Holocaust & Humanity Center

10/23/2026

These students didn’t wait to make change. They led it.

Whether expanding access to books, breaking down systemic barriers, or empowering young voters, each of these students has shown leadership and a deep commitment to strengthening their communities.

These students now carry forward the legacy of Simon Lazarus Jr., a Cincinnati civic leader and civil rights champion who dedicated his life to advancing interreligious and in*******al understanding.

Congratulations to Sahana, who promotes youth literacy through free book donations and community events as Executive Director of the Young Learners Foundation and now studies Industrial and Labor Relations on the Pre-Law Track at Cornell University; Donovan, who works to expand access and support for people facing systemic barriers and now studies Political Science with a focus on Global Politics and International Affairs; and Kate, who gets young people involved in democracy, having founded Rank the Vote Ohio’s Youth Ambassador Program, taken part in Model UN, and served as a leader in our Teen Upstander Coalition, and who now studies International Relations and Philosophy at William & Mary.

Learn more about our Lazarus Award senior honorees: https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/press-releases/2026-kurtz-educator-award-lazarus-human-relations-awards/

Jewish Community Relations Council of Cincinnati

10/23/2026

When her son Luke was diagnosed with Down syndrome, Emily Kendall began to think about the kind of future she wanted for him and for the many adults like him searching for a place to call home.

That question became EmpowerMe Living. Drawing on her family's backgrounds in real estate and construction, Emily turned a personal journey into a mission: transforming housing options for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In this episode of Hear My Story, Emily shares how that journey unfolded, and the deeper connection that fuels her drive: her grandfather's experience as a prisoner of war during World War II. She reflects on how his story shaped her commitment to uplifting the humanity in all people.

Listen to Emily's full story: https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/podcast-episode/hear-my-story-emily-kendall/

10/23/2026

We're thrilled the Echoing Voices: Unpacking History boxes have found a home in Ms. Deno's U.S. History classroom. Seeing students connect with the lives of survivors with ties to Cincinnati, not just their experiences during the Holocaust, is exactly what this program is about. We can't wait to hear what your students discover next!

Interested in learning more about this program? Learn more here: https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/resources/echoing-voices-unpacking-history/

10/22/2026

A poppy seed cake, a kitchen full of people, and a story that deserves to be remembered.

This week, we were honored to welcome Holocaust survivor Zahava, who shared her story with us as the scent of baking filled the room.

As a young child in wartime Poland, Zahava was separated from her family. While her parents and younger sisters hid in a bunker, she was sheltered in a Catholic convent, where nuns protected her. At the time, she spoke only Yiddish. Over three years, those women became her family, and the convent became her home.

She shared the day a man came to take her away. She wasn’t afraid. She felt safe. That man was her father.

His arrival brought Zahava back to her family and to the traditions of home, including the poppy seed cake her mother baked. A familiar taste or smell can bring us back to a person, a place, a feeling of home. Through her mother’s cake, Zahava’s family roots live on, and now they’re part of our story, too.

Thank you, Zahava, for sharing your memories with us, and thank you to everyone who gathered around the table.

This culinary series is generously made possible by Barbara Kellar.

10/22/2026

10/21/2026

We’re honored to partner with Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library for this year’s Kristallnacht Commemoration on Sunday, November 8, from 2–3 p.m. Hear from descendants about their families’ experiences, then visit Stories of Kristallnacht, on view through January 2027, featuring local survivor testimony and Maria Lugossy’s glass sculpture, Crystal Night.

To register for the event, click here:
https://cincinnatilibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6abc039febad22004541ce19

10/21/2026

On the night of November 9–10, 1938, synagogues burned, Jewish homes and businesses were destroyed, and thousands of Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps. It became known as the Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass,” for the shattered windows that filled the streets of Germany, annexed Austria, and parts of Czechoslovakia.

Kristallnacht marked a turning point: the moment N**i persecution of Jewish people escalated into open, organized violence.

Eighty-eight years later, we come together to remember, and to listen.

Please join us on Sunday, November 8, at the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library's Downtown Main Library for our annual Kristallnacht Commemoration. This year, a panel of descendants will share their families' from that night and reflect on how its impact has carried across generations.

While you’re there, take time to explore Stories of Kristallnacht, a special exhibition on view at the Downtown Main Library through January 2027. It brings together local survivor testimony and collections alongside Crystal Night, a striking glass and bronze sculpture by Hungarian artist Maria Lugossy that serves as both a memorial and a warning.

Together, we remember through art, testimony, and family stories, so these experiences continue to be shared across generations.

Reserve your spot today: https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/events/kristallnacht-commemoration-2/

10/20/2026

How we see the world depends on our perspective. Holding on to it when times are hard isn’t always easy, but Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, founders of Pantsuit Politics, have built a career around it. In 2024, we honored them with the Captain Irwin Hurley Upstander Award for Perspective at the Cohen Family Upstanders Awards Gala.

During World War II, Captain Irwin Hurley wrote home to his wife in Northern Kentucky, wrestling honestly with what he and his men witnessed at home and abroad.

In this episode of Hear My Story, Beth opens up about how moderating a political podcast has given her many chances to learn along with her audience. You'll also learn about Captain Irwin Hurley, the World War II veteran for whom their award is named. His experiences during the war reflect his willingness to wrestle with what he and his men witnessed, both at home and abroad.

Know someone who shows perspective like Beth & Sarah? Nominate them for an upstander award today: https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/upstander-award-nominations/

10/19/2026

Rudolph Schiff was born in 1902 in Bad Driburg, Germany, where his mother made hats, and his father was a leather tanner. In 1936, while working at the German Stock Exchange in Leipzig, he was jailed on a false charge and freed a year later when his accuser confessed that N**is had pressured her to lie.

Rudolph arrived in New York in 1938. Drawing on the millinery skills he learned from his mother, he went from delivering packages for a hat designer to owning the business, becoming a noted hat and veil designer for clients including, movie stars the Gabor sisters. Along the way, he married his English teacher, Lillian Stein.

This Judenstern was worn by Rudolph. Meaning "Jew's star" in German, it was a marker that Jews were forced to wear in N**i Germany and occupied Europe.

Objects like Rudolph's star bear witness to how persecution entered every part of daily life, and remind us of the dangers of allowing hatred to divide a community. Learn more about how artifacts can be donated to our collection: https://holocaustandhumanity.catalogaccess.com/home

10/18/2026

Anna Ornstein was born in 1927 in Szendrő, Hungary, she grew up with her parents, Wilmos and Zsofi, and her two older brothers, Paul and Endre.

After the invasion, her brothers were deported to a forced labor camp. Anna and her parents were sent to a large ghetto in Miskolc, and from there, they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Anna and her mother remained together as they were moved from Auschwitz to Plaszow, back to Auschwitz, and then to the Parschnitz labor camp. On May 8, 1945, they were liberated by the Soviet Army.

After the war, Anna reunited with her boyfriend, Paul Ornstein, and they married in 1946. Together, they attended medical school in Europe, then immigrated to the United States in 1951, and rebuilt their lives in Cincinnati.

Anna's story reminds us of both the devastating losses of the Holocaust and the strength it took to build a new life afterward.