Learn the Stories of the Holocaust Be Empowered to Create a Better Future
Impactful Exhibits
Eternal Flame & Memorial Wall
Eternal Flame & Memorial Wall In Jewish practice, a twenty-four-hour candle is lit on the anniversary of the death of a parent or child. For many, there is no known…
The Boxcar
The Henrietta and Alvin Weisberg Gallery tells the horrors of deportation by rail to the ghettos, death camps, and concentration camps of Europe. The centerpiece is a Holocaust-era boxcar, much…
Anne Frank Tree & Garden
In 2009, The Zekelman Holocaust Center was selected as one of only eleven sites in the United States to receive a sapling from the tree that grew outside Anne Frank’s…
Portraits of Honor
Portraits of Honor: Our Michigan Holocaust Survivors Portraits of Honor was developed in 1999 by Dr. Charles Silow, the son of Holocaust survivors, and the Program for Holocaust Survivors and…
Genocide in the East
Featured in The New York Times, the Genocide in the East Gallery includes the latest historical research on mass shootings in Eastern Europe, known today as the “Holocaust by Bullets.”…
Heroism & the Hidden
The Heroism & the Hidden Gallery offers a distinct learning environment with multimedia case studies on hidden children and stirring stories of brave righteousness and personal sacrifice. Since most non-Jewish…
20th Century European Jewish Life
Pre-war European Jewish life was a thriving cultural tapestry. No matter where Jewish people lived, they built their lives around the universal and timeless fundamentals of work, education, home, religion,…
The November Pogrom & Kindertransport
The November Pogrom & Kindertransport The November Pogrom, also known as Kristallnacht, marked the first, state-sponsored violence against all Jews in German territory. One of the only successful attempts to…
The Camp System
Over its twelve-year existence, Nazi Germany and its allies established more than 44,000 camps and other types of prisons. These included concentration camps, forced labor camps, transit camps, ghettos, and…
Responsibility & Action
Responsibility & Action The history of the Holocaust forces us to grapple with our responsibility to fight against injustice and inhumanity anywhere. When antisemitism and other forms of hate arise,…
Local Survivor Stories
Barbara Cohen
Barbara (Schechter) Cohen was born in Bukaczowce, Poland (now part of Ukraine) in 1941. When Barbara was a baby, she and her parents were sent to live in a ghetto.…
George Erdstein
George Erdstein was born in Vienna, Austria in 1938 a few months after the Anschluss, the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany. At the time, his parents questioned if and…
Sophie Klisman
Sophie Teich Klisman was born in Lodz, Poland in 1929. After the Nazis invaded Poland, Sophie and her family were sent to live in the ghetto, where her parents and…
Hear first-hand experiences at Survivor Talk Sundays
Join us on Sundays at 12:00 PM to listen to personal accounts from Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives in Michigan.
Engaging Events
Special Sunday Talk: Ken Posner, Son-In-Law of a Survivor
The HC proudly hosts a Next Generation Speaker program, inviting descendants of Holocaust survivors to tell the personal stories of their families during the Holocaust. This speaker program also shines…
Sunday Public Tours
Join us at The HC every Sunday afternoon for a public tour of our new exhibit following our Survivor Talk Sunday presentation. Guided tours are led by knowledgeable docents who…
Unto Every Person There is a Name
The HC is proud to offer free admission on Tuesday, April 14, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, known as Yom HaShoah. Each year, community leaders and friends of The…
Special Survivor Talk with Barbara Cohen for Holocaust Remembrance Day
Every survivor’s story is unique and provides a special, first-hand account of life before, during, and after the Holocaust. Hearing from local Michigan survivors helps us see all the victims…
Educator Workshop with the Institute for Curriculum Services: Jewish Immigration, Restriction, and Resettlement
This educator workshop examines Jewish immigration to the United States from 1880 through the post–World War II era within the broader context of American immigration history. Participants analyze primary sources…
Yom HaShoah Evening with The J: Acts of Care for Holocaust Survivors
Join us on Yom HaShoah for an evening dedicated to honoring Holocaust survivors and supporting both survivors in Israel and community members here in Metropolitan Detroit. We’ll share dinner, hear…
Spreading Hate: Propaganda and the Holocaust
Many people chose to support the Nazi regime during the Holocaust, and propaganda played a significant role in their thinking. Propaganda is false or biased information used to mold the…
Educator Workshops With The City of Adrian & Adrian Schools: Children and the Holocaust
This session explores the experiences of children during the Holocaust and offers guidance on how to teach this topic sensitively and responsibly. Educators will examine age-appropriate materials and strategies that…
Educator Workshop: Next Generation Speaker Talk With Dahlia Schwartz
Hear Next Generation Speaker Dahlia Schwartz speak about her father, who survived the Holocaust. The Next Generation Speaker Series will be a monthly, virtual opportunity for educators to hear from…
Friday Public Tours
Join us at The HC every Friday afternoon for a public tour of our new exhibit. Guided tours are led by knowledgeable docents who can provide additional details on artifacts,…
Special Next Generation Speaker: Dr. Charles Silow, Child of Survivors
The HC proudly hosts a Next Generation Speaker program, inviting descendants of Holocaust survivors to tell the personal stories of their families during the Holocaust. This speaker program also shines…
Sunday Public Tours
Join us at The HC every Sunday afternoon for a public tour of our new exhibit following our Survivor Talk Sunday presentation. Guided tours are led by knowledgeable docents who…
Yom HaShoah Commemoration
Please join us for our annual Yom HaShoah Commemoration featuring stirring readings, music and a candle-lighting ceremony. Rabbi Aaron Starr and Hazzan David Propis from Congregation Shaarey Zedek will lead…
Educator Workshops With The City of Adrian & Adrian Schools: Art as Resistance
Art served as a powerful form of expression and resistance during the Holocaust. In this workshop, educators will explore artwork created by victims and survivors during and after the Holocaust…
Friday Public Tours
Join us at The HC every Friday afternoon for a public tour of our new exhibit. Guided tours are led by knowledgeable docents who can provide additional details on artifacts,…
RESCHEDULED: Kappy Family Art & Writing Competition Awards Ceremony
Join us at The Zekelman Holocaust Center for the Kappy Family Art & Writing Competition awards ceremony, a special day celebrating the creativity and courage of student participants from across…
Survivor Talk Sundays: Barbara Cohen
Every survivor’s story is unique and provides a special, first-hand account of life before, during, and after the Holocaust. Hearing from local Michigan survivors helps us see all the victims…
Sunday Public Tours
Join us at The HC every Sunday afternoon for a public tour of our new exhibit following our Survivor Talk Sunday presentation. Guided tours are led by knowledgeable docents who…
Educator Workshops With The City of Adrian & Adrian Schools: Preventing Genocide
How does genocide begin, and how can we help students recognize early warning signs? Using tools such as the Pyramid of Hate and 10 Stages of Genocide, this session helps…
Educator Workshop with the Institute for Curriculum Services: Exploring the Multifaceted Identities of Jewish Americans
This educator workshop explores the diversity and lived experiences of Jewish Americans to support classroom teaching about identity and complexity. The session includes a focused exploration of Holocaust survivor resettlement…
Friday Public Tours
Join us at The HC every Friday afternoon for a public tour of our new exhibit. Guided tours are led by knowledgeable docents who can provide additional details on artifacts,…
Survivor Talk Sundays: George Erdstein
Every survivor’s story is unique and provides a special, first-hand account of life before, during, and after the Holocaust. Hearing from local Michigan survivors helps us see all the victims…
