of teaching the dangers of hatred, prejudice and apathy. There is a recommended donation of $20 per ticket. To RSVP, please call 713-942-8000, ext. 400, or e-mail

development@hmh.org.

40th Annual Jewish Book and Arts Fair: “Nicky’s Family”
October 28, 2012 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Location Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77096

This documentary is the story of Nicholas Winton, an Englishman who organized the rescue of 669 Czech and Slovak children just before the outbreak of World War II. Winton, now 102 years old, did not speak about these events with anyone for more than half a century. His exploits would have been forgotten if his wife hadn’t found a suitcase in the attic, full of documents. Some 120,000 children in the Czech Republic signed a petition to award Nicholas Winton the Nobel Prize for Peace. Dozens of Winton's “children” have been found and, to this day, his family has grown to almost 6,000 people, many of whom have gone on to achieve great things themselves. The filmmakers also wanted to show the unique phenomenon that has emerged from Winton's story, how his courageous acts many years ago continue to influence people from all over the world and motivate them to do good deeds. This film is presented as part of the 40th Annual Jewish Book and Arts Fair. Tickets are $8 for ERJCC members and $10 for the general public. Visit http://www.erjcchouston.org to register online. For more information, call 713-729-3200.

Bonhoeffer Tours
October 27, 2012 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

Holocaust Museum Houston will offer tours focusing on the life and ministry of the German Lutheran theologian Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer each Saturday in October at 11:30 a.m. Bonhoeffer's actions against the Nazi Party and his message to the church in the context of the events of the Holocaust will be the focus of tours of the Museum's permanent exhibit, German railcar and Danish fishing boat. Tours include a look at the early influences on Bonhoeffer before the Holocaust, his organization of the Confessing Church to stand with the Jews in reaction to the Aryan clause, his involvement in assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler and his imprisonment and execution at the Flossenburg concentration camp by direct order from Hitler. The tours include the stories of the Bishop of Munster and Pastor Trocme, church leaders who strived to protect victims from Nazi tyranny. Admission and the walk-in tour are free. Tour sizes are limited, and advance reservation is requested. To register for any tour, visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. To schedule a separate private group tour for 10 or more in advance, visit the Museum's Web site at http://www.hmh.org and check the “Plan Your Visit tab.”

Holocaust Museum Houston’s Next Generation Launch Party
October 25, 2012 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Location Omni Hotel, Palm Court, 4 Riverway, Houston, TX 77056

Join us to help launch Holocaust Museum Houston’s Next Generation, a new group for young professionals age 21 to 39. Next Generation is dedicated to promoting inclusion among individuals through preserving the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides and cultivating awareness of these lessons in contemporary society. Registration includes hors d’oeuvres, two drink tickets and complimentary valet parking provided by the Omni Hotel. Interested in becoming a member of Next Generation? Attendees who join the evening of the party will receive a special dinner invitation in December. Admission is free, but attendance is limited and advance registration is requested. To register, please visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx. For questions about Next Generation, please call 713-942-8000, ext. 400, or e-mail

nextgeneration@hmh.org.

The 2013 Butterfly Project Calendar Launch Party
October 23, 2012 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Deutsch and Deutsch Fine Jewelry, 3747 Westheimer Road at Weslayan

Join Holocaust Museum Houston for the official launch party for the 2013 Butterfly Project calendar. The butterfly - with its story of rebirth and transformation into new life - has become a symbol of freedom from oppression, intolerance and hatred ever since Pavel Friedmann, a young man held captive in the Terezin concentration camp in Czechoslovakia, wrote his poem “The Butterfly.” More than 12,000 children under the age of 15 passed through the Terezin Concentration Camp (also known by its German name of Theresienstadt) between the years 1942 and 1944. Of these, more than 90 percent perished during the Holocaust. To remember all of the 1.5 million children who died in the Holocaust, Holocaust Museum Houston is collecting 1.5 million butterflies prepared from arts and crafts materials for a breath-taking exhibition that all will remember. Admission is free, but advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. For more information, call 713-942-8000, ext. 104 or e-mail

events@hmh.org.

