UNLV to Establish Holocaust Research Center with $700,000 Funding

At a recent Holocaust remembrance ceremony in Las Vegas, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) announced plans to establish a permanent Holocaust and genocide research center, funded by a significant allocation from a federal spending package. The announcement was made by Elliot Malin, chair of Governor Joe Lombardo‘s Advisory Council on Education Relating to the Holocaust, during a gathering held at the King David Memorial Chapel & Cemetery on January 27, coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The funding amounts to $700,000, although no specific timeline for the center’s construction has been provided. Malin emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “By getting this funded and built and established, we’re going to be able to reach more people. We’ll be able to honor the memory of our local survivors, the family of survivors and bring that history to UNLV.” A UNLV spokesperson confirmed the funding is secured, highlighting that the center will serve as a hub for education and remembrance.

The proposed center aims to document, preserve, and showcase the history of the Holocaust, making it accessible to all residents of Nevada. Malin outlined plans for a museum where UNLV students will engage with local schoolchildren to educate them about the Holocaust. He noted, “We will advance opportunities for Nevadans to understand the horrors of the Holocaust.”

The remembrance event drew approximately 75 attendees, including local officials and Holocaust survivors. It featured a poignant candle-lighting ceremony to honor the victims of six concentration camps in Poland: Belzec, Treblinka, Sobibor, Chelmno, Auschwitz, and Majdanek. Historians estimate that about 1.1 million people, predominantly Jews, were murdered at Auschwitz alone, contributing to the broader loss of over six million lives during the Holocaust, including around 1.5 million children.

In her address, Shelley Berkley, Mayor of Las Vegas, reflected on her visits to concentration camps across Europe. She expressed deep sorrow over the fate of countless children who perished, stating, “When I think about that, I think to myself what could have been with those youngsters, the contributions they would have made to the world.” Berkley also raised concerns about a noted increase in antisemitism globally, asserting the importance of vigilance to prevent history from repeating itself. “It’s incumbent on all of us to ensure that nobody, no group, nobody in this world and this country, is treated in that manner again,” she said.

Among the attendees was Thomas Jacobson, an 87-year-old survivor who as a child was aboard the MS St. Louis, a ship that carried nearly 1,000 German-Jewish refugees escaping Nazi persecution in 1939. Jacobson detailed his experiences in his book, “Underdog: Against All Odds, The Fight for Justice.” He recounted, “We were turned away everywhere we went; nobody wanted the Jews in those days.” Jacobson expressed the importance of sharing these stories, noting, “I wanted some Nevadans to be able to hear from a survivor because there’s not many of us left.”

Having become a civil rights attorney, Jacobson highlighted parallels between the prelude to World War II and contemporary global issues. “I’m an immigrant and I know you really have to fight for democracy,” Jacobson remarked. “You have to speak up and really fight for your liberty. For me, getting out and interacting with people, it gives me energy.”

The establishment of this research center at UNLV represents a significant step toward preserving the memory of the Holocaust and educating future generations about its impact. As the world reflects on the lessons of history, initiatives like this aim to foster understanding and remembrance, ensuring that the horrors of the past are neither forgotten nor repeated.