Vol. II, Summer/Fall 2006

A Project of the Holocaust MemorialFoundation of Illinois

From the Board President 2

From the Campaign Chair 2

From the Executive Director 2

Capital Campaign Gifts 3

Artifact Campaign Update 3

Groundbreaking Images 4

Upcoming Events 5

HRB Update 6

Farewell from Philipp 6

Recent Events 7

Education Report 8

A special thank you to our friends at Westfi eld Old Orchard Shopping Center

for their generous support of our groundbreaking celebration.

I n t h i s i s s u e

A steady rain could not dampen the joy of the 700 people who shared a moment of history on June 22nd, when ground was broken in Skokie for the new Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Attended by local Holocaust survivors, dignitaries, civic leaders and

community members, the event realized a long-held dream to create an institution where visitors learn the lessons of history and apply them to the challenges of hate, intolerance, and genocide in our world today. The day focused on hope for the future, with a joyous musical opening from the Soul Children of Chicago and speakers looking ahead to the opening of the new institution.

The ceremony was also commemorative, concentrating on remembering the past and creating a legacy of memory. Over 30 Chicago-area survivors sealed their stories, photographs and other keepsakes in a time capsule to be installed in the new museum and opened in 25 years. Led by Fritzie Fritzshall and Aaron Elster, HMFI Vice Presidents, the time capsule ceremony emphasized the importance of creating a record for the future.

The standing-room-only crowd was addressed by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (above, center), Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen (above, right of center), Israeli Consul General Barukh Binah (above, fourth from right), HMFI President Samuel R. Harris, Project and Executive Director Richard S. Hirschhaut, and Museum Campaign Chair J. B. Pritzker. Victor Aitay, Concertmaster Emeritus of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a Holocaust survivor, provided a poignant violin interlude. Rabbi Reuven Frankel (above left) chanted selections of remembrance, including the memorial prayer during the shovel ceremony.

Among the state offi cials in attendance were Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, as well as several members of the Illinois State Legislature, Skokie offi cials, and representatives of several foreign consulates.

As the groundbreaking ceremony came to a close, the clouds gave way to sunny skies, a true sign of hope for the future of the new museum and education center.

GROUNDBREAKING CELEBRATED BY 700

Vice Presidents Aaron Elster and Fritzie Fritzshall present a time capsule during the groundbreaking ceremony. The time capsule will include testimonies and photographs to create a legacy of survival for the future.

More pictures on page 4

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FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT

A few months fago,

I predicted that 2006 would feature another “grand slam” by our organization, in the form of breaking ground on

the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. I went on to promise that it would be an exceptional occasion.

This came to be, according to the 700 supporters, friends and well-wishers who were present on June 22nd, as well as all of you who read about or watched coverage of the event.

Our groundbreaking was a landmark event and an affi rmation of the dream of Holocaust survivors and all our dedicated volunteers. But it was so much more. Certain moments along life’s highway become our happiest memories. This was one of them.

June 22, 2006 was a remarkable day. Surrounded by honored guests, including Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, state senators and representatives, Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen, and Consul General of Israel Barukh Binah, we ushered in a new era and wrote the fi rst page in the history of our organization’s future.

I salute J.B. Pritzker, Museum Campaign Chair, and thank everyone who contributed to the unprecedented success of the groundbreaking. Immediately afterwards, we held a special Legacy Luncheon for over 200 volunteers. These wonderful people are the heart of our organization; they make us go and grow. And let’s not forget our wonderful professional staff, who worked so hard to make this event as perfect as it could be. I thank you one and all.

In the months ahead, we will add to the pages of our future. Earth will be moved and our world class, state-of-the-art museum will take shape. I invite you to join with us for each exciting installment.

Samuel R. HarrisBoard President

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

FROM THE CAMPAIGN CHAIR

I often ponder the miracle that soon will be the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

This journey has moved forward with quiet determination for nearly 25 years. From 1981 to today, Holocaust survivors have dedicated their lives to telling their stories and teaching succeeding generations to fi ght bigotry, hatred and intolerance so that they may learn the phrase and real meaning of “never again.”

I am so proud to be part of that effort. When our new museum opens in 2008, our reach will be powerful and our infl uence will be great. More than 250,000 annual visitors will experience the Holocaust and its lessons in a state-of-

the-art facility using the latest technology and artistry.

