Columbia University. The US Capitol. Minneapolis. Charlottesville. Portland. As the line has blurred between peaceful rallies and violent riots, the protest tradition is at a point of inflection. In today's polarized climate, activists feel that their issue is more desperate and existential, political leaders are less willing to condemn the excesses of their movements, and hate rears its ugly head more freely. Join Gilad Avrahami and Trevor Stern for a discussion about how protest movements define themselves, carve out the unique urgency of their mission, and occasionally overshoot the values that undergird their original purpose.

Conversational, educational, and thought-provoking, How We Got Here connects current events to the longer histories behind them, helping us understand not just what's happening, but why.

Join us on Thursday, October 22 at 2pm (Eastern) for this live webinar.

Please join us for a screening of the documentary film, The Barn. This powerful film chronicles the story of then 81-year-old Karl Shapiro, the last living survivor from his family. Schapiro, joined by his granddaughter, Rachel, embark on a mission to find the one place he swore he would never return - the Barn where he was hidden during the Holocaust.

Schapiro, now in his nineties, continues to speak to audiences about his experiences as a young boy in hiding during the Holocaust. Joined by his daughter, Dalia Schapiro Zahavi, the pair will discuss the legacy and importance of The Barn, and the critical nature of teaching the Holocaust today.

Panel Discussion to follow:

Karl Schapiro, Holocaust Survivor
Dalia Schapiro Zahavi, Second-Generation Holocaust Survivor

Moderated by Zachary Graulich, HMTC Director of Education

This program is proudly a part of the David Taub Reel Upstanders Film Series

In this highly provocative alternative history novel, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Philip Roth imagines what happens to the Roth family and their neighbors, friends and relatives in a tight-knit Jewish community in Newark, New Jersey, during World War II, when America elects a charismatic, rabidly isolationist president whose government embraces antisemitism and negotiates an agreement with the leaders of Nazi Germany, bringing the Holocaust to the U.S. by embarking on a program to persecute and perhaps even annihilate the Jews.

Dr. Linda Burghardt, Scholar-in-Residence, will lead the discussion.

Join us for HMTC’s October 7th Commemoration co-sponsored by the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County and Sid Jacobson JCC. Join us as we come together to remember the lives lost and honor all who have been affected. Take the pledge alongside our leaders and community members to stand against antisemitism, hatred, and terrorism.

MAHJ TO REMEMBER HAS SOLD OUT AT OUR 200 PLAYER CAP - THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Join us for a fun night of Mahjong! Open to ALL levels!
Don't know how to play? No problem! Instructor Lauren Blank will be on site to teach you!
Sip, snack & socialize!

Proceeds support The Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County 
to preserve memory, educate, and advocate.

Mahjong Committee:
Ashley-Lynn Rolnik    Dana Arschin-Kraslow
Emily Weinreb   Paulette Spergel   Rebecca Castle   Shana Wasserman

Led by Instructor Lauren Blank

For Questions: Contact Dana: dana.arschin@hmtcli.org

Since Gallup began measuring in 2010, between 35% and 40% of Americans have consistently expressed favorable views toward socialism. However, true socialist systems have almost invariably resulted in economic and humanitarian catastrophes. How can we reconcile the grim history with the perennial appeal? In this installment of the How We Got Here webinar series, Gilad Avrahami and Trevor Stern examine the growing strength of pro-socialist movements as well as this ideology’s chronically underestimated pitfalls.

Conversational, educational, and thought-provoking, How We Got Here connects current events to the longer histories behind them, helping us understand not just what’s happening, but why.

When France falls to the Nazis in June 1940, newlyweds Ruby and Marcel find their marriage falling to pieces too. Ruby is an American ex-pat who moved to Paris for love, but when her Jewish neighbors suddenly thrust their 11-year-old daughter Charlotte into her arms, moments before they are arrested by the Gestapo, Ruby learns that in wartime, the ability to survive requires not only all her courage but the twin powers of resistance and hope, as well.

 Dr. Linda Burghardt, Scholar-in-Residence, will lead the discussion.

Tuesday, September 8th

Meadow Brook Club, Jericho, NY

Honoring:

• Roger Blumencranz, Managing Director, NFP, An AON Company

• Jordan Ziegler, Esq, Senior Partner, Pasternack Tiiker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano, LLP

Registration for golf packages, foursomes, and sponsorships is now open!

We look forward to sharing a day of friendly competition on the greens. 

Join the Fight Against Hate! 