“All Behaviors Count: Holocaust Museum Houston’s Social Cruelty Curriculum”
October 23, 2012 4:30 PM - 7:45 PM

Location Avrohm I. Wisenberg Multipurpose Learning Center

Holocaust Museum Houston’s Education Department will present its anti-bullying curriculum “All Behaviors Count: Humanity in Action” in this half-day workshop for educators. This modular program examines the five forms of social cruelty - bullying, taunting, rumoring, exclusion and ganging up - and their roles in school life and in modern culture. The workshop will bring examples from the media and popular culture into the classroom, providing examples from television and Internet commercials of each type of social cruelty and students and educators can respond to each in positive ways. The workshop’s broadened focus on separate behaviors exclusive of just bullying provides a better understanding of social cruelty and how to deal with these behaviors when in direct contact. Seating is limited, and advance registration is required. Tickets are $15, which includes workshop materials. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

Bonhoeffer Tours
October 20, 2012 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

Fall Film Series: “Sophie Scholl: “The Final Days”
October 18, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

Based on the true story of Germany’s most famous anti-Nazi heroine brought to thrilling, dramatic life, this film re-creates the last six days of Sophie Scholl’s life: a heart-stopping journey from arrest to interrogation, trial and sentence in 1943 Munich. Unwavering in her convictions and loyalty to her comrades, her cross-examination by the Gestapo quickly escalates into a searing test of wills as Scholl delivers a passionate call to freedom and personal responsibility that is both haunting and timeless. This 117-minute film, in German with subtitles, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2005. Tickets are $5 for HMH members and $8 for non-members. Seating is limited, and advance registration is required. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

Dedication of the “Destroyed Communities” Memorial
October 14, 2012 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

No city, town or village was too small to escape the diabolical schemes of the Nazis to annihilate the Jewish people and the whole infrastructure that had supported them. Six million Jews perished, but 20,000 Jewish communities also were destroyed. This October, Holocaust Museum Houston will dedicate the completion of its permanent memorial to those Jewish cultures and communities that were obliterated during the Holocaust, marking the addition of approximately 300 new communities to its Destroyed Communities memorial. Ceremonies will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, outside the Museum’s Morgan Family Center, 5401 Caroline St., in Houston’s Museum District. Admission is free and open to the public, but advance registration is requested. To RSVP online, visit http://www.hmh.org/registerevent.aspx.

Bonhoeffer Tours
October 13, 2012 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

Bonhoeffer Tours
October 6, 2012 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

First Thursdays
October 4, 2012 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

events@hmh.org.

Smithsonian Magazine’s National Museum Day
September 29, 2012 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

Holocaust Museum Houston is honored to participate in this year’s National Museum Day sponsored by Smithsonian magazine. Hundreds of museums nationwide will open their doors for free to magazine readers and Smithsonian.com Web site visitors. Bring your Smithsonian magazine admission card from the September 2011 issue or download your card from www.Smithsonian.com. For more information, call 713-942-8000 or e-mail

membership@hmh.org.

Yom Kippur
September 26, 2012 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

The Museum will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, in observance of Yom Kippur. The Museum reopens at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012.

“Inherited Memories: The Holocaust as an Intergenerational Understanding”
September 24, 2012 4:30 PM - 7:45 PM

Location Avrohm I. Wisenberg Multipurpose Learning Center

Through the Holocaust Museum Houston’s latest exhibitions, “Inheritance: Stories of Memory and Discovery” and “Blood Memory: a view from the second generation,” participants of this half-day educator workshop will examine the Holocaust from the eyes of the second generation – the children of Holocaust survivors. Participants also will learn to connect the use of artifacts and testimony to relate the Holocaust to future generations. This program will include a presentation by a member of Houston’s second generation community. Seating is limited, and advance registration is required. Tickets are $15, which includes workshop materials. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to register online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

“Popular Culture and Holocaust Memory”
September 23, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

Historical memory, including the memory of the Holocaust, depends less on the record of events drawn up by historians than on the projection of these events by writers, filmmakers, artists, architects, museum designers, television producers and directors, and others. Because most people acquire a sense of the past through the efforts of these people, one has to look carefully at their productions to understand how the collective memory of the Holocaust is being created, transmitted and received. In this public lecture, Dr. Alvin Rosenfeld will aim to demonstrate that the proliferation of books, films, television programs, museums and public commemorations related to the Holocaust has, perversely, brought about a diminution of its meaning and a denigration of its memory rather than a firm consolidation of historical knowledge. Rosenfeld is professor of English and Jewish studies at Indiana University, Bloomington. He received his doctorate from Brown University in 1967 and has taught at Indiana University since 1968. He holds the Irving M. Glazer Chair in Jewish Studies and is director of the university’s Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism. He founded Indiana University's well-regarded Borns Jewish Studies Program and served as its director for 30 years. He is the author of numerous books and essays, his latest book being "The End of the Holocaust" published by Indiana University Press in 2011. Tickets are $5 for HMH members and $8 for nonmembers. Seating is limited, and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. Please note: online registration is not refundable.

