America's First Holocaust Museum

The Jewish Identity Center's Holocaust Awareness Museum, America's first Holocaust museum, is 40 years young. Yaakov Riz, the museum's founder, was a Holocaust survivor who lost 83 members of his family in Hitler's death camps. Riz vowed that if he survived he would dedicate his life to establishing a museum that would memorialize the millions of Jews and Non-Jews who perished at the hands of Nazi barbarism. Initially, the museum was housed in the basement of Riz's home. The museum's genesis, growth and struggle against intolerance are the realization of his dream, courage and commitment.