Special Webinar for K-12 Educators
The Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio and the Jewish Community Relations Council are proud to partner in bringing Jewish American Heritage Month resources to K–12 campuses across the region.
Formally established in 2006 by President George W. Bush, Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) is celebrated annually in May to honor the contributions of Jewish people to American culture, history, science, and government. While there is no direct religious instruction, Jewish Americans have contributed to society through rich history, culture, and contributions - individuals like Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, author Maurice Sendak, and actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr.
Understanding who the Jewish people are—their traditions, identity, and enduring resilience—is essential to teaching Holocaust history with accuracy and depth.
This collaboration equips schools with meaningful, age-appropriate resources that deepens the importance of tolerance, civic responsibility, and standing up against hate and antisemitism.
Questions? Contact us at hmmsainfo@jfsatx.org
"Unbreakable" with author Edmund A. Kruzynski
Join author Edmund A. Kruzynski for an evening conversation about endurance, humanity, and the strength to survive the unimaginable.
HMMSA Reads: "How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love, and Plenty" with author Bonny Reichert
Hunger, the proverbial wolf at the door, is a universal experience. Eating may keep the beast at bay but it doesn’t tame it; calories alone can nourish the body, but not the mind and soul. For many with PTSD, including Holocaust survivors, food can be an incomplete escape into a more stable life. In How to Share an Egg—a narrative that interweaves the author’s own story with that of her Holocaust-survivor father, Saul — Bonny Reichert explores how identity and trauma can be preserved and transmuted across generations. Saul’s memories of suffering and sustenance feed Reichert’s hunger for understanding, tikkun (repair), and healing.
This book begins in 1945 with Saul on the brink of starvation after his recent liberation from the Flossenbürg concentration camp (preceded by imprisonment in the Lodz Ghetto, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Sachsenhausen). This moment anchors the intergenerational trauma that Bonny explores throughout this book. Although her childhood in Edmonton, Canada could be described as genial, that would deny the profound darkness that she struggles with.
Author Bonny Reichert will join us via zoom.
Sponsored by the Barshop JCC and Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio
For Hope For Humanity Benefit Dinner 2026
Join us for the Holocaust Memorial Museum’s 2026 For Hope For Humanity benefit dinner on Thursday, March 5, 2026 as we honor Bekki and Greg Kowalski with the Mildred and Oscar Ehrenberg Humanitarian Award. Bekki and Greg embody the very spirit of compassion and courage—always choosing to serve, to uplift, and to speak out against injustice.
We invite you to stand with us by becoming a sponsor, table host, or assist with underwriting for this important evening. Your generosity will directly sustain the Museum’s operations and allow us to continue reaching students and communities across San Antonio, Central, and South Texas.
Together we can ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust continue to light the way forward…
For Remembrance, For Resilience, and For Hope.
CANCELLED: Holocaust Learn and Remember: The Legacy of the Nuremberg Trials
Join us as Dr. Amon explores the legacy of the first international prosecution of Nazi leaders after the Holocaust. Drawing on courtroom testimony, selected archival footage, and his visits to sites such as Auschwitz, Treblinka, and the historic Nuremberg courtroom, Dr. Amon will examine how judgment at Nuremberg 80 years ago established a permanent historical record of the Holocaust, gave voice to survivors, and affirmed that even the most powerful can be held accountable.
Dr. Amon is a legal historian, Lecturer in Law, and former ISIS war crimes investigator, having previoulsy served as a Legal Fellow at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. He also serves as Executive Director and Scholar-in-Chief of the Sinai Legal Association for Memory & Modernity (SLAMM), an institute dedicated to examining the intersections of law, history, and memory.
Registration for free tickets for this event is encouraged.
Judgment and the Final Solution
This fascinating presentation will focus on the institutional, situational, and personal judgments about the Final Solution, i.e., the Nazi plan to eliminate Europe's Jewish population. The lecture will also place emphasis on the Selection process at Auschwitz, where inmates were either designated to go to the gas chamber or to perform forced labor.
Dr. Barnes is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of the Incarnate Word and a docent at the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio.
Nuremberg in the News with Reyna Stovall
This virtual program examines how journalists, photographers, radio broadcasters, and newsreel filmmakers reported on the Nuremberg trials and helped bring unprecedented international attention to the court, not only shaping public attention but also how the trials are remembered today.
Reyna Stovall is a master's candidate in Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin's Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She holds a B.A. in International Studies and French from Fordham University Lincoln Center, where she graduated summa cum laude and cursus honorum. She was previously a docent with the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio.
This program is sponsored by the San Antonio Public Library and Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio as part of the 14th Annual Holocaust: Learn and Remember series.
Registration required for this virtual event.
Nuremberg in the News with Reyna Stovall
This virtual program examines how journalists, photographers, radio broadcasters, and newsreel filmmakers reported on the Nuremberg trials and helped bring unprecedented international attention to the court, not only shaping public attention but also how the trials are remembered today.