“The Life and Goodness of Raoul Wallenberg: Newly Discovered Facts”
September 20, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

In marking the centenary of the birth of Raoul Wallenberg, noted attorney Morris Wolff will discuss the life and heroic efforts of the Swedish diplomat to rescue Jews in Hungary during the Holocaust in this public lecture. Wolff, a distinguished lawyer and law professor and a graduate of Amherst College and Yale School of Law, will discuss “The Life and Goodness of Raoul Wallenberg: Newly Discovered Facts.” In 1945, during the blockade of Budapest by the Soviets, Wallenberg was detained by the Soviet authorities and mysteriously disappeared. In March of 1983, Wolff was asked by Guy von Dardel of Stockholm, a half-brother of Wallenberg, to sue the Soviet Union to force it to release his brother Raoul. Wolff led a team of lawyers in suing the U.S.S.R. in U.S. federal court to secure his freedom. He won a $39 million dollar verdict, in which the court in Washington, DC, ordered Wallenberg’s release. The Russians claim that Wallenberg died in Russian captivity on July 17, 1947. A number of testimonies, however, indicate that he was alive after that date and that he could have still been alive into and through the 1980s. In 2005, Wolff was honored by the United States Congress for his work in seeking the release of Wallenberg. He will sign copies of his book, “Whatever Happened to Raoul Wallenberg” following the lecture. Tickets are $5 for HMH members, and $8 for non-members who register online. Seniors and students may pay a $4 admission at the door. Seating is limited and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online.

Rosh Hashanah
September 17, 2012 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

The Museum will be closed Monday, Sept. 17, 2012 in observance of Rosh Hashanah. The Museum reopens at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012.

Houston Museum District Day
September 15, 2012 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

The Museum opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012, for Houston Museum District Day. Houston-area survivors of the Holocaust will discuss their experiences during the Nazi era in Eastern Europe and members of Houston’s Darfurian community will discuss their own encounters with the genocide in Sudan this September as part of this year’s annual Houston Museum District Day activities. Holocaust survivors will discuss life during the Holocaust and afterward in free lectures at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. At noon and 2 p.m., representatives of Houston’s Darfurian community will discuss their own experiences during the genocide in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and as many as 4 million displaced by civil war. Other activities at the Museum will focus on themes of memory and inheritance, with children taking part in a hands-on arts-and-crafts activity making butterflies for the Museum’s upcoming Butterfly Project exhibit. To remember all of the 1.5 million children who died in the Holocaust, Holocaust Museum Houston is collecting 1.5 million butterflies prepared from arts and crafts materials for a breath-taking exhibition now scheduled for early 2014. Also on view during the day will be the Museum’s two newest exhibits “Blood Memory: a view from the second generation” and “Inheritance: Stories of Memory and Discovery.” Seating for the survivor and Darfur lectures is limited, and guests are encouraged to arrive early.

Opening Reception: "Blood Memory: a view from the second generation" and "Inheritance: Stories of Memory and Discovery"
September 13, 2012 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Mincberg and Central Gallery

Join Holocaust Museum Houston for the opening reception for the new exhibits “Blood Memory” and “Inheritance: Stories of Memory and Discovery.”

In the national premiere retrospective of her work, “Blood Memory: a view from the second generation,” artist Lisa Rosowsky explores the "second generation" experience as the daughter of a hidden child and refugee from the Holocaust. Themes of repression and loss emerge, as do memories and stories about a family decimated by war. Rosowsky writes that “blood memory” is “the knowledge that cannot possibly be handed down, but is, and it lies at the heart of my work as a visual artist.” In this new exhibition at Holocaust Museum Houston, this knowledge is represented through a variety of media, including quilting, sculpture, printmaking and installation. One compelling piece, “The Raitzyns” (2004), is a hand-made quilt of 11 family photographs juxtaposed with a selection from Raya Raitzyn’s antique glove collection. The white gloves indicate who survived the war, and the black gloves, those who did not. Rosowsky’s paternal family lived in France during World War II. As Jews, they became the targets of the Nazis, who invaded Paris in 1940. In July 1942, Rosowsky’s paternal grandparents, Vladimir and Tamara, were arrested as a part of La Grande Rafle (The Great Raid), sent to the Drancy internment camp and later to Auschwitz, where they were murdered. Before their arrest, Vladimir and Tamara were able to secure hiding for their son, André, in the area of France then not occupied. Their selfless sacrifice – what one Holocaust scholar calls a “choiceless choice” – led to their son's survival. Rosowsky is a member of the faculty at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, where she teaches typography and book design. She holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard College and an master’s degree in graphic design from Yale University. Her studio is in a converted hat factory in Framingham, MA.

