We continue to advance our mission of confronting hatred, prejudice, and indifference by educating all Texans about antisemitism, the Holocaust, and genocide.
Since our last newsletter, the THGAAC has:
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Reviewed and approved funding for educational programming that aligns with our mission, complementing the Commission's work.
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Continued to strengthen partnerships with the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Association of Rural Schools to reach underserved communities.
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Met with Governor Abbott to share progress on our good work. The Governor instructed us to issue recommendations for legislative action that will bolster our mission. These recommendations will be outlined in our third Study on Antisemitism in Texas, due November first to the Texas Legislature, the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the Lieutenant Governor.
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Created a statewide plan to use a $1 million state grant to combat antisemitism on college and university campuses. We will train and educate faculty and administrators, provide speakers for students, and will host and tour a virtual Holocaust Museum in a mobile replica of a rail car used to transport Jews to concentration camps.
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Proudly fulfilled our state-mandated leadership of Holocaust Remembrance Week in January, undeterred by inclement weather.
The THGAAC held its most recent Quarterly Meeting in Austin on March 4. In addition to covering our required business agenda, we heard from several important community members: Edmund Fitton-Brown, a member of the outstanding team from The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a non-partisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy, discussed FDD’s connection to our mission to combat antisemitism. We also received the amazing, courageous, emotional, and heroic testimony of Leibel Lazarov, a survivor of the Bondi Beach Chanukah massacre of Jews in Australia. Mr. Lazarov has undergone 11 surgeries following his near-death experience. He traveled to Austin for one of his first testimonials since the attack, along with his mother, Manya, and father, Rabbi Yosef Lazarov of Chabad of Texas A&M University. Finally, we were graced with the presence of The First Lady of Texas, Cecelia Abbott. Mrs. Abbott shared that Texas will always stand with the Jewish people and all Texans against hate and antisemitism. She presented Mr. Lazaroff with a proclamation from the state recognizing his bravery and courage in the face of unimaginable evil.
As always, our efforts could not have been accomplished without the amazing commitment of our nine hardworking commissioners and our dedicated staff, including two new professionals, under the guidance of our outstanding Executive Director, Joy Nathan. We also recognize the support of our partners with the Texas Historical Commission.
As we see the face of hatred in Texas in acts of violence and intimidation, we will continue to teach the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides to eradicate antisemitism in our cherished state of Texas.
Chair, THGAAC
Pictured below: First Lady Cecilia Abbott with Leibel and his mother Manya Lazaroff (top left); First Lady Cecilia Abbott, Leibel Lazaroff, and THGAAC Chair Ken Goldberg (top right); THGAAC Executive Director Joy Nathan, Vice Chair Sandra Parker, Commissioner Lucy Katz, First Lady Ceclia Abbott, Leibel Lazaroff, Chair Goldberg, Commissioner Adam Blum, and Secretary Jay Zeidman (bottom left); Edmund Fitton-Brown (bottom right)
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On January 16, 2026, Governor Abbott issued a proclamation recognizing the 7th annual Holocaust Remembrance Week in Texas, which was held January 26 – January 30, 2026. Holocaust Remembrance Week (HRW) 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. The THGAAC offers a variety of resources to educators during HRW (and all year), including lesson plans, literary and audiovisual resources, consultations, and speaker presentations.
An ice storm may have forced school closures across the state, but educators, partner organizations, and the THGAAC rallied to provide Holocaust education to thousands of Texas students during HRW and beyond.
Teachers utilized approved resources from our website to provide quality Holocaust instruction; museum educators engaged students on group tours, visited their classrooms, and expanded virtual offerings to reach a wider audience; and THGAAC staff and volunteers offered presentations connecting students to the important lessons of the Holocaust. Thank you to all who participated in another meaningful Holocaust Remembrance Week.
Pictured below left: Second-generation Holocaust survivor Claudia Loewenstein presented in Thrall, Texas. Pictured below right: Commission Educator Elizabeth SoRelle presented at Small Middle School in Austin, Texas.
Spring 2026 Cycle
At our March Quarterly Meeting, THGAAC Commissioners voted on grant funding recommendations for the Spring 2026 cycle. These recommendations will be presented to the Texas Historical Commission at their April Quarterly Meeting, and recipients will be announced in May.
Upcoming Cycle
The THGAAC will begin accepting applications soon for our next grant cycle! Details are forthcoming and will be available on our website. These matching grants are open to any nonprofit organization headquartered in the state of Texas. Please contact THGAAC Grants Specialist Cheyanne Perkins with any questions.
