Farmington Hills, MI - /PRNewswire/ -- The Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus has announced a major donation in the amount of $15 Million from the Zekelman family and Zekelman Industries.
This significant donation represents the lead gift toward the Holocaust Memorial Center's $100 Million Comprehensive Campaign. The financial commitment is part of the ongoing passionate support from the Zekelman family and Zekelman Industries, bringing their total funding of the Holocaust Memorial Center to $25 Million.
"We are truly humbled by and grateful for the continued generosity of the Zekelman family and Zekelman Industries. This $15 Million donation is significant on its own. It is even more extraordinary as it increases their overall support of the Holocaust Memorial Center to $25 Million," said Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, CEO, Holocaust Memorial Center. "This major donation will enable us to expand the important work we do to teach the lessons of the Holocaust and confront antisemitism and hatred."
The Comprehensive Campaign was launched to establish a permanent endowment fund. This will keep the Holocaust Memorial Center vital and sustainable far into the future. The Zekelmans' transformational gift is the single largest charitable gift ever received in the history of the Holocaust Memorial Center. The donation will enable the institution to maintain its facilities at the highest standard, boost operational funding, and expand special event, traveling exhibit, and educational offerings.
"We've always been impressed by the positive and lasting impact the Holocaust Memorial Center has had on millions of lives, it's truly inspiring. With antisemitism and hate crimes on the rise, we feel a sense of urgency to help organizations, like the Holocaust Memorial Center, that are passionately working to combat it," said Barry Zekelman, chairman and CEO of Zekelman Industries. "As a leader in our industry, we lead from the front and encourage philanthropic activities by our employees, business peers and industry at large. In the communities where we have facilities, our employees engage deeply with their individual volunteer efforts, as well as raise and donate significant funds to a variety of causes."
The Zekelman family is a longtime supporter of the Holocaust Memorial Center, both individually and through Zekelman Industries. Alan Zekelman is treasurer and past president of the Holocaust Memorial Center board of directors and is a Director of Zekelman Industries. Barry Zekelman is executive chairman and CEO of Zekelman Industries. Clayton Zekelman is a Director of Zekelman Industries and president of MNSi Telecom, a leading telecommunications provider for home and business in Ontario, Canada. Headquartered in Chicago, Zekelman Industries operates facilities across the United States in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas, as well as in Manitoba and Ontario, Canada. Zekelman Industries has a long history of investing in communities through job creation and philanthropy.
The Holocaust Memorial Center is highly respected as the nexus of Holocaust education for the state of Michigan. The center trains teachers to empower their students to take action and be upstanders, not bystanders, when they see hatred and prejudice around them.
The Holocaust Memorial Center is the first free-standing institution of its kind in the United States and the only Holocaust museum in Michigan. The 55,000-square-foot museum and library archive serves over 100,000 Michiganders each year and attracts visitors from throughout Michigan, nearby states and Windsor, Ontario. The Holocaust Memorial Center programming expanded online during the pandemic, reaching over 20,000 attendees in Michigan, throughout the U.S. and overseas.
About the Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus
The Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus is a 55,000-square-foot museum and library archive in Farmington Hills that teaches about the senseless murder of millions and why each of us must respect and stand up for the rights of others if we are to prevent future genocide and hate crimes.
The lessons of history are used to create a call to action, teaching visitors through the examples of those who risked their lives to save others, and asking our guests to react to contemporary challenges such as antisemitism, racism and prejudice. Exhibits include artifacts such as an authentic WWII-era boxcar, video testimonies, films, paintings, and a sapling from the tree located outside Anne Frank's hiding place window that is described in her diary. The Holocaust Memorial Center provides customized on site and virtual workshops for teachers, guided tours for school groups, and private and public tours for adults.
A national leader in innovative genocide education, the Holocaust Memorial Center serves over 100,000 Michiganders each year and is an important resource for teachers, academics and the media.
Hours: Sunday through Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The last admission is one hour before closing. Face masks are required. Wheelchair accessible. Free parking. For additional information, visit www.holocaustcenter.org.