“Inheritance: Stories of Memory and Discovery” is a selection of still-life montages of artist and photographer Leslie Starobin composed from the personal belongings salvaged by families under unimaginable distress and often in flight during the Holocaust. The show highlights the bravery and hope of five families through a series of individual photomontages, each depicting their experiences during the Holocaust.

The public is invited to this free preview reception for both exhibits. Admission is free, but advance registration is required for this reception. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online.

“Why the Treaty of Versailles Paved Hitler’s Way to Power,” with Ursula Muenzel
September 6, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

World War I, which started with so much enthusiastic patriotism on all sides, ended after four long and bloody years in a horrific disaster. For the German people who had been belied by the emperor and the generals over the outcome, the defeat in Fall 1918 came as a surprise and an utmost shock. This shock transformed into rage when Germany had to sign the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. The German people had chased away the emperor and created a new, truly democratic state – the Republic of Weimar. They had well-grounded hopes for a fair treatment as promised in Woodrow Wilson’s 14-point program. The Treaty of Versailles was a far cry from it. It was understood that Germany would have to give back territories like Alsace Lorraine, which it had annexed in another war. What outraged public and politicians alike was the so-called war-guilt clause, which blamed solely Germany for the outbreak of the war and which justified the enormous amount of reparation the new democracy was bound to pay. The reasons for the outbreak of WWI had been more complex. The feelings of injustice and betrayal were the prevailing sentiments, and revision of the treaty became the foremost goal of all political parties in Germany, from right to left. The treaty was the most unfortunate legacy the young republic had to shoulder, the “birth defect” which finally caused its collapse. It was an easy game for Adolf Hitler to put all the blame for the national humiliation and the economic catastrophe which resulted from the reparations on the new democracy, defaming the democratic system per se and to present himself as the “savior” to the depressed German people. The Treaty of Versailles was not the only reason for Hitler’s ascent to power – but an important one. Ursula Muenzel will discuss the treaty in this free public lecture. Muenzel graduated with a doctorate in modern history. Her field of expertise is German-Jewish history, particularly the Jewish struggle for emancipation and integration in the 19th century and the emigration of German Jews to the United States of America – as well as German diplomatic relations, the Weimar Republic and the rise of National Socialism. She is a published author of books and numerous articles and a sought-after speaker. Throughout her career, she held various positions, working for the German Foreign Ministry and for the Leo Baeck Institute in New York, lecturing at the University of Nairobi, Rice University and University of St. Thomas in Houston, where she held the position of an adjunct professor at the Center for International Studies. She currently divides her time between Berlin and Houston.

We're sorry. This event has reached its seating capacity. However, some seating may become available due to last-minute cancellations. Please call 713-942-8000, ext. 100 or e-mail events@hmh.org 24 to 48 hours prior to the event to check on late availability.

First Thursdays
September 6, 2012 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

Holocaust Museum Houston will be open extended hours on the First Thursday of every month. The Museum will remain open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Members at the Sponsor Level and above. Quarterly, the Museum will present “Legacies and Lessons,” educational sessions about the Holocaust, other genocides and Museum events. For questions about membership or First Thursdays, please call Member Services at 713-527-1640 or e-mail

membership@hmh.org.

Opening Reception: “We Will Never Forget: Selected works from Max Brenner, Miriam Brysk and Paul E. Yarden”
August 16, 2012 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Laurie and Milton Boniuk Resource Center and Library

In “We Will Never Forget,” viewers will encounter the Holocaust through the eyes of three artists who survived. Max Brenner, Miriam Brysk and Paul E. Yarden use varying mediums; painting, prints and sculptures to highlight their experiences and remember the victims of the Holocaust. Themes include separation from family, mobile killing squad actions, memorializing the children who perished and survival. Their pieces are influenced by personal experiences and reflect the artist’s interpretation of what they and their families suffered during the Holocaust. As noted by Brenner, “the hope is that this history is never forgotten.” The public is invited to a special preview reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Thrusday, Aug. 16, 2012. Admission is free, but advance registration is required for the reception, which artists Brenner and Yarden will attend. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online.

