Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center

Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center The Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center is America's first Holocaust Museum. Initially, the museum was housed in the basement of Riz's home.

It was founded by Holocaust survivor Yaakov Riz in 1961 and currently operates at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park. The Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center, America's first Holocaust museum, was founded in 1961 by survivor Yaakov Riz, who lost 83 members of his family in Hitler's death camps. Riz vowed that if he survived he would dedicate his life to establishing a m

useum that would memorialize the millions of Jews and Non-Jews who perished at the hands of N**i barbarism. The museum's genesis, its growth and its struggle against intolerance are the realization of his dream, his courage and his commitment. In the five-county area that we serve, the museum's educational and community outreach is ecumenical and comprises a population that ranges from elementary school school (grade 5) to senior citizens. Many of the students we work with come from disadvantaged homes. Some of our students are newcomers who have fled countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Serbia. During the last 50 years, tens of thousands of students have visited the museum. We, in turn, have presented thousands of Holocaust programs in schools and to community groups and organizations. Our efforts are designed to emphasize the message that racial, ethnic, and religious hatred are the social poisons that weaken the American democracy.

Incredible school visits to HAMEC! Today Riverside Jr. High from Taylor, PA visited our museum for a tour and then liste...
05/06/2026

Incredible school visits to HAMEC! Today Riverside Jr. High from Taylor, PA visited our museum for a tour and then listened to survivor Raymond Polak’s story of survival. The school also participated in a special stick figure project to show how many victims were murdered. Each section shown is one age group. This collection represents only the children, students understand the magnitude of the number of victims. Yesterday we hosted Valley Forge Baptist Academy from Springford who had a tour and listened to 2G speaker Shari Glauser share her dad’s story of being in the only Kindertransport to America, to Philadelphia. This week, 5 HAMEC speakers went to Scranton for their annual Holocaust symposium, including survivors Ruth Hartz and Pete Stern, 2G Dina Smith, Sandy Berenbaum and Linda Jaffe. Also this week, 2G speaker Steve Weiner started our annual programming in Abington School District where every 5th grader in all 7 Elementary schools hear a speaker. Steve also spoke to 9th graders today at Pennbrook Middle School. Jewish War Veterans hosted 2G speaker Jerry Gross, who shares his dad’s story and liberation in Dachau. Last week, Barrack school hosted survivor Pete Stern. We are so grateful to all the schools who reach out for programs. Contact us if you’d like your school to have a tour or host a speaker.

One day away!HAMEC's 2G Webinar series will be returning On Monday, May 4th at 7:00 PM with 2G Peter Weisner, who will s...
05/03/2026

One day away!

HAMEC's 2G Webinar series will be returning On Monday, May 4th at 7:00 PM with 2G Peter Weisner, who will share his mother's story of escaping on the Kindertransport and rebuilding her life in Germany and the United States while navigating Bipolar Disorder and social inequality. Don't forget to register using this flyer or our website.

HAMEC survivor, Dr. Jack Wetter, is speaking virtually to Downingtown School District on Monday, May 11th at 6:00 pm. J...
05/01/2026

HAMEC survivor, Dr. Jack Wetter, is speaking virtually to Downingtown School District on Monday, May 11th at 6:00 pm. Jack lives in Los Angeles and has the most incredible story of survival . Dr. Jack Wetter was born in 1943 in Brussels Belgium. He was born while in hiding with his parents in the basement of a rented apartment building. He lived there for two years, never leaving during the time that Hitler’s regime had occupied Belgium.

Once Jack came United States, he first lived in New York, then moved to Los Angeles in 1960. He obtained his doctorate in clinical psychology at UCLA and subsequently was an associate clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and was appointed as Chief of pediatric psychology for 20 years.

He subsequently went into private practice and retired in 2018. Since that time he has been lecturer at the Museum of Tolerance speaking of his holocaust experience to the visiting public, students, educators, and law-enforcement. He has been married for 56 years and has two children a son, who is a clinical psychologist and a daughter who is an educator. He and his wife have three grandchildren. If you would like the link for this program, please email Education Director, Lise Marlowe. [email protected]

Thank you to Holicong Middle School for hosting 2G speaker, Dr. Steve Weiner. Holicong students recently completed a Wr...
04/30/2026

Thank you to Holicong Middle School for hosting 2G speaker, Dr. Steve Weiner. Holicong students recently completed a Writer’s Workshop project where they could choose any aspect of WWII, the Holocaust, or Anne Frank and create a piece of writing based on a genre of interest. Teachers expressed how their students love a narrative because they can follow it. During Steve’s presentation , he paused at different parts of the story to teach students words, locations, and important figures of the time. Steve also asked students questions throughout the presentation, which they loved as it kept them involved and part of the learning experience. So many students shared as a follow up with teachers all the connections they made between Steve’s presentation and their Anne Frank unit. We are so appreciative to Steve for engaging students in such a meaningful way and to all the teachers for their continued support and dedication in Holocaust education.

