I would like to start by thanking all the dedicated THGAAC professionals, THGAAC Commissioners, the Governor’s office, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Historical Commission, elected and appointed state leaders, and all our partners throughout Texas for their tireless work to eliminate antisemitism by bringing forward studies, surveys, and conversations on Holocaust and genocide education.
Our newly completed 2024 Study on Antisemitism in Texas has been distributed to the Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, and all House and Senate members. In it, we make actionable recommendations to the Texas Legislature and our own Commission that will help us fulfill our mission and educate and provide security for all Texans. The study is available on our website at THGAAC.texas.gov, and printed copies are available for your consumption and distribution.
We also take our role in Holocaust education seriously. At the direction of the Texas Legislature, we conducted a survey to capture the way K-12 students are being taught about Holocaust education. The timing is pertinent as students have more opportunity for learning during Holocaust Remembrance Week each January.
We will continue to scour the state by meeting the needs of communities in underserved areas and also in larger cities with discussions, programs, and projects on our issues.
We will move forward with initiatives such as involving students and young adults to be our eyes and ears on the ground to let us know what antisemitism looks like across the state and by engaging school board and city council members to educate and spread our word.
We invite you to learn more about the Friends of the THGAAC, which assists the THGAAC by raising private philanthropic support for the projects and programs of the Commission.
While there is so much work yet to accomplish, we have made great progress and will continue to educate and fight for goodness vs. evil in Texas.
Please write me with your comments and suggestions as together we can move mountains, or at least Texas hills, to make our great state the best that it can be.
Ken Goldberg
Chair, Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission
Kenneth.Goldberg@thgaac.texas.gov
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We submitted the most recent Study on Antisemitism in Texas to Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick, House Speaker Phelan, and the Texas Legislature on behalf of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC). You can find it on our website here.
The report details what many of you know too well from your daily work both before and since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel: that Jew-hatred is on the rise, with much of it fueled by a disdain for the State of Israel. In Texas, we have responded to incidents everywhere from synagogues and Jewish community centers to city council chambers and front lawns and, of course, public schools and college campuses.
As the report makes clear, however, Texas is also a national leader in fighting back—thanks to our elected officials, individuals like you, and groups like yours.
Building on this leadership, we have included a series of recommendations in the report for Texas to continue promoting awareness and improving security. Several of these recommendations will be implemented directly by our team at the THGAAC, while others will require legislative support and action. They include:
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Expanding the application of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which is currently applied to higher education institutions, to public K-12 schools.
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Establishing an anti-masking law that creates an additional penalty for anyone who wears a mask or otherwise takes active steps to hide their facial features while committing a criminal offense.
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Continuing the vital security grants that Gov. Abbott and lawmakers established in the last year to help religious organizations, schools, and community centers harden their security infrastructures.
You can read media coverage from KVUE and Jewish News Syndicate.
 Holocaust Remembrance Week Survey Report
This year, we will begin to be guided by the results of the recent survey of K-12 educators about the HRW, which we have submitted to state leaders. The survey’s findings include:
- 32.2% of respondents indicated they were “very aware” of HRW, while more than one-third of respondents (37.2%) said they were “somewhat aware,” and the remaining respondents indicated they were “not aware” (30.6%).
- Nearly a quarter of campuses (23.5%) indicated they do not participate in HRW at all.
- Approximately 3 in 4 respondents indicated that HRW lesson plans (71.8%) and audio/visual resources (77.9%) would be “very” or “extremely useful.”
Holocaust Remembrance Week Resources
Holocaust Remembrance Week occurs the week of January 27–31, 2025. During this week, Texas Education Code, §29.9072 requires public schools to provide age-appropriate instruction on the Holocaust using resources developed or approved by the THGAAC.
The THGAAC web page for Holocaust Remembrance Week provides the following resources, which can be used during Holocaust Remembrance Week as well as year round:
Adam Blum
1. Why do you feel it is important to serve the state of Texas in this role?
We do important work on the Commission. I applaud the Governor’s efforts to elevate Holocaust awareness and his zero-tolerance positions on antisemitism and other forms of hate. The time is now to put a stop to the madness in this country and abroad. I make no apology for being a proud Jewish Texan who will do whatever it takes to live in a free world that affords all citizens the dignity of individual opportunity.
2. How has your life or family been impacted by the Holocaust, genocide, or antisemitism?
Both sides of my family had numerous people die in the Holocaust, and two of my wife’s grandparents were Holocaust survivors. A dear friend of mine who I got to know later in his life here in Austin liberated two concentration camps as a US Army staff sergeant in 1945. Several members of my family were trapped in Israel on October 7, 2023. My sister (@lizzysavetsky) has dedicated her entire life focus to advocating for Israel and against antisemitism.
3. What is your vision for the impact that the THGAAC can have on the state?
As it usually goes on meaningful issues, Texans will lead the way with our heads held high, exhibiting decency, vision, and unflappable resolve. Our Commission is a tremendous resource to educators and legislators in our state. May our impact be that our advisory work equips educators and key state organizations with the tools necessary for them to ensure that all Texans are able to do their part toward eradicating antisemitism and other forms of hate.