Reyna Stovall is a master's candidate in Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin's Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She holds a B.A. in International Studies and French from Fordham University Lincoln Center, where she graduated summa cum laude and cursus honorum. She was previously a docent with the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio.
This program is sponsored by the San Antonio Public Library and Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio as part of the 14th Annual Holocaust: Learn and Remember series.
Registration required for this virtual event.
Judgment and the Final Solution
This fascinating presentation will focus on the institutional, situational, and personal judgments about the Final Solution, i.e., the Nazi plan to eliminate Europe's Jewish population. The lecture will also place emphasis on the Selection process at Auschwitz, where inmates were either designated to go to the gas chamber or to perform forced labor.
Dr. Barnes is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of the Incarnate Word and a docent at the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio.
Judgment and the Final Solution with Dr. Roger Barnes
This fascinating presentation will focus on the institutional, situational, and personal judgments about the Final Solution, i.e., the Nazi plan to eliminate Europe's Jewish population. The lecture will also place emphasis on the Selection process at Auschwitz, where inmates were either designated to go to the gas chamber or to perform forced labor.
Dr. Barnes is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of the Incarnate Word and a docent at the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio.
An Afternoon with Holocaust Survivor Eva Balcazar
Join us as Holocaust survivor Eva Balcazar shares her remarkable story of resilience in the face of Nazi oppression. She will recount her childhood, her beloved parents, and their forced migration from Germany following Kristallnacht in 1938.
This program is sponsored by the San Antonio Public Library and Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio as part of the 14th Annual Holocaust: Learn and Remember series.
Additional information on the series can be found at: https://guides.mysapl.org/c.php?g=485170&p=11252974#s-lg-box-wrapper-41637878
The Unknown Story of Karya's Forced Labor Camp
The history of the Karya forced labor camp in Greece might have remained unknown if not for the dedicated research of author Andreas Assael. A photo album purchased from a street vendor sparked his twenty-year investigation to identify victims and perpetrators. Among the images, Andreas discovered his own father and survivor Sam Cohen. Join us for a compelling presentation featuring Andreas Assael and Jerome Cohen as they recount this harrowing chapter of history, and the journey to honor the victims.
Speakers:
Andreas Assael, author of "Karya: In the Dungeons of Death"
Jerome Cohen, second-generation survivor and son of Sam Cohen
Educator Workshop: Preparing your Campus and Classroom for Texas Holocaust Remembrance Week 2026
We are excited to offer an in-person workshop this year in preparation for Texas Holocaust Remembrance Week 2026. Educators will participate in collaborate efforts to explore lesson plans, printed and digital resources, curated book selections, and practical strategies for elementary through high school classrooms and libraries.
Participants will engage with materials, exchange ideas with colleagues, and leave with ready-to-use resources and planning materials. You will also walk away with clear strategies for classroom and library implementation aligned with Texas requirements.
Free and open to all K-12 Texas educators and librarians.
The HMMSA is certified by the Texas Education Agency to issue CPE’s to teachers attending any of our educational events.
Saving the Arts in WWII: The Work of the Monuments Men and Women in Europe and Japan
Join us for an up-close loo at the art curators, historians, and scholars who saved most of the art looted by the Nazis and Japanese during World War II. The conversation features a special presentation by Bill Chiego, former director of the McNay Art Museum.
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT
HMMSA Reads: "Fagin the Thief" with author Allison Epstein on Zoom
Long before Oliver Twist stumbled onto the scene, Jacob Fagin was scratching out a life for himself in the dark alleys of nineteenth-century London. Born in the Jewish enclave of Stepney shortly after his father was executed as a thief, Jacob's whole world is his open-minded mother, Leah. But Jacob’s prospects are forever altered when a light-fingered pickpocket takes Jacob under his wing and teaches him a trade that pays far better than the neighborhood boys could possibly dream.
Striking out on his own, Jacob familiarizes himself with London's highest value neighborhoods while forging his own path in the shadows. But everything changes when he adopts an aspiring teenage thief named Bill Sikes, whose mercurial temper poses a danger to himself and anyone foolish enough to cross him. Along the way, Jacob’s found family expands to include his closest friend, Nancy, and his greatest protégé, the Artful Dodger. But as Bill’s ambition soars and a major robbery goes awry, Jacob is forced to decide what he really stands for—and what a life is worth.
Colorfully written and wickedly funny, Allison Epstein breathes fresh life into the teeming streets of Dickensian London--reclaiming one of Victorian literature’s most notorious villains in an unforgettable new adventure.
Sponsored by the Barshop JCC and Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio
Kristallnacht Community Commemoration
The Night of Broken Glass featuring Aimee Ginsburg Bikel, wife of Holocaust survivor Theodore Bikel
Ms. Bikel will share the story of a young Theodore, born in Vienna, Austria, watching the destruction and violence on the “Night of Broken Glass” from behind the curtains of his home, hiding with his parents.
Click the image above to register.
