A nationwide poll recently found that 63 percent of Millennials and Generation Z respondents did not know that six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. In addition, a substantial number were unable to identify even one Nazi concentration camp, death camp or ghetto.
This morning, Mar. 28, the Sandra R. Berman Center for Humanity, Tolerance and Holocaust Education was officially dedicated to counteract that disturbing trend. Based at Towson University, the center aims to collaborate with Maryland educators to advance the mission of Holocaust education.
The center — located in a former reading room on the fourth floor of Towson’s College of Liberal Arts — is named after the longtime local philanthropist and co-founder of the Pikesville-based Sandra & Malcolm Berman Charitable Foundation.
The Bermans are known throughout Baltimore and the region for their philanthropic support of health care organizations and other charitable communal endeavors.
Besides Sandra Berman, speakers at the breakfast and ribbon-cutting ceremony included Dr. Hana Bor, founding director of the Berman Center and a professor and graduate program director at the College of Liberal Arts; Dr. Mark R. Ginsberg, president of Towson University; and Dean Chris J. Chulos of the College of Liberal Arts.
“I am so proud to see the center officially open — the only Holocaust education center in Maryland,” said Dr. Bor, who previously held the Peggy Meyerhoff Pearlstone Professorship that helped develop Holocaust studies at Towson. “It will help educate people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds about the importance of learning the history and the lessons of the Holocaust and about the danger and destructive powers of racism, antisemitism, hate and bigotry.”
Gov. Wes Moore was originally scheduled to speak at the program but was unable to attend due to the Francis Scott Key Bridge tragedy.
“We must ensure that we stay united, work in partnership and treat each other with humanity and compassion,” he said in a statement. “That is what the Sandra R. Berman Center stands for. It is a message and a mindset that we all must hold close in the days, weeks and years to come.”
Following the dedication were learning sessions about keeping alive the memory of the Holocaust through personal stories as well as about overcoming adversity.
“The opening was a great success,” said Dr. Bor. “The students who attended were very interested, and people really participated. Many faculty and staff came to the program.”
Dr. Bor called the Bermans “amazing people. Sandra was involved in Holocaust education in Florida and felt this was a very important cause to them. She decided she wanted to contribute to Holocaust education, and she’s very excited about the center. Towson is well-positioned to have a center like this. Our goal is to bring Holocaust education to campus.”
The center promotes education on humanity, tolerance and the Shoah to highlight the dangers of bigotry and discrimination. Through educational programming and commemorative events, the center focuses on helping future generations understand the repercussions of hatred while promoting empathy, tolerance and social responsibility,
According to its website, the center strives to:
- become a national leader in promoting Holocaust education;
- establish educational resources for teachers and other professionals, and provide opportunities for study trips and programs relevant to the Holocaust and tolerance;
- advocate for making Holocaust education more prominent and available to educators and students around the state;
- and host community events and educational programs, including guest lecturers, films, digital stories and oral histories.
The College of Liberal Arts recently launched a program that will use the Berman Center frequently: the Holocaust education graduate certificate program. It will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the Holocaust, its history and current relevance to society.
The Berman Center will also support additional educational programming through the Jewish studies, education and leadership master’s degree program and the Baltimore Hebrew Institute (BHI).
“The Berman Center will help prepare our students to become leaders for the public good,” said Dean Chulos. “Through events and programming, they will receive more education on civil and human rights, helping them grow their leadership skills and expand their knowledge on humanity and tolerance.”
Dr. Bor said the center will collaborate with the BHI, the Baltimore Jewish Council and the Jewish Museum of Maryland — as well as with non-Jewish campus and communal groups — on programming and events.
With antisemitism skyrocketing since the Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7 and allegations of genocide leveled at Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, the center’s mission is now more essential than ever, she said.
“We emphasize dialogue,” said Dr. Bor. “The center wants to be open to everybody, not just one religion. … For the most part, people want to talk. Hopefully, the center will elevate the conversation. We understand it’s difficult to be a student on campus these days, and we hope to play a role to help students get through this difficult time and find a common denominator, and to agree to disagree.
“My mission is to educate people and bring facts and stories, and try to help them find common ground in a civil way.”
For its next programs, the center will present a bus trip to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and a session featuring a 93-year-old survivor and his daughter from New Jersey.
“It is our calling to instill a commitment to lifelong learning,” said Dr. Ginsberg. “I am confident that the education provided by the Berman Center will be the source of continued learning for our entire university community.”
Said Dr. Bor: “I want this to be a safe place where students can come and have open thoughts and dialogue. Any major, any interest, any academic focus — the Berman Center is for everyone.”
For information, visit towson.edu/cla/centers/berman-humanity-tolerance-holocaust/.
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