I am excited to report that the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC) remains active, engaged, and relevant as we move through 2023.

A number of our recommendations to the Texas Legislature were signed into law in this year’s session, including security funding for religious institutions and anti-BDS action for state-funded universities.

Through its Education Grant, the THGAAC recently allocated over $300,000 to nonprofit organizations for programming that will reach thousands of Texans.

While we said goodbye to Commissioner Rabbi Ilan Emanuel, who has moved on to lead a congregation in New York, we welcome two new commissioners: Roger Nober of Fort Worth and Jay Zeidman of Houston. We are grateful to Governor Abbott for these two thoughtful appointments.

We continue our work of communicating with state legislators by creating listening tours so these elected officials can have informed conversations on our issues with their constituents.

In another exciting development, Steve Finkelman of Houston will chair our brand new Friends of the THGAAC. This group will raise important dollars to complement state-funded allocations to help us promote our work in Holocaust and genocide education across the state as we combat antisemitism and other forms of hate. Steve is the son of a Holocaust survivor and has been active in Houston's business community and Jewish community for decades.

We will  also continue to develop our speakers bureau to help our commissioners and professionals better reach underserved and rural areas. THGAAC Executive Director Joy Nathan implemented a regional structure in October 2022 and our three regional coordinators have been on the road helping connect organizations to the THGAAC and our mission.

As we continue to make strides, we continuously work with the Texas Historical Commission to ensure that our work is coordinated and validated.

Please visit our website to see more of our activities and to meet our dedicated commissioners.

-Kenneth Goldberg, THGAAC Chair

Providence Umugwaneza Nkurunziza is a survivor of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Initially appointed to the former Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission by Governor Greg Abbott in 2020, Nkurunziza was re-appointed to the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission in January 2022.

As a result of the genocide against the Tutsi, Nkurunziza lost her siblings, parents, extended family, and childhood friends. She has found that many people are completely unaware of the genocide, so education is the key to fighting its denial or other types of hatred. One of the most difficult paths to navigate as survivors, she notes, is "how to respond to our children when they ask why our loved ones are not here or why they were killed."

As a commissioner, Nkurunziza believes that education through classroom visits, programming with organizations, and commemorative events helps connect this important history with society today. Recently, Commissioner Nkurunziza helped coordinate and host an event in Dallas, Texas to honor and remember the families completely wiped out in the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

Commissioner Nkurunziza currently resides in Fort Worth with her husband and three children. She received a bachelor’s degree in Administrative Science from the University of Kigali in Rwanda and is fluent in Kinyarwanda, French, and English.

We are pleased to announce that Scott Kammerman of Houston has accepted the role of Development Manager, a new position with the THGAAC that will work exclusively on building out the Friends of the THGAAC. Scott will begin in mid-September and brings over 20 years of fundraising experience, having worked for organizations like the Friends of the Israel Defense Force, the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, Texas Hillel at the University of Texas, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. For the past seven years, Scott has served as a nonprofit entrepreneur and brand manager and has had his own consulting firm focusing on clients who need assistance raising money through private donations and corporate sponsors.

We look forward to sharing ways to connect and support the Friends of the THGAAC and are planning parlor meetings to take place around the state beginning this fall.