Yom HaShoah - Save the Date
Please join us on Sunday, May 5th at 3:00 for a Yom HaShoah commemoration in the Michael Klahr Center. This will be our first in-person gathering since the pandemic; it feels special. Together we will share readings, poetry, prayer and music. During this solemn occasion, we will be patient, pausing between each item to absorb the words, reflect, and feel the enormity of so much loss. If you have a reading you would like to share, or are interested in reading one of our pre-selected pieces, please contact Erica Nadelhaft.
Following the service we will linger for conversation, fellowship and refreshments. We hope you will join us to participate in this reverent day for Jewish people around the world. Register here.
Student Awards & Scholarships
The Lawrence Alan Spiegel Remembrance Scholarship
The Spiegel Scholarship ($1,000) is awarded annually to the high school senior who authors the prize-winning essay on the question: “Learning about the Holocaust affected my view of the world and it is important for others to learn about it too.” Criteria is: originality of voice and viewpoint, structure, command of language and mechanics. The deadline for submission is May 3rd. Download the application here.
The Mathilde Schlossberger Outstanding Student of the Year Award
The Schlossberger Award recognizes an exceptional piece of writing, fiction or non-fiction, or an unusually expressive visual or performance art relating to human rights. The award was created by Florence and Kurt Strauss of Portland in memory of Kurt’s maternal grandmother, who was murdered at Theresienstadt. The deadline for submission is May 3rd. Download the application here.
Film Screenings
On Tuesday April 16th, the University of Maine, Orono and the Maine Jewish Film Festival hosted a film screening and panel discussion on the breakout film Resistance: They Fought Back. This award-winning documentary, called “A revelation!” by The Jerusalem Post, tells the largely unknown and incredibly courageous story of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. A panel discussion followed with Paula S. Apsell, executive producer/co-director, and Erica Nadelhaft, education coordinator of HHRC. See the trailer here. The screening on Sunday, May 5th at at the Portland Art Museum as part of the MJFF 2024 Festival is sold out. Visit the film’s website for a schedule of future screenings.
On Thursday April 18th the Wabanaki Alliance copresented the film, Covenant of the Salmon People in partnership with the Nez Perce Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, and several conservation organizations working toward the recovery of Atlantic salmon in Maine. Watch the film here. The screenings were followed by panel discussions focusing on restoration efforts of wild salmon populations, particularly the recovery of Atlantic Salmon here in Maine. The panel included Chairman Shannon Wheeler of the Nez Perce tribe and event cosponsors Sierra Club Maine, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Downeast Salmon Federation, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Learn more here.
Every Gift Counts!
Your generous contribution supports our work: building brave and welcoming communities by promoting universal respect for human rights through education, outreach and cultural experiences. This ambitious goal takes many forms. We offer twelve educational programs to Maine students, sponsor talks and performances, curate exhibits, house valuable archives, showcase multi-media stories from survivors, and invite all visitors into the beautiful Michael Klahr Center.
Why is it a good idea to donate to this small non-profit with a large vision? Equity relies on generosity; this is why we offer all of our work free of charge: because everyone deserves equal access to experience, knowledge, and community. Contributions fuel our daily work, and every gift counts, in our hearts and our budget. We give you our word that your hard-earned money will be put directly into building equitable and safe communities. We simply cannot do this important work without you. Thank you for visiting our website, thank you for your support, thank you for trusting us to use your gift wisely and well. Please donate here.
Babushkas, by Lesia Sochor
We are honored to display the gorgeous Babushka paintings created by Lesia Sochor in the Michael Khlar Center. Her painting to the left is a portrait of her mother entitled Ritual. See more of her artwork here.
Writes Lesia about her paintings:
Love of my ancestral homeland and horror at the merciless, brutal unprovoked invasion of Ukraine compelled me to paint images of Babushkas. This iconic symbol of a culture stirs memories of my mother, who in her later years wore one most every day.
The images plead to have peace and freedom in their beloved country. A beleaguered nation that has endured a traumatic history, but one which, since 1992, has embraced democracy and independence. A nation which was building on the principles of political, social and religious freedoms. A nation who wanted to pursue peace, who gave up its nuclear weapons. A nation wanting to steer its own course with dignity. A nation with a president who cares for his people; for making Ukraine productive, prosperous and progressive. A nation rich in culture and traditions. A nation of joyous hard working people.
I am filled with pride at being Ukrainian. I am thankful to my immigrant refugee parents, who in the Philadelphia diaspora, continued the language and traditions which I have carried on with my own children. I am reliving their stories as I listen and watch the dreadful devastation of an unsuspecting country.