Teacher Workshop – “A Workshop with Yad Vashem’s Ephraim Kaye / Echoes and Reflections”
August 10, 2012 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Location Avrohm I. Wisenberg Multipurpose Learning Center

Holocaust Museum Houston is pleased to welcome Ephraim Kaye from Yad Vashem in Israel as he joins Museum Associate Director of Education Natalie Herzog for this one-day workshop for educators using the “Echoes and Reflections” curriculum. Kaye is the director of international seminars for educators at The International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem. The workshop will focus on several topics, from pedagogy related to the Holocaust to the history of the ghettos during the Holocaust. Participants will spend time examining the roles taken by perpetrators, collaborators, bystanders and rescuers in two different sessions in the day. This workshop addresses the TEKS relevant to World War II history and will permit educators to incorporate compelling visual history testimony to engage students. In addition, “Echoes and Reflections” supports differentiated instruction and offers 10 multi-part lessons that are flexible. Kaye holds a first and second degree in modern Jewish history and the history of the Holocaust from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He taught 11th- and 12th-grade students for 23 years and has been with Yad Vashem since 1988. He has coordinated and led more than 200 international seminars with participants from more than 25 countries in 10 languages. Kaye has guided more than 17 trips to Poland for high school students and Yad Vashem graduates. He is the author of several books and articles and a frequent conference speaker. Participants in this program will each receive a copy of this multimedia curriculum on the Holocaust, valued at $100. Registration is free, but seating is limited, and advanced registration is required by Friday, Aug. 3. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. For more information, call 713-942-8000, ext. 105 or e-mail education@hmh.org.

Cultural Bridges’ Art Talk: Learn and Create Series: “One Million Bones"
August 8, 2012 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Location Avrohm I. Wisenberg Multipurpose Learning Center

“One Million Bones” is a collaborative art installation designed to recognize the millions of victims and survivors who have been killed or displaced by genocide or humanitarian crisis. Participants are invited to make artwork bones out of clay. These will be donated to a collaborative installation of 1,000,000 bones on the National Mall in Washington, DC, in the spring of 2013. The installation will serve as a collaborative site of conscience to remember victims and survivors and as a visible petition to raise awareness of the issue and call upon our government to take much-needed and long overdue action on genocides taking place today. On Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, Cultural Bridges will host a bone-making event in support of “One Million Bones” at Holocaust Museum Houston. As an outreach program of Holocaust Museum Houston, Cultural Bridges’ mission is to promote diversity and inclusion among the next generation of young professional and community leaders in Houston. Cultural Bridges membership is open to young leaders, ages 25 to 39 years old, from all social, cultural, ethnic and international backgrounds. Tickets are $15 for Cultural Bridges members and $20 for non-members. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. Please note: Online ticket reservations are non-refundable. For questions about Cultural Bridges, please call 713-942-8000, ext. 400 or e-mail

culturalbridges@hmh.org.

"Breakfast with Bak"
August 3, 2012 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Location Mincberg Gallery

Join the Changing Exhibitions Committee for breakfast as Patrick Palmer, faculty chair and dean of The Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, presents a lecture on reading and decoding the work of Sameul Bak’s paintings thorough his artistic language. Palmer will discuss Bak’s compositional choices, palette and specific value range, and how he plays with the illusions of painting to tell a story. Bak’s work is currently on view in the changing exhibition “Returning: The Art of Samuel Bak” through Aug. 12. Palmer has taught at the Glassell School of Art for nearly 20 years, and his paintings can be found in a number of major collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Denver Art Museum, among many others. Palmer received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1977 and his master’s degree from Arizona State University in 1979. He has led a long career as an educator. In the 1980s, Palmer taught various visual arts courses at the City College of San Francisco and the University of California at Berkley, among other places; and throughout the 1990s, he taught at Art League Houston and the University of St. Thomas, where he is adjunct professor. He has worked at the Glassell School of Art since 1992. Breakfast begins at 9 a.m., with the lecture at 10 a.m. Tickets are $20 each. Seating is limited, and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. Please note online ticket reservations are non-refundable.

First Thursdays
August 2, 2012 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

membership@hmh.org.

