About Us

Preserving History to Learn From the Past

HAMEC brings survivor testimony and rigorous Holocaust education to schools and communities—equipping students to recognize prejudice, racism, and intolerance when they see it.

HAMEC uses the lessons of the Holocaust to educate students and adults locally and globally, helping them understand the consequences of racism, intolerance, and ethnic cleansing. By studying this watershed event, visitors explore moral choices and reflect on how its lessons apply today.

Our Pillars

Education in Schools

Age-appropriate programs aligned to standards and built for critical thinking.

Survivor & Descendant Testimony

First-person stories that make history personal and challenge apathy and denial.

Confronting Hate

Evidence-based learning that connects past to present and strengthens democratic values.

Impact Snapshot

350,000+ students reached through testimony and programs (lifetime).
2024–2025 school year alone, we conducted 217 programs that reached more than 22,000 attendees.
Teacher training delivered across the region.
In-person programs in PA & NJ; virtual programs worldwide.

We deliver school programs and assemblies, live/virtual survivor testimony, teacher training with curriculum support, and high-quality virtual programs and materials, bringing accurate, engaging Holocaust education to classrooms anywhere.

Why It Matters

Students must understand that the Holocaust was not an accident. It was the result of deliberate choices by individuals using the full machinery of a fascist state to carry out the mass murder of 6,000,000 Jews.

Millions of others were also targeted, including political dissidents, intellectuals, LGBTQIA+ individuals, labor leaders, people with disabilities, Roma, and civilians in every country occupied by Nazi Germany.

Prejudice, bigotry, and racism are social poisons that undermine democracy. Silence, apathy, and indifference are the enemies of a pluralistic society.

Our Story

Founded by Holocaust survivor Yaakov (Yakov) Riz, who lost 83 family members in the concentration camps, HAMEC began in his home and has grown over 60 years into a vital institution memorializing the millions who perished.

Today, the museum is proudly located at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, continuing Riz’s mission to educate and combat intolerance.

Outreach

HAMEC reaches hundreds of thousands of students and adults through school programs, community events, and teacher training. Our educational efforts emphasize that prejudice, bigotry, and indifference threaten democracy.