Mission and Vision

MISSION: The new Holocaust education center is dedicated to exploring the lessons of the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity. The center educates and inspires visitors of diverse backgrounds through local survivor stories, artifacts, immersive media experiences, community outreach and public programs.

VISION: We strive to inspire visitors to learn from the Holocaust, to become upstanders, and to work toward a world without hatred and bigotry.

Students & Education

A key focus of our new center will be to provide educational programs for students throughout Arizona. These opportunities will include field trips to the museum, guided tours with experienced docents, lectures and classes on site as well as curricula and other resources for teachers.

Students visiting the center will have the opportunity to experience an interactive biography of one of our local survivors, Oskar Knoblauch. Using state of the art interactive technology, Oskar’s Dimensions in Testimony interview from the USC Shoah Foundation will allow students to ask Oskar’s image over 1,000 real-time questions related to his Holocaust experience.

JEWISH NEWS 07/2021: Plans for $15M Phoenix Holocaust museum include hologram-like exhibit

The Hope Chest

Hope Chest is a curriculum and complete set of teaching resources designed to immerse students in Holocaust survivor Oskar Knoblauch’s memoir, A Boy’s Story, A Man’s Memory: Surviving the Holocaust 1933–1945. This emotional coming-of-age story recounts Oskar and his family’s struggle to escape the Nazis’ rise to power in Germany by fleeing to Poland, only to be subjugated to the Kraków ghetto and forced labor camps. Oskar’s story of survival and relevant themes of hope, respect, and giving 110% will inspire and connect directly to students’ lives while supporting academic standards, Holocaust education, and social and emotional learning competencies.

Collaboration and Partnerships

Creating a comprehensive approach to partnering and programming aligns with our mission and the role of the new Center in the community. Through collaborative partnerships we have an opportunity to offer new and varied programming and to expand beyond the confines of our building to reach a larger audience. By working with other organizations, we can create new relationships, open new doors and build on shared values and interests. If you are part of an organization or know of one that would benefit from a collaborative partnership, please contact Jeffrey Schesnol, Associate Director, at jschesnol@azjhs.org.

Unless credited with prior ownership and copyright - all displayed imagery, illustrations, renderings and promotional materials of every form and description, whether in written, analog, digital, film or electronic form, prepared by Arizona Jewish Historical Society shall remain the copyrighted property works of Arizona Jewish Historical Society. Any unauthorized use of that information or materials may violate copyright, trademark and other laws. Any rights not expressly granted are reserved.

We hope you will consider supporting our vision through the Building a Legacy of Hope Campaign, recognizing the importance of this Center and the impact it will have on our community.

ADDRESS:

122 E. Culver Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-1720

We are located right next to Burton Barr Phoenix Public Library. To find us, take 2nd Street south from McDowell.

Oskar Knoblauch has spoken to over 500,000 people spreading the voice of tolerance and respect. He now welcomes you to learn from his website and support his cause to stop bullying and become UPSTANDERS. 

CLICK HERE: VOICE OF TOLERANCE