2018 Fall Bearing Witness Magazine

LEGACY SOC I ETY

THE GUILD & NEXTGEN

nyone who has met Sandra Goldfine Weiner knows she has been a force for good, a beacon for change, and most definitely, a woman of action A Sandra Weiner – A Living Legacy Center’s “David H. White Memorial Award,” the Jewish National Fund’s “Woman of Valor,” the State of Israel Bonds “Eleanor Roosevelt

“The Museum quickly became a second home to survivors,” Sandra recalls. “We raised the money for the building and exhibits without any government funding. Our local community is outstanding, and I’m so proud we stood up for the right thing,” she adds. “I am so grateful to the many young people who continue to grow the Museum’s important mission. I believe the next generation should keep their ideas in the right place so I wanted to leave a bequest to demonstrate that it’s important to help good causes while you’re still alive. Also, it’s very important to die the way you lived, leaving what you have to causes that matter most.” “Humankind must learn to live together in peace and harmony, and the Museum fosters Holocaust remembrance, understanding and education. It stands as a symbol of hope that people will not forget the atrocities. We now have a place to preserve the memory of those who perished and the stories of those who survived.” A member of the Museum’s Generation to Generation Legacy Society, Sandra received the institution’s prestigious “Guardian of the Human Spirit Award” in 2006. “Being a part of founding the museum is one of my proudest achievements. I think

As part of Holocaust Museum Houston’s membership affinity groups, The Guild serves the Museum’s mission by building a community of like-minded supporters and uniting HMH members through social and educational programs, service and fundraising projects. This vibrant group offers unique, monthly events and programs ranging from interesting lectures to fascinating trips, in addition to private art tours, Hanukkah parties, film festivals and more. Membership funds support all aspects of the Museum, including free admission for all school children. Membership levels begin at just $25, or become a lifetime member for $500. Underwriting opportunities are also available for the whole season for $1,000. Recent Underwriters include Carl Josehart and Sam Jacobson (2016-2017) and Jonathan and Marcia Shear (2017-2018). If you would like to be a part of this special membership group, contact Membership Services at 713-525-1616.

Centennial Celebration Award,” and the American Jewish Committee’s “Woman of Achievement.” She and Leon established the Weiner Fellowship at The Kinkaid School, the Sandra and Leon Weiner Philanthropy Award at the National Foundation for Jewish Culture and the Leon Weiner Employment Fund at Jewish Family Service Houston. In 2014, Sandra fulfilled a life-long dream and became a Bat Mitzvah at Congregation Brith Shalom, which in turn, honored her impact on the community during its 60th anniversary celebration in 2017. Sandra’s roots with Holocaust Museum Houston are powerful and deep. She first learned of the Holocaust as a teenager. “I always felt guilty that I could not save the six million who perished, so I decided to work to make Israel strong, so Jews would have a safe haven to return to after the war,” she explains. “I gave business to survivors when I could, and always tried to show my empathy and compassion.” In 1981, when local Holocaust survivor Siegi Izakson approached her with the idea of a Holocaust education center and memorial in Houston, Sandra used her considerable influence as president of the Houston Jewish Federation to invigorate the project and help establish the Holocaust Education Foundation and Memorial Museum. In 1992, Sandra and the Center leaders organized “The Circle of Tolerance” to raise funds for a new museum, and in 1996, 13 years after Izakson first dreamt of the idea, Holocaust Museum Houston officially opened.

who gets things done. Time after time, in Houston and around the world, she has been a leader who makes important things happen. Born in 1933 in Duluth, Minnesota, Sandra had a warm Jewish upbringing as one of Abe and Fannie Goldfine’s three children. She was involved in Young Judea, becoming a dedicated Zionist as a teenager. She attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, where her roommate from Houston fixed her up with Leon Weiner. “We met in April and were married in August,” she recalls. “He said ‘marry me or something,’ and I responded, ‘marry me or nothing.’ The couple moved to Houston, where Leon managed operations for his father’s Weiner’s Department Stores. Over the course of their 60-year marriage, they raised four children, and today, the family includes 14 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren, who are the light and life of their beloved matriarch. on the local, national and international level. One of the ten founding members of Congregation Brith Shalom, Sandra became the first female president of a local synagogue. At the Jewish Federation, she served as Board Member for many years before assuming the role of the first female Campaign Chair and President, and at the national level served as the first woman Major Gifts Chair, raising over $250 million for the annual appeal. She served as the Chairman for the Advisory Council to the National Conference on Soviet Jewry and as Co-Chairman for the March on Washington for Soviet Jews in 1987. The couple was instrumental in the growth and support of the Emery/Weiner School. Additionally, Sandra served as both President and Chairman of the Board of the National Foundation for Jewish Culture and a Board member of the Jewish Museum of New York. Over the years, she received the American Jewish Committee’s “Max Nathan Human Relations Award,” the Jewish Community Leon and Sandra became active and dedicated members of the Jewish community

HMH Guild in action: Sandra Hedrick, HMH Docent leading a tour.

Rabbi Morgan at the GuildHanukkah Party

NYC trip: Yvonne Upchurch, Jerry Rochman, Claire Marshall, Mima Jackson,

Noreen Lewitton, Ron Grabois, Ilene T. Queton, Sherry Sinor.

it will contribute to our community for decades to come.”

NEXTGen is an affinity group for young professionals ages 21-39 who share a common passion for Holocaust Museum Houston and its mission. NEXTGen is dedicated to promoting inclusion among individuals through preserving the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides by cultivating awareness of these lessons in contemporary society. The goal of NEXTGen is to inspire inclusiveness by engaging young leaders of change and advocating on behalf of tolerance. NEXTGen Membership Includes: • Free Admission to the Museum for one year • Invitations to special NEXTGen events and programs • 10% Discount in the Museum Store • Discounted tickets for Museum programming • Subscriptions to Museum member magazine, Bearing Witness • Discounted tickets to HMH’s premier annual luncheon and dinner events • NEXTGen membership contributions are 100% tax deductible • Opportunity to serve on NEXTGen’s Leadership Committee

Join us on Facebook! @ HMHNextGeneration

Leadership Committee: David Berk, Lane Clelland, Miguel Hernandez, Rebecca Huechtker, Niki Lessig, Royee Phillips, Ben Proler, Liz Scott, Roslynn Velasquez, Joe Weinstein-Sears

For more information, please contact Rocio Rubio, NEXTGen Coordinator, at rrubio@hmh.org or 713-527-1613.

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