HMMSA Reads: "Holocaust Graphic Narratives: Generation, Trauma & Memory"
Join us alongside author Dr. Victoria Aarons for an evening exploring Holocaust Graphic Narratives: Generation, Trauma & Memory.
Employing memory as her controlling trope, in her novel Dr. Aarons analyzes the work of the graphic novelists and illustrators, making clear how they extend the traumatic narrative of the Holocaust into the present and, in doing so, give voice to survival in the wake of unrecoverable loss. The intergenerational dialogue established by Aarons’ reading of these narratives speaks to the on-going obligation to bear witness to the Holocaust. Examined together, these intergenerational works bridge the erosions created by time and distance.
As a genre of witnessing, these graphic stories, in retracing the traumatic tracks of memory, inscribe the weight of history on generations that follow.
Dr. Aarons holds the position of OR and Eva Mitchell Distinguished Professor of Literature at Trinity University.
Register and purchase the book: https://www.hmmsa.org/events-book-club
HMMSA Family Reunion Weekend
OCTOBER 24-26, 2025
Join the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio and the Voices of the Shoah generational survivor committee for a Holocaust Survivor Family Reunion Weekend. The weekend includes a Shabbat dinner, Havdalah and Desserts, and a Sunday Family Picnic for all!
Registration and advance payment required to attend events. Locations will be provided upon registration. Our deadline for registration is October 10, 2025.
A block of hotel rooms is being held under the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio at the Estancia del Norte at a rate of $152 per night (plus tax). Please contact the hotel directly to make your reservations. Room rate will be held until September 24.
organized and hosted by Voices of the Shoah, a committee of the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio comprised of Holocaust descendants
Survivor Speakers Series: The Story of Susanne Jalnos
Susanne Jalnos was born in Rajka, Hungary that is a small town near the border of what was then Czechoslovakia. Her family consisted of her parents and a brother and sister. Anna’s father owned two butcher shops—one kosher and one non-kosher. On March 10, 1944, the Nazis marched into Hungary and changed her life forever.
SURVIVOR SPEAKERS SERIES: The Story of Sam Cohen
Sam Cohen grew up in Salonika, Greece. When the Nazis entered Greece, Sam and his family were forced to move into the ghetto by Germans after Passover in 1943. Keeping a promise with his friend Jacques that they would stay together no matter what, Sam took the place of Jacques’ brother when the two were summoned to work forced labor. Sam and Jacques were taken to a concentration camp where they later escaped during their daily work laying down railroad tracks and ultimately joined the resistance.
Learn more of Sam’s remarkable story as told by his son, Jerome Cohen, on May 18, 2025 at 2pm.
HMMSA Reads: Drunk on Genocide
Drunk on Genocide highlights the intersections of masculinity, drinking ritual, sexual violence, and mass murder to expose the role of alcohol and celebratory ritual in the Nazi genocide of European Jews. Its surprising and disturbing findings offer a new perspective on the mindset, motivation, and mentality of killers as they prepared for, and participated in, mass extermination.
Survivor Speakers Series: The Story of Yehuda Meisels
Yehuda Meisels was already on an “enemy of the state” list when he was sent on one of the first transports to Auschwitz. We will hear the compelling story of courageous actions that got him on the list, his time in Auschwitz, and the miracles that led to him surviving that camp, the death march and his rescue by a Texas soldier.
Learn more of Yehuda’s story shared by his grandson, Yair Alan Griver.
Professional Development for Educators: Integrating Museum Resources for the 2025-26 School Year
The HMMSA offers a variety of workshops during the year and is certified by the Texas Education Agency to issue CPE’s to teachers attending any of our educational events. Holocaust educators are welcome to contact the museum for help in developing Holocaust related instructional units and/or using our educational resources to support the teaching of the Holocaust.
Registration to follow.
For information, contact (210) 302-6807 or info@hmmsa.org.
Survivor Speakers Series: The Story of Schmuel Lewent
Schmuel Lewent survived the Lodz Ghetto only to be transported to the infamous Auschwitz death camp with his wife and 2-month-old baby child. The child didn’t survive the trip and at selection, his wife was sent to the gas chamber. Schmuel was condemned to slave labor at Auschwitz where he toiled for over three years. Schmuel’s survival is miraculous and the story an inspiration.
Learn more of Schmuel’s story and his strength to survive Auschwitz concentration camp shared by his son, Russell Kassman.
The Exile of the Musicians
Join director Iván Cherjovsky for a screening and discussion of his new documentary. The film tells the story of musicians who fled the Nazis and took refuge in Argentina.
SPONSORED BY
Trinity University Lecturers & Visiting Scholars Committee | Trinity University Division of Arts & Humanities | Program: Mexico, the Americas, Spain (MAS) | Trinity University Global Latinx Major | Trinity University Departments of Modern Languages & Literatures, Sociology & Anthropology, Religion, English, Classics, Music, Communications, Political Science, History, and Human Communication & Theatre, Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio, and Hillel San Antonio