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Elizabeth SoRelle joined the THGAAC in January. Elizabeth has over 20 years of experience as an educator in the public schools of Texas and has a passion for teaching about the Holocaust. She has completed advanced studies with Echoes and Reflections at Yad Vashem and with Brandeis University’s Presidential Summit on Antisemitism. She was selected as a teacher leader for Echoes and was an ambassador for the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Elizabeth joined us right before Holocaust Remembrance Week. She hit the ground running with presentations in South Texas, Austin, and Killeen. |
Combating Antisemitism on College Campuses
The THGAAC received an additional $1 million from the Texas Legislature for fiscal year 2026 to address the growing threat of antisemitism on college campuses. In March and April, the Commission will continue expanding its campus and community outreach in South Texas through a series of educational programs and discussions designed to foster dialogue and broaden understanding. Programming will take place in partnership with Texas A&M International University and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, with events planned in Laredo, Edinburg, Brownsville, and Harlingen. Upcoming engagements will include dialogue programs with Sharaka, an organization that brings together voices from across the Middle East to promote regional understanding, as well as the Hate Ends Now Cattle Car exhibit, an immersive educational experience that helps audiences reflect on the lessons of Holocaust history. Together, these programs aim to create meaningful opportunities for learning, conversation, and community engagement across the region.
Genocide Awareness Month Commemorations
One of the statutory duties of the THGAAC is to coordinate events in the state memorializing the Holocaust and other genocides. April is Genocide Awareness Month and marks many commemorations including the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda (April 7), Yom HaShoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day (April 13), Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day (April 17), and Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day (April 24). The THGAAC calendar provides opportunities for Texans to participate and build public awareness of commemorative events, and it lists programs and educational initiatives.
Jewish American Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) in May is an opportunity to counter Jewish hate by recognizing Jewish contributions to Texas culture, history, military, science, government, and more. The THGAAC 2025 Study on Antisemitism for the Texas Legislature recommended that the state's commemoration of Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) each May include formal Capitol programming and provide educational resources for schools to incorporate into their teaching. This year, we will continue to work with a cross-section of organizations in cities across Texas to build awareness and expand programming statewide under the JAHM umbrella.
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The Lone Star Student Task Force on Antisemitism works to ensure that the State of Texas has an accurate and up-to-date understanding of antisemitism on high school and college campuses. By centering student experiences and firsthand observation, the Task Force creates a direct channel through which what students see, hear, and experience in everyday campus spaces can inform awareness, decision-making, and potential policy responses.
Students participating in the Task Force contribute by observing and describing the climate on their campuses, including patterns, incidents, conversations, and broader trends related to antisemitism. Their role is not to propose policy, but to provide grounded, experience-based insight that helps the State of Texas understand what is actually happening on campuses across the state.
For more information, or to apply, click here.
Friends of the THGAAC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2023, continues to expand its efforts to support the educational mission of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission. By raising private philanthropic support, Friends helps fund programs and initiatives that strengthen Holocaust, genocide, and antisemitism education across the state.
In recent months, Friends Executive Director Scott Kammerman has been working alongside the organization’s dedicated board in continuing to build meaningful connections with community leaders and supporters throughout Texas. These outreach efforts are helping to expand awareness of the Commission’s work while laying the groundwork for new funding opportunities that will increase the impact of THGAAC initiatives statewide.
A key focus of Friends is supporting the Commission’s proactive educational outreach to communities that often have limited access to Holocaust and genocide education. While important work continues in Texas’ major metropolitan areas, Friends is uniquely committed to helping bring meaningful educational programming to underserved urban and rural communities across the state. By supporting teacher trainings, classroom resources, and speaker programs in these areas, Friends helps ensure that students and educators across Texas have opportunities to learn the enduring lessons of the Holocaust and the dangers of antisemitism and hatred.
Support for Friends strengthens the THGAAC’s mission to educate all Texans about the Holocaust, genocide, and antisemitism. To support Friends of the THGAAC and help expand this important educational outreach, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution by
THGAAC Chairman Ken Goldberg attended the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies at the UT Dallas Annual Scholars’ Conference, March 8. (Pictured below left is Chairman Goldberg and Tali Nates, founder and director of the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Center.)
THGAAC Chairman Ken Goldberg spoke about the work of the Commission at the Annual Scholarship Gala for the Texas Torah Institute on March 9 (pictured below right).
 Campus Outreach Coordinator Alexander Suster traveled to Lubbock on March 9 and had a series of meetings with students and leadership at Texas Tech. (Pictured below from left are Chabad Rabbi Zelman Braun, Alexander Suster, Shanda Hasse and Nathan Hasse.)
Commissioner Lucy Katz (below third from left) spoke to Triumphant Love Lutheran Church about "Heroes" on February 24.
Second-generation Holocaust survivor Claudia Loewenstein presented at Ann Richards School of Young Women Leaders in Austin, Texas on February 23.
Commission Educator Elizabeth SoRelle presented at different locations in South Texas the first week of February, including Valley View Early College High School in Hidalgo and De La Vina Elementary in Edinburg.
Three THGAAC staff members, Executive Director Joy Nathan, State Coordinator of Education Dr. J.E. Wolfson, and Commission Educator Elizabeth SoRelle, attended the Association of Holocaust Organizations (AHO) Winter Conference in Washington, DC, January 10-13, hosted at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The THGAAC will hold its next Quarterly Meeting in Austin, Texas on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The THGAAC Quarterly Meetings are open to the public.
Upcoming Events
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