Alabama Holocaust Education Center

09/03/2026

Alabama Teachers: Important Teacher Workshop!

Join AHEC this September for a FREE teacher workshop exploring the power of propaganda, the rise of N**i ideology, and how creativity and cultural resistance became powerful forms of defiance during the Holocaust.
Montgomery — September 15
Birmingham — September 16
Huntsville — September 18

Choose the location that works best for you and spend the day learning, connecting, and gaining practical tools for your classroom.

Lunch provided | 5 hours of PD credit | Substitute reimbursement up to $125
Space is limited. Register today! https://ahecinfo.org/mec-category/teacher-workshops/

08/23/2026

Tune in tonight!

Don’t miss The Torch, airing tonight at 5:00 p.m. on Alabama Public Television.

Created by Alabama filmmaker Jenna Bedsole, The Torch shares the powerful stories of Holocaust Survivors who rebuilt their lives here in Alabama. Their experiences of survival, resilience, and hope are an important part of our state’s history and a legacy we are committed to preserving.

We hope you’ll tune in, hear their stories, and help us carry their legacy forward.

Tonight | 5:00 p.m. | Alabama Public Television Jenna Bedsole

08/22/2026

Congratulations to AHEC educator Monique Tait on becoming a Lerner Fellow with The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous

Monique recently participated in JFR’s intensive Holocaust education seminar, joining educators from across the country to deepen her knowledge and bring new resources, perspectives, and strategies back to her students here in Alabama.

We are especially proud to see JFR highlight Monique and her powerful reflection on why teaching the Holocaust matters. Her commitment to ensuring that students understand this history and its lessons represents the very best of Holocaust education in Alabama.

We are also deeply grateful to our generous partners whose support made it possible for Monique to participate in this exceptional professional development opportunity. Investing in teachers like Monique means reaching countless students for years to come.

Congratulations, Monique! We are so proud to have you as part of the AHEC educator community.

We asked Lerner Fellow Monique Tait why she finds it so important to teach her students about the Holocaust. She shared this important insight ⬇️

08/21/2026

Attention Alabama Teachers: Want to bring your students to the Alabama Holocaust Education Center? Or would you like to have one of our speakers come into your classroom? Funding may be available to help make it happen!

The Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation offers grants of up to $1,000 to support meaningful Holocaust education experiences — including museum visits, field trips, and transportation costs.

Funding may be used for:

Museum visits and field trips
Transportation costs
Books and classroom materials
Holocaust Survivor speakers
Holocaust-related educational programs

Grants are open to public and private schools serving grades 4–12, as well as colleges, universities, school clubs, and organizations throughout the United States.

Applications are open now through October 2! Apply for a grant and consider using it to bring your students to the Alabama Holocaust Education Center:

https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=mshef

We are incredibly grateful to the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation for their partnership and for helping educators remove financial barriers so more students can experience meaningful Holocaust education.

We would love to welcome you and your students to AHEC!

08/16/2026

We are grateful to Hadassah Southern Region for inviting AHEC Executive Director Lisa Bachman to participate in today’s panel discussion on antisemitism as part of its Unmasking Hate, Inspiring Courage regional meeting.

Following a powerful presentation from former skinhead leader turned activist Frank Meeink, Lisa joined the panel to discuss the realities of antisemitism, the importance of education in confronting misinformation and prejudice, and the responsibility we all share to turn knowledge into action.

A special thank you to Jill Weinstein and Marilyn Slater of Hadassah Southern Region for including AHEC in this important and meaningful conversation.

08/15/2026

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Holocaust Survivor Regina Roth Dembo.

At just 12 years old, Regina fled Vienna with her two younger sisters, leaving behind her parents and a young brother she would never see again. She eventually built a new life in Alabama, making Huntsville her home for nearly six decades.

Regina’s story holds a special place at the AHEC as part of our Darkness into Life exhibit, where her experiences and legacy will continue to educate and inspire future generations.

As we mourn her loss, we are reminded of our responsibility to carry her story forward. We invite you to read more about Regina’s story and help us honor her life and legacy https://ahecinfo.org/survivors/dembo-regina-roth/

May Regina’s memory be a blessing.

“One of the hardest things we [Regina and her two sisters] felt is when something really good happened or you got a commendation for outstanding work, there was no loving parent to share it with you.”

08/13/2026

Calling all Alabama educators! 📚

Applications are now open for the Betty and Max Steinmetz Teacher Fellowship Program at the Alabama Holocaust Education Center.

Whether you're new to teaching the Holocaust or have years of experience in the classroom, this fellowship is designed to enrich the way you teach and connect with your students. As a Fellow, you'll:
✏️ Learn from leading historians, museum educators, and subject matter experts
✏️ Receive classroom-ready lessons and resources you can use right away
✏️ Join a community of passionate educators committed to excellence in Holocaust education
✏️ Take part in an educational study experience, including a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

This is a chance to grow as an educator while helping ensure the history and lessons of the Holocaust continue to reach the next generation.

📅 Applications are due August 31, 2026
🔗 Click here to apply >> https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/C3UF-mv5oI0QK0gH0J2BRQ

Know a teacher who'd be a great fit? Tag them below!

08/12/2026

How can one be a wordsmith in a place that leaves you speechless?

Auschwitz is a powerful place of great sorrow & yet a place that chooses to move forward in hope & remembrance. It honors the dead & the living through its education, commemoration & historical preservation. ♥️

08/11/2026

Experiencing Auschwitz in person is truly transformative. There’s something that shifts and really clicks in your mind when the words and images found in textbooks are right in front of you. You’re met with a new sense of reality that real people faced. Your senses are activated, triggering real human responses, yet, the people who were subjected to such horrible treatment were stripped of humanity and the opportunity to live. I think one of the most prevalent things that came to mind while visiting was “We get to walk out of here, but they didn’t.” Now it’s our responsibility to make sure they can by telling their stories and honoring their memory.

08/10/2026

Experiencing Auschwitz-Birkenau in person transformed what I thought I knew from history into something overwhelmingly human and truly unforgettable. No photograph, book , or movie can fully prepare you for the overwhelming empathy that’s evoked from this experience. I am forever changed.