The Zekelman Holocaust Center

06/19/2026

As we celebrate the start of summer vacation for schools across the state, we are proud to say that nearly 33,000 students received Holocaust education this year through The HC’s in-person museum tours, virtual museum education programs, and off-site workshops!

Thank you to our incredible team at The HC for their dedication, and to the passionate educators who continue to deepen their understanding of how to teach Holocaust history through our year-round trainings.

06/18/2026

"I can share what I have learned, and if I hear people talking about antisemitism, I can have a conversation and be a leader to show what’s right." - Paige from Davison, Michigan

We ask visitors to consider two questions: "What can I do?" and "What can we do?" These responses fill the Remembering the Holocaust: A Call to Action gallery, helping us gain a deeper understanding of our individual and collective roles in society.

Visit The HC to learn the lessons of the past and share how you can make a difference in your community today.

06/17/2026

Earlier this year, staff from The Zekelman Holocaust Center traveled to Muskegon to offer educational programming for the local community. That visit inspired a North Muskegon High School teacher to bring his students to The HC in Farmington Hills.

The group was in the middle of a six-week Holocaust-focused course, and their time at The HC deepened that classroom learning through direct engagement with artifacts and personal testimonies.

Thanks to our bus subsidy program, we were able to help offset transportation costs and make this visit possible. We are grateful to North Muskegon Public Schools for making the trip. Plan your visit at holocaustcenter.org/visit

06/16/2026

The Zekelman Holocaust Center recently held our first State of the Organization. A moment to reflect on how our work to remember the Holocaust continues to engage, educate, and empower our community.

We also honored two team members whose leadership strengthens our mission to stand against antisemitism, discrimination, and all forms of hate.

Max Silverstein, Associate Data Manager – Excellence in Collaboration Award
Liz Pingtella, Senior Events Manager – Excellence in Community Award

Their dedication helps us preserve memory and inspire individuals to take action in their own communities.

06/12/2026

The Zekelman Holocaust Center will be closed on Sunday, June 14, and Monday, June 15, for a private event.

Regular operating hours will resume on Tuesday, June 16, at 9:30 AM.

06/11/2026

We are thrilled to share that Dr. Katie Chaka Parks, our Director of Education, was recently named to the 2026 list of The Oakland County Executive's Oakland Together 40 Under 40.

For the past 14 years, this list has recognized professionals who work each day to make a meaningful impact in communities throughout Oakland County.

We are proud to celebrate Dr. Parks and her truly remarkable leadership, research, and innovation at The HC and beyond. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Katie Chaka Parks!

Oakland County, Michigan Government | David Coulter

06/10/2026

Join us on Tuesday, June 23, at 7:00 PM for a screening of My Underground Mother, followed by a talkback with filmmaker Marisa Fox.

Marisa's mother, Tamar, was a New York doctor’s wife who claimed she fled her native Poland on the cusp of World War II and was never a Holocaust “victim.” Twenty years after her death, Marisa learns Tamar had a secret identity and begins chasing down leads to discover her mother's story.

Dogged research, extraordinary archival imagery, and staggeringly candid interviews reveal a portrait of a woman who dared to be the hero of her own story, transforming herself from forced laborer to freedom fighter, from refugee to spy and saboteur, ultimately reinventing herself as a matriarch in America.

A real-life story of a daughter coming to terms with a woman who went to extraordinary lengths not to be defined by trauma.

Film runtime is 86 minutes. Tickets are selling quickly, so space is limited. Admission is $10.00 per person, or free for members of The HC, at https://29862.blackbaudhosting.com/29862/My-Underground-Mother-Film-Screening-Event

06/08/2026

Our brand-new traveling exhibition, “The Holocaust: History, Memory, and Michigan Voices,” is now on display at the Westland Public Library!

This multi-panel exhibition guides visitors through the history of the Holocaust, including the rise of antisemitism in Europe, the ascent of the N**i regime, and the progression from discrimination to mass violence and liberation.

At its heart are the voices of local Holocaust survivors—4,000 of whom rebuilt their lives in Michigan—reminding us that history is not only something we study, but something lived and carried forward.

Learn more about the exhibit and request it to come to your city at https://holocaustcenter.org/traveling-exhibit-on-the-holocaust/

06/08/2026

Join us at The HC on Thursday, July 23, for a screening of "Among Neighbors" and talkback with filmmaker Yoav Potash in honor of Tisha B’Av.

Reserve your tickets at https://29862.blackbaudhosting.com/29862/Among-Neighbors-Film-Screening

Documentary confronts a hidden chapter of postwar/post-Holocaust violence with unflinching honesty.

06/05/2026

Artur (Asher) Berlinger was a German Jewish artist and religious teacher who was deported from his home in 1942 and forced to work at Theresienstadt.

He discovered a four-by-five-meter attic, where he decided to create a hidden synagogue for Jewish prisoners to pray. In secret, he painted and decorated the hidden synagogue with religious symbols and inscriptions, using materials to which he had special access as a prisoner in Theresienstadt.

“This was the way in which my father confirmed his absolute belief in a higher authority,” said Asher’s daughter, Holocaust survivor Rose Baum. “He and my mother had to give up their children and all their property. The only thing that was left to them was their belief…”

Asher was deported to Auschwitz in 1944 and murdered. The synagogue was rediscovered in 1989 and is now open to the public.

Visitors can see a mural of the hidden synagogue in our Resistance and Resilience in the Ghettos gallery.