Our capital campaign is in high gear. To date we have raised nearly $22 million. Please take a moment to look at the growing list of supporters highlighted on the next page. We could not be more grateful to those who have joined us. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help educate and shape future generations is attracting individual, corporate, and foundation-based donors at all levels. Almost daily, naming opportunities beginning at $10,000 and payable over fi ve years are being committed. Please consider becoming part of our museum family by contributing your own meaningful gift and helping to make this miracle come true.

J.B. PritzkerMuseum Campaign Chair

Tfhe morning of June 22, 2006 will be ingrained in my mind as one of the most memorable and moving moments in my life. It was a day in which we broke ground on a citadel

of memory, survival, and hope. With our shovels we began to create a legacy of conscience and illumination to our community, our nation, and our world. For Holocaust survivors who have dedicated their lives to speaking up and speaking out – so that “never again” becomes a code of conduct for generations to come – the groundbreaking for the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center was a dream come true.

The land on which we gathered will become sacred, for it will form the foundation of a powerful monument for remembering,

conveying, and preserving the legacy of the Holocaust. And through this sacred ground will emerge a sacred obligation – the responsibility to create an institution that serves as a bulwark against hate and indifference.

Two years ago, when I joined the team of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, I was confi dent that we would reach this milestone. Yet, I could not have fathomed the enormity of it all, that sense of inspiration and hope that we all felt when our shovels pierced the ground. To know that we are establishing a place that will help future generations learn the most important lessons in life, while preserving the memory of those who perished, is one of the most powerful experiences I can imagine.

When we build it, they will come – teachers, students, police offi cers, clergy, public offi cials, community leaders, families, you and me. Together, we will be forever transformed.

Richard S. HirschhautProject and Executive Director

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We are grateful to the many people who have come forward in recent months to contribute their stories, artifacts, documents, and photographs to the museum. Among the powerful artifacts that have been donated recently to the new museum are:

A suitcase used by survivors when they immigrated to Chicago in 1946

Identifi cation papers of individuals who worked in one of Oskar Schindler’s factories

A collection of documents and photographs relating to German Jewish refugees in Shanghai, China, including musical documents safeguarded and used throughout their journey from Germany to Shanghai, and fi nally to Chicago

The process of placing artifacts within the exhibition of the new museum is currently underway. We encourage you to share your stories and artifacts with us soon, as this will enable us to tell a complete and more personal story of the Holocaust. We will make every effort to ensure the collection process is easy for you. We continue to seek original artifacts and documents: photos, diaries, travel documents, art, clothing or almost anything related to pre-war life, survival experiences, life in the camps, anti-Semitic paraphernalia, post-war resettlement and emigration, and the attempted 1978 neo-Nazi march in Skokie.

For more information or to donate artifacts, please call Museum Registrar Bethany Fleming, (847) 491-0905 or by email, artifacts@hmfi .org.

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ARTIFACT UPDATE: OUR COMMUNITY DELIVERS

Top: Walter Rosenbusch and his wife traveled with this suitcase from Germany to Chicago. Bottom: Judith Fliescher Kolb’s family carried this cantorial music from Germany to Shanghai and fi nally to Chicago.

TEREDSELECT CAMPAIGN GIFTS AND PLEDGESGifts of $1,000,000+AnonymousBrill Family Fund Circle of Service FoundationLawrence J. EllisonJ.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family

FoundationState of Illinois

$500,000 to $999,999Glenview State BankThe Irving Harris Foundation

$100,000 to $499,999AnonymousCole Taylor BankExelon CorporationMichael and Jacqueline FerroJames and Ann GoodmanGary and Sheila HandwerkerPaul and Jolanta HardejSam and Dede HarrisIllinois Clean Energy Community FundAl LachmanThe Ronald & Mary Ann Lachman

FoundationElaine and Donald LevinsonNorth Shore Community BankRick and Lynda StrusinerHoward and Sheryl SwibelLouis Weber

$50,000 to $99,999AnonymousAdrienne and Jerry BauerDeutsche Bank Fifth Third BankLarry and Laura GerberPhilip and Ellen GlassJoseph and Sheila GutmanDiane IsraelHarley and Kathy KormanThe Muenster FamilyEstate of Ray I. Piterman Michael RembaumPhilip and Mindy RosenbergJohn and Jeanne RoweGregory H. SachsRichard and Jacquie SalomonHarvey and Yetta SaltzmanMichael and Roberta SeedmanJay and Mindy Sterns

$25,000 to $49,000Warren BakerBrian and Gail BoorsteinGarry and Johanna BraininMitchell and Gladys GreenbergJeffrey and Ilene HechtmanMyron and Dovie HorvitzRobert and Phyllis JaffeeKeith and Caryl JaffeeMichael and Andrea RosengardenJacqueline L. Schwartz Memorial

