Community Programs

Workshops & Seminars

All of our educational programs for students can be adapted for community events. Throughout the year, the HHRC hosts a number of community gatherings, seminars, and professional development opportunities for adult learners. This fall we are excited about three programs in particular: Yearning to Breathe Free, Antisemisim in the World Today, and Dismantling Democracy. They all delve into building societies where everyone shares equal civil and human rights, and how belonging is a first step toward thriving. Read more about these updated programs, and if you are interested in hosting a presentation and conversation, please contact Education Coordinator Erica Nadelhaft.

Dismantling Democracy

We are deepening civic education through the Dismantling Democracy: 53 Days in Nazi Germany which explores the critical weeks following Hitler’s appointment as chancellor in 1933, when the Nazi Party legally and systematically dismantled the democratic foundations of the Weimar Republic. Grounded in primary sources and historical context, the program offers an opportunity to learn about this pivotal moment in history—one that reminds us how quickly democratic institutions can erode. At the HHRC we work to promote Holocaust education, confront antisemitism and bias, and strengthen a more informed and compassionate civic culture across our state. One way we pursue that mission is through educational programs that invite communities to examine history in ways that deepen understanding and inspire civic engagement. We are grateful to the Maine Humanities Council for their generous funding and support of this initiative. Join us at one of the last three presentations this year:

Millinocket Memorial Library – October 29th at 6:00
Gardiner Public Library – November 9 at 6:00
Skidompha Public Library in Damariscotta - December 2nd at 11:00 and 5:30

Professional Development

Throughout the year, the HHRC hosts a number of seminars and professional development opportunities for Maine's educators. All of our programs for students can be adapted as workshops for teacher professional development purposes. Please reach out to HHRC Education Coordinator Erica Nadelhaft for more information. Please check this page frequently for upcoming seminars and how to register.

Soul Survivors Book

We are delighted to collaborate on a beautiful book by and about Maine Holocaust survivors as a resource for students and teachers. "From the Holocaust to Maine: Testimonies of the Survivors" by Photographer Jack Montgomery showcases portraits paired with the survivor’s story about suffering, persevering and surviving to build a new life in America. These people founded and built the Holocaust and Human Rights Center. The book is brings together projects that date back to the beginning of the HHRC and building of the Michael Klahr Center. We are indebted to Jack, and thrilled that these beautiful portraits and heartbreaking, inspiring stories now exist in a book. Writes Jack, “The things we save can become the means for our recovery. I am moved by every aspect of these stories … And I am forever grateful to the survivors for giving us this record, which no amount of denial or historical revisionism can ever erase. We are in their debt.” A generous donor has funded the gift of a free copy to every school in Maine. Email us if you would like to buy a copy.