HMH Bearing Witness - November 2016

FROM THE CHA IR

INS IDE

20th Anniversary Brings New Beginnings

Chief Executive Officer Kelly J. Zúñiga, Ed.D.

Editor Robin Cavanaugh

When we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, we pause to reflect upon the year that has passed and examine our hopes and aspirations for the year ahead. For Holocaust Museum Houston this year marked our 20th anniversary, an opportunity to celebrate all of the tremendous achievements and accomplishments of HMH since its founding in 1996. The anniversary also marked the beginning of my term as Chairman. I was graciously prepared for this responsibility by working with and learning from my predecessor, former Chair, Gail Klein. Despite the stark lessons of history, we live in a world that requires continued reminders of the consequences of hate,

Holocaust Museum Houston Morgan Family Center 5401 Caroline Street | Houston, TX 77004

TEL: 713-942-8000 FAX: 713-942-7953 info@hmh.org

On the Cover The HOPE art is the resulting merger of “what hope looks like” canvases as painted by Board and staff members.

Holocaust Museum Houston is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is a member of the Houston Museum District Association. HMH Bearing Witness is the official newsletter of Holocaust Museum Houston.

© 2016, All rights reserved.

Gary Markowitz

Board of Trustees FY16-17

prejudice, and apathy. It is the mission of HMH to bear witness to those consequences and enlighten our visitors about the lessons of the Holocaust. With the generous support of our community, HMH has welcomed more than 2.1 million visitors and touched the lives of many more through our outreach programs. Our dedicated staff and program committee will continue to curate and present exceptional programs and exhibits in the coming year, while engaging the diversified communities we serve with exciting and innovative offerings. Two of these new programs are particularly noteworthy. As its name implies, “Connections” was created to connect community members with Survivors to help them with daily tasks and create relationships between Survivors and volunteers. This melding of generations is a wonderful learning experience for all involved. The inaugural “Engines of Change” program introduces high school students from the greater Houston area to Holocaust history so they may become ambassadors for HMH. We are proud to have 40 of Houston’s brightest students coming together each month to share their experiences while learning how they can promote hope over hate through outreach in their daily lives. Finally, I’d like to thank all those who attended our Guardian of the Human Spirit Luncheon honoring Ric Campo, Chairman and CEO of Camden Property Trust, and Chairman of the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee. The keynote speaker was Jamey Rootes, President of the Houston Texans, and Chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership; and Luncheon Chairs were Marcia and David Solomon, and Paula and Rick Stein. The Luncheon remains a success each year because generous Houstonians stand behind HMH and its mission. Thank you for all you do to support Holocaust Museum Houston. I look forward to working with each of you as we continue our mission to educate, enlighten and inform the world. Warm regards,

Chair Gary Markowitz

Vice Chairs DEVELOPMENT Heidi Gerger (Co-Chair)

Benjamin Warren (Co-Chair)

FACILITIES Butch Mach EDUCATION Kim Ruth OUTREACH Nancy S. Dinerstein SURVIVOR SERVICES Hyman Penn, M.D.

During the recent Board Retreat, Members of the Board of Trustees along with HMH staff took part in “Painting the Future.” Each participant painted “what hope looks like” to them in a fun and engaging ice breaker exercise.

Secretary Crystal Ashby

Treasurer Daniel P. Gordon

Immediate Past Chair Gail Klein

Engines of Change 08 Holocaust Museum Houston debuts new student ambassador program. Education Director Discusses Naomi Warren’s Legacy 10 Dr. Mary Lee Webeck writes about the passing of her friend and mentor Naomi Warren. GENOCIDE: Man’s Inhumanity to Humankind 15 Holocaust Museum Houston’s first juried exhibition is a huge success.

Ex-Officio Kelly J. Zúñiga, Ed.D. Chief Executive Officer | Holocaust Museum Houston Rick Kaplan Chair | Holocaust Museum Houston Foundation

Trustees Tali Blumrosen

Mark Mucasey Corey F. Powell Jerry Rochman Tracey Shappro Jennifer P. Stockel

Steve Estrin Cheryl Golub Guiillermo Guefen Laura Jaramillo Carl Josehart Nancy Li Jerry Martin Michael Morgan

The Butterfly Project is Headed to the United Nations

Alberta Totz Haya Varon Chaja Verveer Inna Wizig

Since its inception in April of this year, The Butterfly Project and its six display cases have been on view at The Galleria, Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental Airports, fellow museums, synagogues, schools and other public venues throughout Houston. Featuring handmade butterflies made by children from around the world and representing the 1.5 million children who perished during the Holocaust, The Butterfly Project has just confirmed an exhibition in the lobby of the United Nations from January 1 – 31, 2018, in conjunction with the January 27 International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.

Board Chair

Feedback Comments and suggestions are welcome and should be submitted to HMH Bearing Witness to news@hmh.org. Press Requests news@hmh.org

To learn how you can help this project, visit http://butterflies.hmh.org.

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