Foundation & Marvin SchwartzDiabetes Research Fund

Norman SchwartzMichael and Jane StraussThalheimer FamilyRandall and Karen Winters

$10,000 to $25,000Howard and Christine AckermanJeffrey and Jamie AnnenbergRobert BensmanFelicia and Gershon BrennerChicago BullsChicago White Sox Charities, Inc.The Deblinger FamilyScott and Lisa GendellSonia GilbertEnid and Howard Golden and

Jeanette and Sheldon BellShelley Stern Grach and Mark GrachGreat Vest Side ClubAlex and Lynn GreenAlma S. Herbst TrustJay and Judy HeymanLawrence and Sue HochbergCalvin and Carole KanterMichael and Janet KrasnyKenneth LehmanNiles Township GovernmentRalph and Enid RehbockBruce TeitelbaumTybal Weinberg Revocable TrustHelen and Alan WeismanMax and Lois ZuckermanIf we have inadvertently omitted your name, please contact donations@hmfi .org.

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GROUNDBREAKING IMAGESJUNE 22, 2006

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Sunday, August 20th, 2:00 p.m. – Adieu, Auf Wiedersehen 4255 Main Street, Skokie, ILFarewell party for our outgoing Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP) volunteer, Philipp Adaemmer, who will be returning to Germany after his year with us.

Sunday, September 17th, 2:00 p.m. – Memorial for Babi Yar 4255 Main Street, Skokie, ILSixty-fi ve years have passed since the massacre of approximately 100,000 Jews at Babi Yar, a ravine near Kiev. The solemn occasion will be marked by a program of music, poetry and refl ection.

Sunday, October 29th, 2:00 p.m. – New Year, New Volunteer 4255 Main Street, Skokie, ILOpen house to welcome our new ARSP volunteer, Gregor Darmer

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED for all eventsPlease call (847) 677-4640 or E-mail: info@hmfi .org

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UPCOMING EVENTS

MAIN STREET UPDATE

SAVE THE DATE

2006 Humanitarian Awards DinnerNOVEMBER 13, 2006

Hyatt Regency, ChicagoDetails Forthcoming

AN EVENING WITH DEBORAH LIPSTADT

Dr. Deborah E. LipstadtAuthor of:

History On Trial: My Day In Court With David Irving

6:00 pm - Reception7:00 pm - Lecture

Book Signing to Follow

Reservations and Informationwww.hmfi .org

September 13, 2006

The HRB Presents

Page 4 Top Left: Members of the Executive Committee and honored guests break ground. Top Right: Board President, Samuel R. Harris. Middle Left: Fritzie Fritzshall and Israeli Consul General Barukh Binah. Middle Right: Aaron Elster and Governor Rod Blagojevich. Bottom Left: State Senators (Ret.) Howard Carroll and Art Berman. Bottom Middle: Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn and Attorney General Lisa Madigan.Bottom Right: Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen accepts an Honorary Founders Award at the Legacy Luncheon following the Groundbreaking Ceremony.

Page 5 Top: Surviving founders of HMFI, (from left) David Figman, Barbara Steiner, Bela Korn, and Al Lachman, are awarded by Vice President, Howard Swibel (center). Middle: Governor Rod Blagojevich with Al Lachman. Bottom: The Soul Children of Chicago perform.

All photographs are courtesy of Deja Views USA, www.dejaviewsusa.com.

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A FAREWELL FROM PHILIPP

ARSP volunteer, Philipp Adaemmer, speaks with a school group about German history and life in modern Germany. Philipp ends his year-long stay in August.

“Whenever a member of your family commits a crime you may say ‘I am not guilty’ but you may not say ‘it does not regard me.’” -- Romano Guardini

In 1958, thirteen years after the end of the Second World War, Lothar Kreysig, an opponent of the National Socialist regime and founder of the confessing church, held a speech at the Protestant synod. The recognition of German guilt and the call for a sign of atonement marked the beginning of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP). Since then, about 19,000 long and short-term volunteers have worked with ARSP in countries that suffered directly or indirectly under Nazi-occupation to confront the era of National Socialism in German history. After almost 40 years of peace work, ARSP is now active in Israel, the United States and Europe, working in the arenas of education and social work with survivors of the Holocaust, and members of the local community.

