The THGAAC has remained active and vigilant in its role of educating Texans about the horrors of the Holocaust and other genocides in an effort to combat rising antisemitism and all forms of hatred.
Along with dedicated commissioners, our outstanding professionals, Executive Director, Joy Nathan; State Coordinator of Education, Dr. J.E. Wolfson; Regional Coordinator and Volunteer Specialist, Lauren Fryer; Regional Coordinator and Grants Specialist, Cheyanne Perkins; Regional Coordinator and Communications Specialist, Arielle Epstein; Executive Assistant, Elizabeth Langford; and Friends of the THGAAC Development Manager, Scott Kammerman, have been scouring our great state to spread the word and gain support for our mission.
A huge debt of gratitude goes to Governor Greg Abbott for signing a new executive order which will challenge raging antisemitism on Texas state-funded college campuses. Commissioners Sandra Hagee Parker and Jay Zeidman were instrumental in working with the governor’s office to accomplish the implementation of the executive order.
The governor also appointed two new commissioners to the THGAAC. We welcome Cara Mendelsohn of Dallas and Adam Blum of Austin to our team. For the first time since our inception, we have a full set of nine commissioners in place.
We are now in the midst of working with the Texas Education Agency in analyzing survey data from public school districts to improve our teach and reach on mandatory Holocaust education during Holocaust Remembrance Week. Recommendations based on the survey results will be presented to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house, and all state legislators with our second Study on Antisemitism in Texas report.
We also welcome input from all Texans on how we can improve our work to reach more constituents regarding Holocaust, genocide, and antisemitism. Please contact me directly, Joy Nathan, Vice Chair Sandra Hagee Parker, or direct your thoughts to THGAAC.texas.gov.
Don’t Mess With Texas,
Ken Goldberg
Chair, Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission. Kenneth.Goldberg@thgaac.texas.gov
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On March 27, Governor Greg Abbott issued an Executive Order to fight the increase in acts of antisemitism at colleges and universities in Texas and ensure a safe learning environment for Jewish students and all Texans. He tasked the board of regents of each Texas public university to update their policies and report back the steps they have taken.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has indicated that combating antisemitism on Texas college campuses is a priority in the next legislative session and tasked the Senate’s interim legislative charges to “Review campus policies to prevent antisemitism. Study the oversight Texas institutions of higher education have over the formation and operations of student organizations, including access to campus facilities and use of campus property. Make recommendations to prevent antisemitism on college campuses while protecting First Amendment rights.”
The THGAAC stands ready to assist and advise the legislature as they work to halt the spread of antisemitism.
Sandra Parker
Why do you feel it is important to serve the state of Texas in this role?
I believe if you are called to serve and are able to do the same, then you must. In terms of this role specifically, doing what I can to combat antisemitism in all its forms, wherever it can be found, is a personal calling that I am committed to not only in this capacity but my life in general. That I get to combine my passion in service of my beloved State of Texas is a privilege for which I am eternally grateful.
How has your life or family been impacted by the Holocaust, genocide, or antisemitism?
I tell people if Zionism is a gene then I have it in my DNA. I was raised a religious Zionist and see this cause as not only righteous but rational. I had the privilege of knowing Irving Roth, a survivor of Auschwitz, and became friends with him and went to Poland with him. Seeing the Holocaust through the eyes of a survivor is a privilege because it’s rare, but also a burden because once you have borne witness to the horrors of what transpired there you are forever changed, as you should be. Anyone who has been touched by, impacted by, or experienced any of these horrors carries with them the burden of knowing the truth and ensuring others know the same. Something Irving said to me that I will never forget is, "It did not begin at Auschwitz. It began with words."
What is your vision for the impact that the THGAAC can have on the state?
Our state’s commitment to this commission shows that it rightly recognizes the threat of the rising tide of antisemitism and the consequences of such hatred. We are not empaneled to merely study tragedies of the past, but to prevent their repetition.
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Educators across Texas provided meaningful, age-appropriate Holocaust instruction to thousands of K-12 students during the 5th annual Holocaust Remembrance Week, which was held January 22 – January 26, 2024. Holocaust Remembrance Week was enacted by the Texas Legislature to educate students about the Holocaust, inspire in students a sense of responsibility to recognize and uphold human value, and to help prevent future atrocities. Each year, the THGAAC partners with the four Holocaust museums in the state to deliver on these goals.
In collaboration with the Texas Education Agency, the THGAAC surveyed all public schools across the state to assess the implementation of Holocaust Remembrance Week. The survey included questions about awareness, access to resources, and needed supports. The results of the survey will be published in a report to the Texas Legislature at the end of this year and will be used to develop recommendations to further the impact of Holocaust Remembrance Week.
THGAAC State Coordinator of Education, Dr. J.E. Wolfson with educators at De la Vina Elementary in Edinburg, Texas
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St. Sarkis Armenian Church
St. Sarkis Armenian Church has been spending the month commemorating the Armenian Genocide. On April 7th, the church hosted author Chris Bohjalian for a talk about his book, The Sandcastle Girls, and they held an art expo and commemoration ceremony on April 24th in honor of Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. These events were part of their 2023 THGAAC Education Grant project, “Seeing the Humanity in Each of Us: The Lessons of the Armenian Genocide.” This grant project also included Armeniafest, which took place last fall, and an educators’ workshop, which was held in February.
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Father Ghevond Ajamian Pastor of St. Sarkis addresses those in attendance at the educators' workshop in February.
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Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio
Earlier this year, the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio brought the traveling exhibit “Hate Ends Now—The Cattle Car Project” to Texas. The museum displayed the exhibit at venues in San Antonio, Austin, Corpus Christi, McAllen, and Laredo, and it attracted many visitors, including a large number of students. The exhibit includes audio recordings of survivor testimonies, and the museum created educational materials to accompany these presentations.
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"Hate Ends Now-- The Cattle Project" at Shalom Austin
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At a parlor meeting in Houston at the home of Commissioner Ira Mitzner in March, Friends of the THGAAC proudly announced that it had received its 501c3 Tax Deductible Status in record time, and that it was the recipient of a generous $250,000 grant from the Moody Foundation for the purpose of assisting in combating antisemitism at public colleges and universities in Texas. Read more about the grant in this article from the Jewish-Herald Voice.
Friends of the THGAAC continues to focus on building brand awareness through social media outreach and finding community leaders to serve as part of its advisory council. Additionally, Friends of the THGAAC moves forward in its mission to secure supplemental financial support for Texas organizations and groups undertaking important works approved by the THGAAC and in line with its mission. Additional parlor meetings and intimate gatherings throughout Texas continue to be planned for the upcoming months.
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Scott Kammerman, Friends of the THGAAC Development Manager; Steve Finkelman, Chairman of the Friends of the THGAAC; Commissioner Ira Mitzner; Commissioner Lucy Katz; Joy Nathan, THGAAC Executive Director; Ken Goldberg, THGAAC Chair; Commissioner Providence Nkurunziza; and Commissioner Jay Zeidman.
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The THGAAC will hold its next Quarterly Meeting in Austin, Texas on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. The THGAAC Quarterly meetings are open to the public.
The National Endowment for the Humanities is accepting applications for their 2024 Public Impact Projects at Smaller Organizations grant, through June 12. Applicants may request up to $25,000.00. Visit their site here for more information.
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