Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center

The Jewish Identity Center’s Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center, America’s first Holocaust museum, is 57 years young. Yaakov Riz, the museum’s founder, was a Holocaust survivor who lost 83 members of his family in Adolf Hitler’s concentration camps. Riz vowed that if he survived he would dedicate his life to establishing a museum that would memorialize the millions of Jews and Non-Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis. The museum’s genesis, growth and struggle against intolerance are the realization of his dream, courage and commitment.

For nearly 60 years, the Museum has educated more than 150,000 students and adults in schools, community groups, and organizations. Additionally we provide teacher training opportunities. Our programs emphasize the message that racial, ethnic, and religious hatred are social poisons that weaken the American democracy. During the 2018/2019 school year, our Educational Programs reached 43,777 students and adults in 373 schools, organizations, and businesses.