Last September, I came to Skokie to work at the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois to complete my service with ARSP, which I actually started in Berlin. Although more emotionally-affected than a non-German, I did not begin this service from a feeling of guilt but rather from the conviction that we, as free democratic citizens, have the chance and duty to learn, and also teach other people about our descendant’s mistakes and crimes. It is not possible for me to dissociate myself from my country’s history.

My main responsibility and enjoyment at the Main Street facility has come with assisting the organization’s primary mission – education. I facilitated school groups who visited as a part of a fi eld trip experience. I spoke to them about Germany today and my family background, as well as my feelings toward guilt and responsibility. Talking to them, as a German, was not always easy but nevertheless wonderful. Sixty-fi ve years ago we probably would have hated each other just because of our nationality. Being able to approach these students today about Germany’s history of the Third Reich was a great and important experience for me.

I hope that the new Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center will speak up against human rights issues and genocides wherever and whenever they take place. All human beings, regardless of their color, ethnic identity, or political point of view deserve to be treated according to the Human Rights Convention.

In a world still fi lled with hate, bigotry, and intolerance, a museum like this is truly needed. I am convinced that with your good will and deep conviction to justice, you can and will achieve something big. Margaret Mead once said that you shall never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, she said, it is the only thing that ever has.

Shalom Uvracha! Yours truly,

Philipp Adaemmer

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE BOARD UPDATEThe Holocaust Remembrance Board (HRB) is the young leadership committee of the new Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. The group’s mission is to educate younger adults about the Holocaust, learn the stories of Holocaust survivors, and raise awareness about the new museum.

In April, commemorating Yom HaShoah, the young leaders gathered to hear the story of Lala Fishman, a Holocaust survivor who escaped persecution by convincing the public that she was a Polish gentile.

In early June, HRB hosted a viewing and discussion of the fi lm, The Power of Good – The Story of Nicholas Winton, an inspiring documentary about Sir Nicholas Winton, who rescued 669 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. Joining us for that event was Marianne Wolfson, who was one of Winton’s saved children, and currently resides in the Chicago area. Wolfson recounted her experience and answered questions from the audience.

The event, held at The Standard Club, drew a crowd of young leaders, Holocaust survivors, and community members. This type of intergenerational dialogue serves as an example of the important work of the Holocaust Remembrance Board – the responsibility to preserve the legacy of survivor stories and to provide younger generations the opportunity to hear these fi rsthand accounts.

Looking forward, HRB will hold its largest program to date on September 13th, by hosting Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, an expert on evaluating political responses to the Holocaust. The evening event will include a private reception, lecture, and book signing. To learn more and register, please visit our website at www.hmfi .

The Holocaust Remembrance Board continues to fl ourish as each event occurs. For more information or to get involved, visit www.hmfi .org/young_leadership.htm or contact Julie Avchen at hrb@hmfi .org, or (847) 491-0905.

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The 2006 Leo & Antonia Gershanov Memorial Holocaust Essay Contest attracted nearly 300 entries from high school students throughout Illinois, who examined the theme, “In Pursuit of Justice.” The top eight student writers were rewarded for their efforts: Megan Joy Fogarty, Ridgewood High School, Norridge, First Place; Laura R. Huebner, Ridgewood High School, Norridge, First Place; Erica E. Kuchenmeister, Normal Community High School, Second Place; Aaron William Rosenson, Evanston Township High School, Second Place; Courtney Josephine Sanor, Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School, Honorable Mention; Ilana Eskin Strauss, Deerfi eld High School, Third Place; Rebecca Marie Vander Wilt, Christian Life High School, Rockford, Honorable Mention. (Not shown: Colleen Elizabeth Harden, Champaign Central High School, Third Place.)

2006 GERSHANOV ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS

While in Scottsdale, HMFI President, Sam Harris, visited with Gerta Weissman Klein, and Ernie Michel, Executive Vice President Emeritus of UJA/Federation New York, both prominent Holocaust survivors. Weissman Klein was featured in the Emmy-winning HBO feature, One Survivor Remembers.

IHMEC in ARIZONA

On May 8th, 101-year-old Leopold Engleitner, a Jehovah’s Witness who is one of the oldest living concentration camp survivors worldwide, spoke to a full house at the Main Street Museum facility. The evening included an interview and question and answer session with Mr. Engleitner, as well as a screening of Unbroken Will, the prize-winning documentary of his life. The standing-room-only audience, including many members of the Jehovah’s Witness community, was not only captivated by Mr. Engleitner’s powerful story, but charmed by his vibrant personality.