“Genocide by Attrition: The Ongoing Crisis in the Nuba Mountains”
July 11, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

Few people know much about the government of Sudan’s genocidal attack against the people of the Nuba Mountains in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Recently, human rights activists and genocide scholars have drawn attention to this conflict and the human tragedy being enacted in Sudan today. This public lecture by Dr. Samuel Totten will document this ongoing atrocity. Totten’s examination of the forced starvation of the Nuba Mountains people provides a powerful statement and a call for action. Totten’s most recent text, “Genocide by Attrition,” released on June 18, 2012, will be available for purchase at the lecture and provides a solid sense of antecedents to the genocidal actions in the Nuba Mountains. It introduces the main actors, describes how the people of the Nuba Mountains were forced into starvation by their government and tells how those who managed to survive did so. Totten’s lecture and his book will provide a valuable resource for those who seek to better understand genocide and how we might respond in the 21st century. Totten is professor of curriculum and instruction at the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. His research interests include the Holocaust, genocide education and genocide theory. He is the co-founding editor of Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal and co-editor of the Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies. His numerous books include “Plight and Fate of Women During and Following Genocide,” “Century of Genocide: Critical Essays and Eyewitness Accounts” and “Genocide in Darfur: Investigating Atrocities in the Sudan.” Tickets are $5 for HMH members and $8 for non-members. Seating is limited and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. Please note: online ticket purchases are non-refundable.

Max M. Kaplan Summer Institute for Teachers
July 10, 2012 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Location Avrohm I. Wisenberg Multipurpose Learning Center

The Max M. Kaplan Summer Institute for Educators at Holocaust Museum Houston is a four-day program that provides substantive content and the opportunity to network with internationally known scholars of the Holocaust and teachers from around the world. Working in the Museum’s exhibit space and classrooms, teachers grow in their understanding of the Holocaust and refine their skills to teach about the history and lessons of the Holocaust. The 2012 institute will focus on the concepts of rescue and responsibility. The program is directed toward educators on a secondary or higher level, but university students and educators of all levels who have a specific interest in and background knowledge of the Holocaust are invited to attend. Seating is limited and is on a competitive basis. Applications for the program will be available in February 2012. A separate application will be necessary to apply for funding from the Chevra Kadisha Holocaust Studies Fund. For more information, call 713-942-8000, ext. 123 or e-mail

teachertraining@hmh.org.

First Thursdays
July 5, 2012 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

membership@hmh.org.

“The Walk to Freedom: Feeling the Emotions of Our Forebears”
June 19, 2012 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Houston Museum of African American Culture, 4807 Caroline St., Houston, TX 77004

Join the Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) and Holocaust Museum Houston as we come together to commemorate Juneteenth. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration marking the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that Union soldiers led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. at HMAAC where attendees will view the exhibition “PrintMatters,” which celebrates traditional and non-traditional printmaking by introducing new abstract expressionist prints by New York artist Danny Simmons and works on paper by self-taught Chicago artist Andre Guichard. At 7 p.m., participants will take a reflective walk four blocks down Caroline Street to HMH to remember those who walked off plantations 147 years ago to begin their lives as freed individuals. Once at HMH, attendees will view the exhibition “The Impact of Racist Ideologies: Jim Crow and the Nuremberg Laws,” which compares the remarkable similarities between America’s own Jim Crow laws and those in Nazi Germany. The evening will conclude in HMH’s Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater where individuals will actively participate in call and response readings reflecting the history learned and the current state of racism in our community. Readers will include students of WALLIP Preparatory Academy, Holocaust survivors and Spoken Word Poets. Admission is free, but seating is limited for some portions, and advance registration is required. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online.

HMH Brown Bag Book Club: “The Help”
June 13, 2012 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Avrohm I. Wisenberg Multipurpose Learning Center

Join local literary enthusiasts as we discuss the triumph of the human spirit at very different points in history in the context of “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett. Cherry Steinwender, co-executive director of The Center for the Healing of Racism, will lead the discussion on “The Help.” In pitch-perfect voices, Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town and the way women —mothers, daughters, caregivers and friends — view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor and hope, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by and the ones we don’t. Tickets are $20 for HMH members, and $70 for prospective members who join at the Friend level and register at the same time. This program is open only to Holocaust Museum Houston members. Seating is limited, and advance registration is required. For more information, to register or to become a member and register now, call 713-942-8000, ext. 112.

Bonhoeffer Tours in Conjunction with "The Beams Are Creaking" by A.D. Players
June 9, 2012 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Location Morgan Family Center

Through May and early June, Holocaust Museum Houston will offer free tours focusing on the German Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer's actions against the Nazi party and his message to the church in the context of the events of the Holocaust will be the focus of tours of the Museum's permanent exhibit, German railcar and Danish fishing boat. Tours include a look at the early influences on Bonhoeffer before the Holocaust, his organization of the Confessing Church to stand with the Jews in reaction to the Aryan clause and his imprisonment and execution at the Flossenburg concentration camp by direct order from Hitler. Admission and the walk-in tour are free. Tour sizes are limited, and advance reservation is requested. To register for any tour, visit www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. To schedule a separate private group tour for 10 or more in advance, visit the Museum's Web site at www.hmh.org and check the “Plan Your Visit tab.” The tours are presented in conjunction with the presentation of “The Beams Are Creaking,” by Douglas Anderson, on performance at A.D. Players from May 2 through June 10, 1012. For tickets or more information about the play, please visit

www.adplayers.org.

