Tennessee Holocaust Commission

06/23/2026

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Holocaust survivor Rabbi Philip Lazowski. His career as a rabbi, educator, author and pioneer of interfaith dialogue stands as a unflagging testament to the best of humanity. His story of survival, and his close bond with survivor Teddy Winestone, will never leave us. May his memory always be a blessing.

“He lived one of the most profound lives that a person could live, transforming from a child with unimaginable suffering into a life defined by love, gratitude, faith, and purpose. He made us believe in miracles because he genuinely…

06/16/2026

Dear Teachers,

Are you registered for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Belfer Conference this year? If so, we invite you to join Commission staff for a watch party, and join us for a conversation about pedagogical approaches and resources on Thursday, June 25. We hope to see you there!

06/06/2026

Eighty-two years ago the eyes of the world were upon them. Today we still remember the Allies at Normandy.

06/02/2026

What an extraordinary two days of educational learning and dialogue at our conference in Nashville. A tremendous thank you to our guest scholars and presenters: Alexandra Zapruder, Michael Simonson, Ashley Valanzola, Jennifer Lewis, Shelby Bowman, Katie Sumner, Amy Hudnall, and Lois Lowry. It was a sincere privilege and pleasure to welcome all of you to Tennessee for two days!

To the 60+ educators who joined us from across the state--thank you. Your creativity and unwavering dedication in teaching this history is inspirational.

05/26/2026

Just five days! We cannot wait to welcome all of our guests to Nashville for this exciting Education Summit!

05/16/2026

How incredibly proud we are of Adam Exelbierd, one of our very own Tennessee Holocaust Commissioners, for sharing the powerful story of his family at the Carnegie Center for Arts on Thursday.

Adam spoke about how his grandparents survived the Holocaust and went on to help shape and contribute so much to the Memphis community.

Thank you, , for honoring your grandparents’ legacy and helping ensure these stories are never forgotten.

05/15/2026

We are so thankful to have shared an extraordinary two days in Nashville with survivor, Renee Fink.

Renee shared her story to over 400 students and staff at McGavock High School, and joined our interfaith conference at Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Thank you to everyone who helped make these events so special!

05/15/2026

We are incredibly proud of our Teacher Fellow Dr. Johnathan Jones who was the recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Teaching Award from MUS in Memphis. Please join us in congratulating him on this well deserved award!

Headmaster Pete Sanders presented the 2026 Distinguished Teaching Award to Anne and Glenn A. Crosby Chair of Christian Ethics and History Department Chair Jonathan Jones.

Dr. Jones, who arrived at MUS in 2012, has taught European and U.S. history as well as AP Art History, and he has served as advisor to the Honor Council.

“A strong proponent of learning from history’s painful lessons, he has helped lead student civil rights tours to Montgomery and Selma, Alabama,” Sanders said. “Last fall, fueled by his alarm at the rising anti-Semitism in society, he became a Teacher Fellow for the Tennessee Holocaust Education Commission, and he helped arrange the Holocaust Remembrance Event in Hyde Chapel on February 3.”

Read more: https://www.musowls.net/news-detail?pk=1626373&fromId=301162 #/

05/14/2026

We are so grateful that this week we were able to bring Holocaust Survivor Mark Schonwetter and his daughter Isabella back to Memphis! They last visited the area in early February amidst the ice storms that paralyzed Tennessee. However, by working with our amazing partners at Shelby County Schools and Temple Israel, hundreds of Memphis students were able to hear Mark’s story on Tuesday. This event proved to be incredibly impactful and we are thankful to everyone who helped make it possible. Most importantly, we are thankful to Mark for continuing to share his story and for the lasting impact he has on students, educators, and communities across our state.

05/08/2026

A tremendous thank you to Benno and Gene Kimmelman, Teacher Fellows Deb Stout and Darrell Schwartz, and Harriman High School for a wonderful event last night.