CHAIR: David Rosen
VICE CHAIRS: Jack Foley & Neil Tannor

COMMITTEE MEMBERS: 

Eric Blumencranz, Kenneth Breslin, Ron Brunell, Ivan Dolowich, 
Marilyn Gessin, Michael Jaffe, Peter Klein, Howard Maier, 
Alan Mindel, Zach Novick, Bret Pearlman, Rob Raphael, 
Edgar Romano, Izzy Rosen, Paul Tonna, Judy Liman

Proceeds support Education and Advocacy to combat antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.

Registration includes a tour of HMTC and is a great experience for the entire family.

For more information and registration, click below:

In the eighty years since the fall of the Third Reich, Nazi slogans, symbols, and imagery have continued to resurface in new political contexts rather than fading into history. Join Gilad Avrahami and Trevor Stern as they examine why Nazi motifs still hold appeal for some movements, how various groups adapt and revive them, and what their persistence reveals about the political challenges we face today.

Conversational, educational, and thought-provoking, How We Got Here connects current events to the longer histories behind them, helping us understand not just what's happening, but why.

When the Nazis demand that one adult member of each family in Lale Sokolov’s hometown in Bratislava sign up for service to the Germans, he volunteers to be the one to go, hoping to keep his parents and siblings safe.  Soon after his arrival at Auschwitz-Birkenau in April 1942, he was put to work tattooing the trembling arms of the new inmates.  There is one young woman who touches his heart so deeply he vows to survive the war and find her, and with this resolve, he struggles for the endurance to preserve his love, his humanity, and his life.

Dr. Linda Burghardt, Scholar-in-Residence, will lead the discussion.

Hannah Rosenthal, a Jewish girl fleeing from Nazi Germany in 1939, is a passenger on the infamous St. Louis, the doomed ship that was denied entry to Cuba, and is forced to fight for survival as the ship is turned back to Europe. Decades later, her grand-niece Anna Rosen receives a mysterious package that leads her to Havana to try to uncover this unknown chapter in her family’s history. Our discussion will explore the themes of exile and identity in the Holocaust and the enduring connection between generations, and examine how these themes weave the story together.

Dr. Linda Burghardt, Scholar-in-Residence, will lead the discussion.

An antique find discovered in a second-hand shop links two young women two decades apart in a story centered on survival during the Holocaust. One, a young Jewish woman, is imprisoned in the real-life Nazi-occupied Levitan Department Store in Paris during the war. The other is a post-war Londoner embroiled in investigating the sudden death of a friend. Between the two intertwined stories are secrets that compel the women to confront hidden truths of the past, truths that must fight the dark forces set on keeping them buried forever.

Dr. Linda Burghardt, Scholar-in-Residence, will lead the discussion.

Title: HMTC Challah Bake
Date: Thursday, June 4
Time: 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Location: Brookville, NY (address to be provided before the event)

Join us for an evening of challah braiding and new friendships. HMTC’s Dana Arschin will moderate a conversation with hostess Stacy Feldbrandt about her journey from celebrity DJ to philanthropist.  
Wine and yummy treats will be served. Please join us and spread the word! 

Please contact dana.arschin@hmtcli.org with any questions.

Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime killed approximately 1.7 million Cambodias, nearly a quarter of the population, through execution, forced labor, and starvation. This webinar explores the origins, implementation, and after math of the Cambodian Genocide, examining how it fits into the broader pattern of 20th Century atrocities through survivor and second-generation survivor testimony and primary sources. Held on May 20th, Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day, this webinar is both timely and an important way to commemorate the genocide and all those who were murdered by the Khmer Rouge.

Participants Will

- Gain an understanding of the key factors that led to the Cambodian Genocide

- Be exposed to primary sources that can be utilized in the classroom

- Be provided with a resource guide for further topic exploration

Presented by Kelly Fives, Senior Educator at ConnectED. A passionate and creative educator, Kelly specializes in curriculum design and Holocaust and genocide education. Through her work, Kelly empowers students to forge meaningful connections with historical narratives, develop empathy, and embrace intellectual risk-taking.

The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, in partnership with Molloy University, invites you to a compelling and timely program examining one of the most significant and often misunderstood events of World War II history—the Katyn Massacre and the German announcement of the discovery of the graves on April 13, 1943, and the inter-relationship of the NKVD and the Gestapo between 1939 and 1941.

On Sunday, May 17, at 2:00 PM, we are honored to welcome researcher Krystyna Piórkowska, whose extensive international archival work has brought new insight into global awareness of Katyn, specifically the deep knowledge of the crime that the Western Allies had and yet concealed. She will lead a thoughtful lecture and analysis reflecting on the acclaimed film Katyn, exploring its historical context, accuracy, and enduring relevance. 

While the film will not be screened during the program, we strongly encourage attendees to view it in advance to fully understand the Massacre and engage in the discussion. You may watch the film here. 

