Holocaust Museum Marks 25 Years Virtually — with $1.1 million Till!

Holocaust Museum Marks 25 Years Virtually — with $1.1 million Till!

Mandy and Ronnie Caress, Donald and Robin Wayne

HOUSTON'S HOLOCAUST MUSEUM, the nation's fourth-largest, celebrated its 25th anniversary in grand style — with a blockbuster fundraising gala that raised $1.1 million.


The virtual affair, dubbed the Silver Jubilee, streamed live earlier this month, with a VIP watch party at the Hilton Americas in Downtown. "The program reflected on the museum's history and celebrated its many accomplishments from its inspiration in 1981 to its opening in 1996 to its expansion in 2019," according to a statement from event organizers.

Grammy-, Emmy- and Tony-winning actor and singer Ben Platt headlined the event, as his performance was live-streamed to guests. Watch party guests were able to talk with the Dear Evan Hansen star remotely.

"We are so proud of everything the museum has accomplished over the last 25 years," said Kelly J. Zúñiga, CEO of Holocaust Museum Houston, in a statement. "Looking back at our incredible past has energized us and inspired us to reach new goals for the future of Holocaust and human rights education."

Chairs for the evening were Rhona and Bruce Caress, Kisha and Jason Itkin, and Nicole and Evan H. Katz, with Ellen and Dan Trachtenberg serving as host committee chairs. The long list of honorary chairs for the momentous affair included Joan and Stanford Alexander, Judy and David Bell, Laurie and Milton Boniuk, Kelli Cohen Fein and Martin Fein, Sandra and Steve Finkelman, Shirley Rotbein Flaum, Frank Goldberg, Shelly and Brian Hendry, Rosellen Brown Hoffman and Marvin Hoffman, Velva G. and H. Fred Levine, Edith and Josef, z"l Mincberg, Marci and Ronnie Morgan, The Morgan Family, Macey and Harry Reasoner, Glen Rosenbaum, Sue Smith, Stuart and Limor Smith, Laurie Morgan Silver, LCSW, Sandra Weiner, Sharon and Mark Wise, and Lorraine and E. D., z"l Wulfe.

Funds raised will benefit the museum's general operating funds with a focus on educational programming.

Carl Josehart and Sam Jacobson

Rhona and Bruce Caress

Kisha and Jason Itkin

Ellen and Dan Trachtenberg

Dr. Kelly Zúñiga, John Hantak, Linda Lorelle

Nicole and Evan H. Katz

Laurie and Dr. Milton Boniuk


Parties
Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less

Duck N Bao's bento boxes are part of Dine Out Rice Village

HOUSTON'S EVER-GENEROUS restaurant scene is already at it in 2025. Here are three ways foodies can dig in, raise a glass, and support important causes in January.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

CHANGE IS A good thing, and with the start of a new year, I always like to reflect on how far I've come and start fresh by setting self-care goals for the coming months. Personal growth is a passion for me, and also something I enjoy. Guiding a business through growth and change is also one of my passions, so I am very pleased to announce that Escape Spa is going to be expanding in 2025! We’re honored that we’ve built such a loyal following since opening in Cypress in July of 2022, and we’re thrilled to be in a position to grow our wellness and recovery sanctuary just outside of Houston.

Keep Reading Show less