“Conversations with Houston Holocaust Survivors”
June 7, 2012 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

Join the Holocaust Museum Houston Membership Committee for “Conversations with Houston-area survivors of the Holocaust. Survivors Edith Mincberg, Bill Morgan, Ruth Steinfeld and Naomi Warren will discuss their memories of life before, during and after the Holocaust during this panel discussion moderated by Museum Executive Director Susan Myers. Join us at 6 p.m. for a brief reception, followed by the discussion at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, but seating is limited and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online. For more information about membership and member benefits, call 713-527-1640. The evening is generously underwritten by Robin and Bennett Greenspan in honor of Robin’s parents, Alexander Weisz and Claire (nee Schonfeld) Weisz.

First Thursdays
June 7, 2012 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Morgan Family Center

membership@hmh.org.

Bonhoeffer Tours in Conjunction with "The Beams Are Creaking" by A.D. Players
June 2, 2012 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Location Morgan Family Center

www.adplayers.org.

Bonhoeffer Tours in Conjunction with "The Beams Are Creaking" by A.D. Players
May 26, 2012 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Location Morgan Family Center

www.adplayers.org.

"Intervening in Genocide"
May 24, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

In his popular textbook, "Genocide: A Comprehensive Introduction" (2nd edition, 2010), Dr. Adam Jones wrote, “It is thus in the interest of humanity — both morally and practically — to oppose the crime against humanity that is genocide." Jones' lecture will focus on the data-set of interventions and non-interventions that have been proposed and/or used for genocide prevention or intervention. He will examine these for the lessons they can teach and delve into the vexed issue of when military intervention is justified. Jones is associate professor of political science at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. He is a political scientist, writer and photojournalist and is the author of "Genocide: A Comprehensive Introduction"and author or editor of 15 other books, mostly on genocide and crimes against humanity. In 2010, Adam Jones was chosen as one of "Fifty Key Thinkers on the Holocaust and Genocide" for the book of that name. He serves as executive director of Gendercide Watch (www.gendercide.org), a Web-based educational initiative. He has also recently worked as an expert consultant for the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide (OSAPG). Admission is free, but seating is limited and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online.

"Commemorating a Lost Community: Samuel Bak’s Return to Vilna"
May 23, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

For the boy who grew up to be the artist Samuel Bak, the destruction of the Vilna ghetto together with most members of his family remains a painful memory. The works he devotes to the disappearance of Vilna Jewry represent a visual tribute to the power of art to reclaim from oblivion the fate of a lost community. With their melancholy beauty, these works challenge the imagination to honor the presence of Vilna Jewry in art even as we mourn their absence by facing their historical destiny. Dr. Lawrence L. Langer returns to Houston to engage the Museum community in further conversation about his friend and colleague, Samuel Bak. During the event, Langer will lecture in the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater and lead a Mincberg Gallery exhibition walk-through of the exhibit “Returning: the Art of Samuel Bak.” Admission is free, but seating is limited and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online.

"Race Talk 2012: Understanding the Past, Facing the Challenges of the Present and Preparing for a Better Future"
May 22, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater

The United States has made a great deal of racial progress. However, much of that progress is built upon historical amnesia. People often prefer to forget the past as part of the path forward. This may be more comfortable, but also leaves people ill-equipped to understand, much less deal with, racial challenges today. There are several examples of the disparate treatment of people, where placing the treatment in historic context will yield more sophisticated understandings and better paths towards solutions. Dr. Kevin Michael Foster’s talk will recover the realities of anti-black violence and intimidation in the United States as one place to start. From there, Foster will consider the reactions of different groups of people to recent racial incidents in the news and discuss productive paths forward. Foster is an anthropologist and faculty member at The University of Texas at Austin. In 2010-2011, he moved his primary academic appointment to the new African and African Diaspora Studies Program to be a part of that department at its founding. He remains a member of the Curriculum and Instruction Graduate Faculty and still works with Cultural Studies in Education students. Foster received his doctorate and master's from The University of Texas at Austin and his bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary. Admission is free, but seating is limited and advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online.

“Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Message for Us Today”
May 22, 2012 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Location Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, 6221 Main St., Houston, TX 77030

A panel discussion with leaders from the Houston-area religious community and A.D. Players will discuss the importance of study of the German Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his actions against Nazi tyranny during the Holocaust in conjunction with the play “The Beams Are Creaking” by the A.D. Players. The panelists will discus what is to be learned from Bonhoeffer’s experience and teachings to help create communities free of hatred and prejudice and to nurture a people who refuse to be silent bystanders in the face of injustice toward anyone. Confirmed participants include the Rev. Sam Craven, senior associate rector at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church; Prof. Randy Hatchett, director of the School of Theology at Houston Baptist University; Marcia Kugler, program director at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church; Jeannette Clift George, founder and artistic director of A.D. Players; and Rabbi Ranon Teller of Congregation Brith Shalom. Admission is free, but advance registration is requested. Visit http://www.hmh.org/RegisterEvent.aspx to RSVP online.

Warren Fellowship for Future Teachers
May 21, 2012 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Location Avrohm I. Wisenberg Multipurpose Learning Center

The Warren Fellowship for Future Teachers is a week-long program that introduces university students preparing for a career in teaching to the history and to the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides. The Warren Fellowship, supported by The Warren Fellowship Fund, is developing a corps of educators who want to learn how to effectively teach about genocide and the Holocaust. The fellowship takes place at Holocaust Museum Houston in Houston, Texas each spring. Now in its 10 year, the Fellowship will welcome 25 pre-service educators and teacher educators to Holocaust Museum Houston for an intense week of study. Throughout the week, participants will study with Holocaust and genocide scholars and Holocaust survivors. Confirmed speakers include: Dr. Mary Johnson, Facing History and Ourselves; Dr. Adam Jones, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan; Dr. Ann Millin, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Nancy Patz, artist and author of “Who Was The Woman Who Wore the Hat?;” Dr. Lawrence Langer, emeritus professor, Simmons College; and Dr. Karen Shawn, Yeshiva University. Child survivor Chaja Verveer, commissioner of the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission and Holocaust Museum Houston Board member also will address the attendees. Warren Fellowship alumni Carey Conner and Matthew Remington also will present. Participants are selected on a competitive basis. competitively; To apply, visit http://www.hmh.org/ed_warren%20fellowship.shtml. For more information, e-mail

education@hmh.org.

"This Is Your Life"
May 20, 2012 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Location Brown Auditorium, Caroline Wiess Law Building, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005

The TV series "This Is Your Life," hosted by Ralph Edwards, paid tribute to notable people and aired on NBC from 1952 to 1961. Not only movie and television stars received the "This Is Your Life" treatment — war heroes, country doctors, educators, religious leaders, humanitarians and ordinary people also found themselves the subjects of biographical journeys featuring reunions with long-lost friends and relatives. Among those “regular” people were three courageous women, all survivors of the Holocaust, the horrors of which were still fresh at the time. This program features those episodes: Hanna Bloch Kohner was the first Holocaust survivor to share her story on national television. She survived Auschwitz as a young woman and was reunited with her pre-war fiancé. Before her forced exit from Germany, actress Ilse Stanley effected the release of more than 400 people from Nazi concentration camps. Sara Veffer was a Dutch housewife who spent 18 months hiding in a 12-foot-square Amsterdam attic with her husband and six children. Julie Kohner, daughter of Holocaust survivor Hanna Kohner, will speak about her mother’s experiences. Kohner is founder and CEO of Voices of the Generations, Inc. She has taught in public, private, and Jewish religious schools in Los Angeles for 30 years. In 1990, after the passing of her mother, she became compelled to share her mother’s story in the hope that others could learn from the inspiring example of love overcoming hardship, racism, depravation and the pain of war. Julie Kohner's own story of growing up as the child of a Holocaust survivor has motivated other survivors' children to share their stories, too. General admission is $7, matinee admission is $6, and children 5 and under are admitted free. MFAH members, HMH members, senior adults and students with ID receive a $1 discount. For tickets, visit http://www.mfah.org/films/this-is-your-life.

Bonhoeffer Tours in Conjunction with "The Beams Are Creaking" by A.D. Players
May 19, 2012 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Location Morgan Family Center

www.adplayers.org.

Bonhoeffer Tours in Conjunction with "The Beams Are Creaking" by A.D. Players
May 12, 2012 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Location Morgan Family Center