This program offers a unique opportunity to reflect on themes of truth, memory, and historical understanding—core to the mission of HMTC and closely aligned with Molloy University’s commitment to education, dialogue, and the pursuit of knowledge.

We hope you will join us for what promises to be a meaningful and enriching afternoon.

About Krystyna Piórkowska

Krystyna Piórkowska is a graduate of CCNY and Columbia University who began researching the subject of what was then referred to as ‘the American officers who went to Katyń’ at the request of the Director of the Polish Army Museum (Warsaw) in 2009.   Her parents were both prisoners of the Soviets – her mother arrested in Pinsk for opposing the Soviets and charged with treason, while her father was among the officers taken POW, held in Lithuania and then transferred as Kozielsk II (one of some 400 pre-war Polish officers who survived). 

She has discovered a multitude of documents, including a heretofore unknown sworn deposition from Col. John Van Vliet taken in Paris in May 1945, as well as coded letters sent by the USArmy POWs and never presented to either the American Prosecutors in Nuremburg or the Special House Committee formed to study the Katyn Massacre.  

Her talk will review the collaboration of the Soviet NKVD with the Gestapo, the  (in)actions of the Internation Committee of the Red Cross, the German Junker officers desire to ensure a credible and neutral report, the legally and morally correct actions of the US and Dominion POWs, as well the actions of the OSS-CIA under Wild Bill Donovan to advise US Prosecutors in Nuremberg of the truth of the Crime. 

Colonel John Van Vliet, the singular hero, who served as Head of the Escape Committee in Oflag 64, and selected the junior officer who accompanied the group, did not reveal his role in the secret POW structure, nor the fact that he was in contact with a handler in MIS unit in Fort Henry and used codes.  He spoke of this only in his final (video) Oral History, shortly before his death.  

Identical twin sisters Pearl and Stasha face a terrifying future when they arrive in Auschwitz in 1944 and immediately fall into the hands of Mengele. They try to comfort one another through their private language, but when Pearl disappears and the Red army liberates the camp, Stasha vows to spend the rest of her life looking for her. Together with Feliks, a boy bent on vengeance for his own lost twin, the two young survivors set out together through Poland’s devastation fueled by fury, fear and the powerful hope of bringing Mengele to justice.

Dr. Linda Burghardt, Scholar-in-Residence, will lead the discussion.

Come support HMTC by dining at Miller's Ale House of Levittown on May 13th! If you dine-in between the hours of 11:00 AM and 10:00 PM and present the event flyer to your server, 20% of qualifying food sales* will go to The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County!

*Show the flyer at time of payment for a 20% donation. Valid from 11AM-10PM. Not available with to go orders. Qualifying food items do not include kids meals, beverages, or alcohol. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount.

Click below to access flyer - flyer must be presented at time of payment for a 20% donation.

World Premiere of 'The Making of Day of Hope'

Great Neck South High School

341 Lakeville Rd, Lake Success, NY  

Free Admission | RSVP to Attend 

Bonus Panel Discussion featuring Dan Holtzman, Bernie Furshpan, Andy Zeidman, Ghazal Mizrahi, Ron Csillag, and the moderator, Mazi Pilip

Sponsored by The Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

IN A DIVIDED WORLD, THEY TURNED MUSIC INTO A FORCE FOR UNITY

The Making of Day of Hope is a powerful behind-the-scenes documentary that captures the vision, passion, and humanity behind an extraordinary international event. Produced by Terrebonne Productions and filmmaker Christiane Arbesu, and directed by Bernie Furshpan, the film chronicles the journey of bringing together artists, educators, and leaders from diverse backgrounds to create a unifying experience rooted in hope.

The film features Dan Holtzman, Assistant Superintendent of the Great Neck School District, along with Ghazal Mizrahi, Kelly Wright, Itay Benda, and performers from The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.

Set against the backdrop of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, the film reveals how a simple idea—born from friendship and a shared belief in the healing power of music—grew into a global movement. Through intimate storytelling, live performances, and candid moments, viewers witness the emotional build-up, the logistical challenges, and the profound impact of a day designed to unite Christians, Jews, Muslims, and people of all cultures under one roof.

More than just a documentary, The Making of Day of Hope is a testament to resilience, collaboration, and the enduring belief that the arts can bridge divides, inspire change, and remind us that we are, at our core, one humanity.