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THGAAC Chair Ken Goldberg addressed over 900 attendees at the October 7 Commemoration at Shearith Israel in Dallas and introduced Governor Greg Abbott, who reinforced his commitment to fighting antisemitism. |
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Governor Abbott gave remarks at the Shalom Austin Commemoration for October 7. He read off the names of the Americans still held hostage by Hamas.
Those are: Edan Alexander, Itay Chen, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Gadi Haggai, Judith Weinstein Haggai, Omer Neutra and Keith Siegel.
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Regional Coordinator Cheyanne Perkins traveled to Congregation Beth Israel in San Angelo, to speak at their October 7 Commemoration. She was invited to record a radio show on KIXY in San Angelo, called “Dialogue," with Ami Mizell-Flint, President of Congregation Beth Israel. The segment, which aired on Sunday, October 13, was about our Commission and the work that we do.
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Commissioner Lucy Katz traveled to Houston and Galveston mid-October to share her survival story at Holocaust Museum Houston and Rosenberg Library.
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Commissioner Providence Nkurunziza presented to a class at University of Texas at Austin on October 10. As a survivor who lost multiple close family members, she spoke and answered questions about her experiences during and after the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsis in Rwanda.
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The 2023 Education Grant projects continue to progress smoothly. Since August, there have been 26,049 visitors to THGAAC grant-funded programs. One of those programs is the Hidden History: Recounting the Jewish Shanghai Story special exhibition, which is currently being hosted by the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum (DHHRM). The exhibit will be on display at the museum until February 16 and may be viewed in-person or digitally here (scroll to the video near the bottom of the page). The current grant cycle will end on July 31, and we are looking forward to seeing the results of all the projects!
Pictured above: A panel from the exhibit, photographed at the opening reception
*Courtesy of DHHRM
In support of our mission to educate all Texans about the Holocaust and other genocides, the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC) connects speakers to classrooms, commemorations, and community events.
The THGAAC Speakers Bureau is comprised of scholars; survivors, liberators, or their descendants; and other experts who are willing to share their knowledge and experiences regarding the Holocaust, genocide, or antisemitism.
As you plan your calendar, please let us know if we can provide a free speaker to support your event. You may request a speaker on our website, thgaac.texas.gov, or by clicking here.
We welcome the opportunity to work with you!
Friends of the THGAAC held a large parlor meeting at the home of THGAAC Chair Ken Goldberg on September 3. The event drew over 120 people from the community and was warmly received by those who attended, with over $20,000 in pledges and payments being secured. Speakers during the evening included Chair Goldberg, US Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne, THGAAC Executive Director Joy Nathan, and Friends of the THGAAC Executive Director Scott Kammerman.
State Senator Phil King provided the keynote address and was effusive in his praise of the THGAAC and the work that it is undertaking to keep the Texas Legislature apprised of ongoing challenges with antisemitism in Dallas and throughout the state.
Other local and state dignitaries in attendance included: Texas Historical Commission Executive Director Joseph Bell, State Representative Angie Chen Button, State Representative Giovanni Capriglione, THC Vice Chair Catherine McKnight, State Representative Morgan Meyer, State Senator Tan Parker, and Dallas City Council Representative Jaynie Schultz.
Capitalizing on September’s efficacious community parlor meeting, Scott Kammerman returned to Dallas in early November for several days of high-level meetings with some of the foundational members of the Dallas Jewish community and set up by Chairman Goldberg. The meetings were highly successful as community leaders were intrigued to learn about the uniqueness of Friends’ mandate in supporting the official state agency tasked with bringing antisemitism and Holocaust education to smaller and underserved communities throughout the Lone Star State.
Parlor meetings continue to serve as strong springboards for introducing Friends and providing a macro-overview of the unique work the Commission undertakes to secure support for its mission. The next one is scheduled to take place in San Antonio on December 3 hosted by Commissioner Sandy Hagee Parker.
Friends is looking forward to building a small but robust and engaged board of directors under the leadership of Chair Steve Finkelman, tasked with funding needs provided by the THGAAC beginning in 2025.
 Attendees at the September 3 Parlor Meeting in Dallas included, From L to R: Friends Executive Director Scott Kammerman, THGAAC Executive Director Joy Nathan, Commissioner Cara Mendelsohn, Commissioner Sandy Hagee Parker, Sherry Goldberg, U.S. Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne, THGAAC Chair Ken Goldberg, Commissioner Lucy Katz, Commissioner Adam Blum, State Senator Tan Parker, State Representative Giovanni Capriglione, THGAAC State Coordinator of Education Dr. Jake Wolfson; and Commissioner Providence Nkurunziza.
To Support the Work of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide & Antisemitism Advisory Commission with a Tax Deductible gift through Friends of the THGAAC, please
The THGAAC will hold its next Quarterly Meeting in San Antonio, Texas on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. The THGAAC Quarterly meetings are open to the public.
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