I condemn this war, I condemn the man behind it. The unthinkable is happening and my heart breaks. Slava Ykraina
Pride Parade in Portland
Join us for the 2024 Pride Portland! Parade. As members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, we will gather on Saturday, June 15th, to celebrate and support human rights and equal rights for all people. Pride Portland! is an annual parade and festival to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ movement, raise awareness of the community’s ongoing struggles, and foster an environment of inclusivity, accessibility, and solidarity.
This year’s theme is Life as Art. The parade begins at Monument Square, proceeds along Congress Street, down High Street to Park Avenue, and into Deering Oaks Park. It lasts about an hour. A Festival is held at Deering Oaks from 1:00 to 5:00. On June 15th we will join others engaged in important work, celebrate the progress we have made, and remember the work that continues. Register here.
A Pysanky Workshop
On Saturday Maine-based artist Lesia Sochor offered a Pysanky workshop for delighted participants. Lesia explained the significance of this ancient, spiritual tradition of decorating eggs with colorful designs steeped in symbolism, and described the magical powers of a Pysanka, believed to bring good luck, protection, health, and love. They were placed around homes and yards to ward off bad luck, exchanged as gifts, and cherished by future generations. Lesia showed us each important steps to create our own Pysanka, which we did, gaining an awed appreciation for just how much practice and talent is required to create the gorgeous ones she had brought as examples. This tradition in Ukraine during Easter holidays dates back to 5,000 B.C. We are so grateful to Lesia for her ongoing generosity. She has loaned us her paintings for two exhibits—one of her Babushka paintings is not on display in the Center—as well as taking time for a second workshop. We feel so lucky to collaborate with such a talented, generous, and joyful woman.
Created Equal: Civil Rights in America Yesterday and Today
One of our programs, Created Equal: Civil Rights in America Yesterday and Today, explores how the ideals of democracy and equality are defining features of the United States, which has become a model worldwide. However, some people have been left out. Focusing on the African American experience, this program explores “compromises” we’ve made to these founding principles—from the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement—as well as our continuous striving toward them.
The photograph is of HHRC Educator Alex Magnaud at Monmouth Academy on February 16th meeting with students in the Civil RIghts Team (who helped organize the presentation) for informal conversation before the presentation.
The Archive Project
The HHRC has a longstanding and rich collection of artifacts related to the Holocaust and civil rights. Last year we began to archive these valuable objects, assigning each one a number and category, storing them in professional archive containers, and using protective display cases in the Michael Klahr Center for our visitors to enjoy without fear of causing damage to the artifacts. The next step, for which we received funding from the Sam L. Cohen Foundation, involves two separate and yet connected projects. The first is a workshop for teachers to familiarize themselves with the Holocaust artifacts that we have at the HHRC and how to use them (digitally) in their classrooms. The second involves creating individual programs that center on specific objects. So far we have written three: one is based around a child’s shoe found at one of the camps; one focuses on currency from the Lodz ghetto; and the third explores letters from a Berlin doctor Hans Muehsam written to his cousin in New York as he desperately sought help obtaining a visa to leave Germany and emigrate to the United States.
Open for Rentals
The beautiful Michael Klahr Center is open for rentals. The space offers a large classroom for presentations and meetings with zoom and projection capabilities; a sun-filled atrium for receptions; a 75-seat auditorium for talks and gatherings; and rotating exhibits of photography, artwork, collage, wood assemblages and immersive multimedia testimonials from Holocaust survivors. We can recommend quality local food service and assist with equipment set-up and tours. This is a wonderful venue for classes, presentations, gatherings, film screenings, and celebrations. The rate for rentals is $250 for a weekday, but we are open to accommodations as needed. If you would like more information, or to reserve the space, email the HHRC at info@hhrcmaine.org.
Hours & Directions
We are open from 8:00–4:00 Monday through Friday and welcome visitors.
Please call ahead to be sure we are open when you arrive. The Center calendar aligns with the University of Maine at Augusta, so check for holidays and inclement weather closures on the UMA website.
We are housed in The Michael Klahr Center located at the University of Maine, Augusta. Our address is 46 University Drive, Augusta, Maine. Click on the map image for a detailed map of the UMA campus.
From the South: Take I-295 N/US-1 North toward Augusta. Take exit 112A, stay right at the intersection to merge onto ME-8 South. Tavel 0.6 miles then turn right onto University Drive. At the top of hill, bear right and into the parking lot.
From the North: Take 95 South toward Augusta. Take exit 112, merge onto ME-8 South. Travel 0.7 miles then turn right onto University Drive. At the top of hill, bear right and into the parking lot.