VHM Artifact Highlight: Jewish Segregation
April 3rd, 2017– Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933. On April 7, 1933, he enacted his first piece of anti-Jewish legislation. From 1933 to 1939, Hitler passed over 400 laws that impacted the rights, opportunities, and lives of Jews in Europe. Within the first few years
VHM Artifact Highlight: “Strength through Joy” Armband
March 20th, 2017– After Adolf Hitler took office in 1933, he quickly began implementing the Nazi party’s 25 Point Plan. Part of this plan focused on strengthening Germany’s working class, and in turn, rebuilding the economy. This platform appealed to many Germans who were seeking security after the tumultuous years
Preserve US Government Agency that Monitors Anti-Semitism
March 14th, 2017– With reports surfacing that the President plans to defund the U.S. State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, more than 100 Holocaust institutions, scholars, and educators from around the world are calling on government officials not to cut, but to maintain and strengthen the office. These
VHM Artifact Highlight: “Only Hitler” Propaganda Poster
March 6th, 2017– Founded in 1920, the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP or Nazis) took its roots from several nationalist right-wing political groups. Their ideology – outlined in the 25 Point Plan – relied heavily on German nationalism and anti-Semitism. By 1921, Adolf Hitler assumed leadership of the NSDAP,
VHM Artifact Highlight: The Work of Hermann Hirsch
February 20th, 2017– Hermann Hirsch was born on July 4, 1861 in Mönchengladbach, Germany; he was the youngest of eight children born to Moritz and Rosetta Hirsch. Moritz worked in the cloth industry, and when Herman was three, the family moved to Köln. When Hermann was twelve, his father passed
High School Students Talk with Refugees
February 9th, 2017– On Tuesday, the Museum hosted a program which brought together Godwin High School art students, and former refugees who came to the U.S. through Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC). The collaboration began last Fall when Megan was approached by Dana Morris, a Godwin High School art teacher. Mrs.
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