Dr. Linda Burghardt presents:

The Jewish Life of Pablo Picasso: An Untold Story

Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 1:00 p.m. on Zoom

Despite Picasso’s immense fame, few people know that he was profoundly nurtured by his Jewish lovers, friends, colleagues and patrons, and that he developed a deep sense of Jewish values that shaped his worldview and guided his paintbrush. He supported Zionist causes and openly fought injustice and antisemitism through his artwork, once even declaring “My painting is Jewish painting.” Join us on Wednesday, May 6, as we explore the untold story of this legendary genius and the critical Jewish influences that catapulted him to the pinnacle of the 20th century art world.

REGISTER TO ATTEND THE LIVE ZOOM WEBINAR

Please join us for a screening of She Wouldn't Take Off Her Boots, a poignant documentary that shares the stories behind a Holocaust Monument in Greensboro, North Carolina, that serves to honor both women and children. Featuring local survivors - a boy who endured multiple concentration camps and two cousins hidden by their courageous mothers - the film connects living testimony to the sculpture’s powerful message of remembrance, resilience, and responsibility.

With HMTC's unveiling of Natan Rapoport's Monument to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising taking place on April 19th, both the unveiling and this film serve as reminders of the power of art as a vehicle for expression and memory.

Visit womenoftheshoahjp.com for further information

Guest Facilitator Victoria Carlin Milstein

Originally from New York, Victoria Milstein has lived and traveled around the world and now resides in Greensboro, NC. Victoria studied at The School of Visual Arts in New York City and The Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem. Her portraits hang in private and public collections globally. In 2021, she was featured in “Pieces of Now,” the award- winning exhibit at the Greensboro History Museum documenting her community’s response to the social justice protests in 2020.

Her sculpture, “She Wouldn’t Take off Her Boots,” was erected in Greensboro’s LeBauer Park in April of 2023. Victoria is the co-founder of Women of the Shoah, the non-profit associated with the project, which will sponsor art and educational programs as part of the North Carolina Holocaust curriculum for public schools. She is the Executive Producer of “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots,” a documentary on the project that aired nationally in early 2024. Victoria currently serves on numerous community boards and organizations, including the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust.

Victoria was a 2018 TedX Greensboro Speaker and operates VCM Art Studio, a place of mentoring and fellowship, with model drawings, workshops, and community events for all demographics.

Join Us for an Evening of Inspiration and Courage: The Claire Friedlander Upstander Awards

Join us as we award scholarships to students who exemplify courage and fight against hate and injustice.

Be part of a powerful evening dedicated to celebrating the values of courage, empathy, and action. The Claire Friedlander Upstander Event shines a spotlight on exceptional young people who have taken a stand against hate and injustice in their communities.

These inspiring students, recognized for their thought-provoking essays, share their journeys as Upstanders. Their stories of bravery and commitment serve as a call to action for all of us to confront antisemitism and all forms of hate.

Don't miss this opportunity to be moved, motivated, and inspired. Stand with us in celebrating the next generation of Upstanders — because together, we can build a future defined by understanding, acceptance, and unity.

Funds raised will support HMTC's educational programming to continue to combat antisemitism and all forms of hate.  

EVENT COMMITTEE:

CO-CHAIRS:  Adam Ruttner  &  Eric Zeiger

Alon Rosenzweig | Ashley-Lynn Rolnik | Cory Kwiat | Courtney Klein | Dana Arschin Kraslow | Gilad Avrahami | Jake Blumencranz | Jonathan Friedman | Josh Graber | Josh Halegua | Justin Breslin | Kelly Klein | Lee Brodsky | Max Silverman | Max Solasz | Michael Drabkin | Oren Altmark | Ryan Reszelbach | Teddy Drucker | Troy Slade | Victoria Drabkin

For more information or any questions, contact
Bali Lerner at (516) 652.1636 or balilerner@hmtcli.org

HMTC's 2nd-generation (2G) Holocaust survivor committee is proud to host 2G and author Willie Handler for an intimate discussion surrounding his experiences as a 2G and his work in researching the effects of Holocaust survivor parents on their children.

As a child of Holocaust survivors, Willie offers a profound and personal exploration of intergenerational trauma and ways of translating into positive behaviors and actions. Beyond his writing, he is a dedicated advocate for the "Second and Third-Generation" survivor communities. Willie is active in the Toronto Holocaust Museum and also hosts monthly podcasts and webinars that provide a vital space for discussion, healing, and shared understanding of 2G legacy and responsibility.

Join us for this moving presentation as Willie shares insights on navigating the complexities of legacy and resilience.

Books will be available for purchase at the event.

HMTC PLANNED GIVING

Leave a Legacy of Hope

Remember the Past.
Protect the Future.

• The Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center invites estate and financial professionals to an exclusive informational evening about HMTC’s Planned Giving Legacy Program.

