VHM Artifact Highlight: Susanne’s Doll
February 6th, 2017– Susanne Hirt (nèe Hirsch) was born in Berlin, Germany on August 1, 1913. She was the youngest child of Joseph—a businessman—and Dorothea Hirsch—a caregiver. Susanne grew up with her older half siblings, Alexander and Rosetta, and her older sister, Anna Margarete, and near extended family like her
Simone Schwarz 1927–2017
February 2, 2017 We at the Virginia Holocaust Museum are saddened to hear that local Survivor, Simone Schwarz has passed away earlier today.Born in Poland in 1927, Simone Schwarz (Golub) was one of five children living in the small town of Kreva. In 1939, Simone and her family were living
VHM Artifact Highlight: Silver Yad
January 23rd, 2017– A yad, or a Torah pointer, is a ritual pointer used by readers to keep their place during Torah readings. Yad—a Hebrew word—translates to “hand,” and the Torah pointer functions as such. In Judaic tradition, it is considered disrespectful to touch the Torah, a sacred religious text,
Mark Fetter 1951–2017
January 3, 2017– Mark Fetter 1951–2017We at the Virginia Holocaust Museum are saddened to hear that Mark Fetter has passed away. Mark Fetter was not only a well-known journalist in the Richmond community, but was one of the co-founders of the Virginia Holocaust Museum along with Jay Ipson and Al
VHM Artifact Highlight: Pre-War Menorah
January 2nd, 2017– The menorah is an important symbol of Judaism that can be traced to the early history of the religion. The first menorah appeared in the First Temple built by King Solomon. The original was a six-branched lamp created by the artisan Bazalel. After the fall of the
Holocaust Organizations, Scholars and Educators Sound Alarm on Surge in Hate Crimes
December 7th, 2016– The Virginia Holocaust Museum along with 160 institutions and individuals call on lawmakers to condemn white nationalist groups and ask citizens to be vigilant. The statement is as follows: Recent months have seen a surge in unabashed racism and hate speech – including blatant antisemitism and attacks
Lindsay Stone + Amanda Prak: “Facing a Cambodian Past”
December 1st, 2016– Videographer to the Virginia Holocaust Museum, Lindsay Stone, has the opportunity to film a documentary about the history of Cambodia and Khmer Rouge through local Survivor, Amanda Prak’s story. You may remember Stone’s documentary with Alexander Lebenstein, OBM, Kistrallnacht and Beyond, in which she travels with Lebenstein
2016 Annual Legislative Reception at the VHM
November 15, 2016– The Jewish Community Federation of Richmond (JCFR) and its Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC) are proud to host their 2016 Annual Legislative Reception at the Virginia Holocaust Museum. The JCRC Annual Legislative Reception is a wonderful opportunity for leaders and members of the Jewish community to meet
Teachers Learn at the VHM
October 10, 2016– Today we held two short workshops for teachers from Henrico County Public Schools. In this photo teachers examine a selection of artifacts from our collection. The artifact pictured is a letter written by a political prisoner while imprisoned in Auschwitz. Only political prisoners were allowed to write
VHM Remembers
October 4, 2016– Dr. Charles Sydnor being introduced to then Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, OBM Jerusalem, Israel, June 1985. Retired VHM Director Dr. Charles Sydnor being introduced to then Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, OBM, by Virginia Governor Charles S. Robb. Dr. Sydnor accompanied the Governor and Mrs. Lynda