One week away!HAMEC's 2G Webinar series will be returning On Monday, May 4th at 7:00 PM with 2G Peter Weisner, who will ...
04/28/2026

One week away!

HAMEC's 2G Webinar series will be returning On Monday, May 4th at 7:00 PM with 2G Peter Weisner, who will share his mother's story of escaping on the Kindertransport and rebuilding her life in Germany and the United States while navigating Bipolar Disorder and social inequality. Don't forget to register using this flyer or our website.

We at the Holocaust Awareness Museum mourn the passing of our dear friend and wonderful colleague and supporter Hal Kess...
04/27/2026

We at the Holocaust Awareness Museum mourn the passing of our dear friend and wonderful colleague and supporter Hal Kessler. After decades as a dedicated teacher at Northeast High School Hal joined us as our Education Director in 2003 serving in that capacity for five years. During his tenure the number and quality of our school programs grew dramatically. Through his leadership we were launched  on the trajectory of doing hundreds of programs reaching tens of thousands of students every year. We will miss his professionalism, dedication and friendship.

HAMEC 2G speaker Micky Blask spoke to students from Nashoba Brooks School at The Weitzman on Friday. Micky Blask is the...
04/26/2026

HAMEC 2G speaker Micky Blask spoke to students from Nashoba Brooks School at The Weitzman on Friday. Micky Blask is the daughter of two Holocaust survivors. Her father, Hans Nemenoff, grew up in Königsberg, Germany. He and his immediate family survived the war by escaping to British Mandate Palestine. Hans was the last to leave in August of 1935, and spent the war years in Tel Aviv.

Micky’s mother, Imy Rothmüller, grew up in Transylvania, now Romania. Imy married her first husband, Istvan Halmos, and moved with him to Cluj, now Cluj-Napoca, Romania. From there, Imy and her husband were deported to Auschwitz in May of 1944. Imy was transferred to Pdettinghoffen/Lenzing, a subcamp of the Austrian concentration camp Mauthausen where she was liberated on May 5, 1945 by US military troops. She survived, but her husband was murdered.

Welcome new HAMEC 2G speaker Robert Saionz. Robert spoke to students at The Weitzman museum about his father’s story of...
04/23/2026

Welcome new HAMEC 2G speaker Robert Saionz. Robert spoke to students at The Weitzman museum about his father’s story of survival in the Holocaust. From 1943 to 1945, while World War II raged, Paul Saionz was sent to three work camps: Sakrau, Graditz, and Faulbruck. He wore a yellow star on his clothing signifying that he was Jewish, and was forced to perform strenuous manual labor while sick with typhus and malnourished. Paul’s parents and two younger siblings perished in the gas chambers at Auschwitz. We welcome Robert and are so grateful to all our 2G speakers who spend their time speaking to students about their family stories of survival.

Thank you to Radnor High School for hosting HAMEC survivor Ruth Hartz. Ruth was a four year old, hidden child during th...
04/23/2026

Thank you to Radnor High School for hosting HAMEC survivor Ruth Hartz. Ruth was a four year old, hidden child during the Holocaust in southern France. During that time she had to change her name to Renee to hide her Jewish identity.

In addition to being sheltered by an ordinary French farm family, she spent six months in a small Catholic convent to avoid capture by both the Vichy French Police and the Gestapo. When informants told the authorities that the nuns were hiding Jewish children, the Mother Superior was forced to lie to keep Ruth and the other children safe. Only the Mother Superior knew that the children were Jewish. The other nuns thought they were just orphans. Ruth remembers that the convent had blue windows so authorities could not see inside, and the chapel had a trap door where the children would hide when hunted.

Through unusual good fortune, Ruth and her parents survived the war and returned to Paris shortly thereafter. If you would like your school or organization to hear Ruth’s story, please contact us.

A very impactful day reaching over 1,000 students. Dina Smith spoke to 450 High School students . Michael Fryd spoke to...
04/22/2026

A very impactful day reaching over 1,000 students. Dina Smith spoke to 450 High School students . Michael Fryd spoke to 6th graders and Sandy Berenbaum and Linda Jaffe spoke as a 2G panel .baldwin.school. We appreciate all the support from these schools in bringing Holocaust education to their students and faculty.

Address

8339 Old York Road, Suite 203/205
Elkins Park, PA
19027

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12154644701

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center:

Shortcuts

Share

Category