A WITNESS TO HISTORYOn July 15th, Vice President Fritzie Fritzshall addressed

the audience at the Chicago Film Festival’s Summer Gala honoring Steven Spielberg. Fritzshall thanked Spielberg for his extraordinary fi lm, Schindler’s List and for his continued efforts on behalf of the survivor community through his leadership of the Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education.

The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center is proud to announce receipt of a $100,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation (ICECF) to help facilitate the building of an environmentally-friendly museum.

Education Coordinator Kelley Szany traveled to Israel for a special conference for educators at Yad Vashem, entitled “Teaching the Holocaust to Future Generations.” The conference included presentations by leading scholars from across the globe, and was sponsored by The Asper International Holocaust Studies Program.

IHMEC spent an evening with Chicago-based Japanese business and community leaders, hosted by Japanese Consul General and Mrs. Yutaka Yoshizawa at their offi cial residence.

On April 25th, the museum screened the documentary About Face: The Story of the Jewish Refugee Soldiers of WWII, and held a question and answer session afterwards with the producers and local veterans featured in the fi lm. Over 200 people attended this event at the Wilmette Theatre.

IHMEC participated in the May 1st rally against genocide in

Sudan, sponsored by the Chicago Coalition to Save Darfur.

Complete stories available at www.hmfi .org

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RECENT HEADLINES

Seated: Leopold Engleitner; Standing, left to right: Kelley Szany, HMFI Education Coordinator; Honorable Dr. Robert Zischg, Austrian Consul General in Chicago; Philipp Adaemmer, A.R.S.P. volunteer; Lillian Polus Gerstner, HMFI Site Director; Renata Stowasser; Bernhard Rammerstorfer, fi lmmaker and author; Robert Wagemann, interpreter.

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Docent Gil Levy speaks to school groups because he wants people to know the history of the Holocaust and the dangers of hatred. Here, he shows students money created for use in the Thereisenstadt Ghetto as part of their tour through the Skokie Museum exhibition, Voices Still Heard.

Students in the Greater Chicagoland area, who might not be able to visit the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, are able to interact with Holocaust survivors and historic artifacts at the current museum facility in Skokie. The new Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center will reach over 250,000 students annually.

EDUCATION REPORTThe 2005-06 school year was record-breaking for our Speakers’ Bureau and Docent Corps, as we reached 37,500 students and educators throughout the Midwest. From January to June alone we reached over 29,000 through fi eld trips and outreach efforts. In addition, we are pleased to note the addition of ten new members, survivors, and liberators, to our Speakers’ Bureau family and four new members to our Docent Corps.

Many thanks to all of our speakers and docents for

your tireless dedication throughout this remarkable year. With the next school year nearly upon us, we must remain committed to teaching the enduring lessons of the Holocaust and genocides past and present.

We must continue to teach students and educators how to apply the lessons of history to fi ght against hate, extremism, and genocide in their world today. Our continued pursuit of this educational mission is essential as we build toward our future, and serves as a reminder that “Never Again” is today.

Visit the all newwww.hmfi .org

“Most of the time I feel like a silent bystander and I don’t speak up when I see something that needs to be stopped. Now I realize that everyone in the world needs to speak up and not be silent. Something like the Holocaust should never happen again. I will do what you told us as I grow up because I want to live in a good world. I want to do my best for the world.”

– 8th grader, Old Orchard Junior High

HOLOCAUST MEMORIALFOUNDATION OF ILLINOIS

ILLINOIS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM AND EDUCATION

CENTER

PresidentSamuel R. Harris

Museum Campaign ChairJ.B. Pritzker

Vice PresidentsAaron Elster

Fritzie Fritzshall Howard Swibel

SecretaryBela KornTreasurer

David HafftChair, Presidential Advisory Committee

Jack SilbertMembership Chair

Barbara Steiner

Professional StaffProject & Executive Director

Richard S. HirschhautProject AssociateEvette L. Simon

Director of Donor RelationsBarbara Carter Berger

RegistrarBethany L. Fleming

Site DirectorLillian Polus Gerstner

Education Coordinator/Public HistorianKelley H. SzanyProject Assistants

Julie AvchenRachel DeblingerARSP Volunteer

Philipp Adaemmer

Project ConsultantsArtifact ConsultantJessica Kaz-HoffmanGrants Coordinator

Amy SteinbackArt Consultant

Dale Miller

1603 Orrington AvenueSuite 1625

Evanston, IL 60201p. 847.491.0905f. 847.491.6601www.hmfi .org