• Learn how you can help clients create a lasting impact that preserves the lessons of the Holocaust, combats antisemitism, and strengthens the values of humanity for generations to come.

• Your professional guidance plays a vital role in helping donors shape legacies that educate, inspire, and safeguard the future.

• Join us to learn more about how partnership with HMTC can help transform meaningful intent into enduring impact.

Event Details

Tuesday, April 21, 2025 at 6:30 PM

100 Crescent Beach Rd
Glen Cove, NY 11542

Phone: (516) 571-8040
Website: www.hmtcli.org/legacy
RSVP: balilerner@hmtcli.org

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. THE EVENT IS AT FULL CAPACITY.

The unveiling of one of Natan Rapoport's greatest works: Monument to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The third piece in a series of sculptures commemorating the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, on loan from the Workers Circle, this extraordinary creation will now be on view at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County. This unveiling will be accompanied by the opening of our new temporary exhibition, highlighting Rapoport's works and the heroes of the Uprising.

This pivotal moment places HMTC in a unique global category shared only by Yad Vashem, Israel and Warsaw, Poland.

Natan Rapoport was a Warsaw-born Holocaust survivor and artist who is best known for his monumental pieces that have been showcased across the world. His 1976 piece, Monument to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, is set to be installed on the grounds of HMTC this spring, with the official unveiling taking place on April 19th, a date chosen specifically to commemorate the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943.

On loan from the Workers Circle.

This exhibition is made possible by The Workers Circle, The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, The Alice Lawrence Foundation, and The Ike, Molly & Steven Elias Foundation.

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. THE EVENT IS AT FULL CAPACITY.

This month, Zohran Mamdani will mark his 100th day as mayor of New York City. His campaign and tenure have resurrected very old fault lines between political leaders and Jewish communities. In this installment of the How We Got Here webinar series, Gilad Avrahami and Trevor Stern will dig into those differences, particularly the persistent impatience toward Jewish priorities and independent streaks.

At the local level, the new mayor has vocalized his disdain for a Jewish homeland and New York's connection to it. In the most recent national election season, the Republican presidential nominee (and eventual winner) said that "any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion", and the Democratic presidential nominee allegedly asked her prospective Jewish VP pick to assure her that he was not an agent of the Israeli government. As politics becomes more divided and a reliance on loyalty thickens, distrust and paranoia are laying the groundwork for antisemitism to rise again.

Conversational, educational, and thought-provoking, How We Got Here connects current events to the longer histories behind them, helping us understand not just what’s happening, but why.

Join us on Thursday, April 16 at noon (Eastern) for this live webinar.

Shortly after the Nazi occupation of Poland, Reuven’s girlfriend Zelda and her parents disappear, and Reuven’s father is forbidden from selling his handmade artisan umbrellas in his shop. One by one the Jews of Krakow are evicted from their homes and stripped of their rights, and the family realizes that escape is the only option. Through their fierce struggle against the terror of the Holocaust, Reuven’s determination to find Zelda melds the primal forces of love and violence into a powerful elixir of hope that offers them their only path to survival.

Dr. Linda Burghardt, Scholar-in-Residence, will lead the discussion.

Please join the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County for our annual Yom HaShoah commemoration. In partnership with Congregation Tifereth Israel and North Country Reform Temple, we invite both the local and broader community to unite in remembering the over six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust as well as the millions of others who died at the hands of the Nazi Regime.

Join us as we bear witness to Holocaust Survivor Bertha Strauss' testimony.

HMTC thanks Rabbi Churgel and Cantor Gitlin for their support and participation in this event.

In Beneath the Lightless Sky, husband and father Ignacy Chiger (1906-1975) recounts his family’s desperate struggle to evade Nazi persecution in wartime Lvov, Poland, where they hid in the city’s underground sewers with the help of an unlikely hero.
    When the liquidation of the Lvov ghetto left the Chigers with no place to hide, they sought refuge beneath the city, disappearing into the filth and darkness of its sewer system. There, they survived for 14 months, clinging to life in unimaginable conditions.
     Deeply moving and historically significant, Beneath the Lightless Sky is an essential addition to Holocaust literature – a harrowing memoir of survival, resilience, and the unimaginable horrors of war.

In-Depth Discussion with Doron Keren / Moderated by Dana Arschin, HMTC

Doron Keren is the grandson of Ignacy Chiger and the son of Krystyna Chiger Keren, author of The Girl in the Green Sweater. Doron Keren is an active member of HMTC’s 2nd-generation survivor community and is responsible for unearthing his grandfather’s 1975 memoir. This years-long project ensures that his family’s legacy lives on and that his grandfather’s own words can be read by audiences over fifty years after they were first written.