Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh

06/02/2026

Join us TOMORROW for a virtual talk with Holocaust survivor Elizabeth Bellak, sister of Renia Spiegel.

Renia Spiegel was born in 1924 to an upper-middle class Jewish family living in Poland. At the start of 1939 Renia began a diary sharing her hopes and dreams. She continued writing until she was killed by the Gestapo in July 1942.

Meet Renia’s younger sister Elizabeth Bellak who survived the Holocaust and has preserved Renia’s legacy of beauty and love, along with Elizabeth’s daughter, Alexandra. Register at https://hc-renia.eventbrite.com

About Renia's Diary

Renia Spiegel was born in 1924 to an upper-middle class Jewish family living in southeastern Poland, near what was at that time the border with Romania. At the start of 1939, Renia began a diary. “I just want a friend. I want somebody to talk to about my everyday worries and joys. Somebody who would feel what I feel, who would believe me, who would never reveal my secrets. A human being can never be such a friend and that’s why I have decided to look for a confidant in the form of a diary.” And so begins an extraordinary document of an adolescent girl’s hopes and dreams. By the fall of 1939, Renia and her younger sister Elizabeth (née Ariana) were staying with their grandparents in Przemysl, a city in the South, just as the German and Soviet armies invaded Poland. Cut off from their mother, who was in Warsaw, Renia and her family were plunged into war.

Like Anne Frank’s diary, Renia’s diary became a record of her daily life as the N***s spread throughout Europe. Renia writes of her mundane school life, her daily drama with best friends, falling in love with her boyfriend Zygmund, as well as the agony of missing her mother, separated by bombs and invading armies. Renia had aspirations to be a writer, and the diary is filled with her poignant and thoughtful poetry. When she was forced into the city’s ghetto with the other Jews, Zygmund is able to smuggle her out to hide with his parents, taking Renia out of the ghetto, but not, ultimately to safety. The diary ends in July 1942 and is completed by Zygmund, after Renia is murdered by the Gestapo.

06/01/2026

Join us on June 24th for an evening of celebration and reflection on the past year of the Reckoning with Antisemitism as Christians project: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reckoning-with-antisemitism-as-christians-reflections-at-one-year-tickets-1988560210119

Over the past 12 months, Christian clergy and lay leaders across southwestern PA have been engaging with Reckoning with Antisemitism as Christians, a new project co-founded by Christian Associates of Southwest PA and the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh.

We will hear from Christians who have been reckoning with antisemitism and from Jews who have taken part in their efforts. We will also share (for the first time!) a published book of sermons written by local Christian clergy who have engaged their congregations and communities in conversations about antisemitism, from the pulpit and beyond.

05/29/2026

Last week, Generations Speaker Lynne Ravas spoke to 425 students at Butler Area Middle School! The teacher, Lisa McKinsey, has invited a Generations Speaker to come to her school for the last few years. We are thrilled to see educators form relationships and friendships with speakers and the Holocaust Center, and continue to request a speaker to come back to present to their classes or schools each year. Although we are closing out the school year, our Generations Speakers are still able and interested to speak to non-school groups! Churches, synagogues, social groups, libraries, summer teen programs, and so on – feel free to reach out to us and check out the Request a Speaker page to bring someone to you: https://hcofpgh.org/resources/speakers/

05/28/2026

Join us on June 3rd for a virtual talk with Holocaust survivor Elizabeth Bellak, sister of Renia Spiegel.

Renia Spiegel was born in 1924 to an upper-middle class Jewish family living in Poland. At the start of 1939 Renia began a diary sharing her hopes and dreams. She continued writing until she was killed by the Gestapo in July 1942.

Meet Renia’s younger sister Elizabeth Bellak who survived the Holocaust and has preserved Renia’s legacy of beauty and love, along with Elizabeth’s daughter, Alexandra. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gYKP7a_z

About Renia's Diary

Renia Spiegel was born in 1924 to an upper-middle class Jewish family living in southeastern Poland, near what was at that time the border with Romania. At the start of 1939, Renia began a diary. “I just want a friend. I want somebody to talk to about my everyday worries and joys. Somebody who would feel what I feel, who would believe me, who would never reveal my secrets. A human being can never be such a friend and that’s why I have decided to look for a confidant in the form of a diary.” And so begins an extraordinary document of an adolescent girl’s hopes and dreams. By the fall of 1939, Renia and her younger sister Elizabeth (née Ariana) were staying with their grandparents in Przemysl, a city in the South, just as the German and Soviet armies invaded Poland. Cut off from their mother, who was in Warsaw, Renia and her family were plunged into war.

Like Anne Frank’s diary, Renia’s diary became a record of her daily life as the N***s spread throughout Europe. Renia writes of her mundane school life, her daily drama with best friends, falling in love with her boyfriend Zygmund, as well as the agony of missing her mother, separated by bombs and invading armies. Renia had aspirations to be a writer, and the diary is filled with her poignant and thoughtful poetry. When she was forced into the city’s ghetto with the other Jews, Zygmund is able to smuggle her out to hide with his parents, taking Renia out of the ghetto, but not, ultimately to safety. The diary ends in July 1942 and is completed by Zygmund, after Renia is murdered by the Gestapo.

05/26/2026

Don't miss these upcoming opportunities to hear children of Holocaust survivors tell their parents' stories; Learn more at hcofpgh.org/events.

05/25/2026

Today we take special care to remember and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

Today we recognize Isadore Jachman, Benjamin Salomon, and Raymond Zussman, the only three Jewish American men to receive the Medal of Honor for their actions during World War II.

05/22/2026

The Holocaust Center is closed Friday, May 22nd in observance of Shavuot. This two-day holiday celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, and is one of the three pilgrimage festivals, alongside Passover and Sukkot.

This photo was taken in the Buchenwald camp in Germany in 1945. Rabbi Herschel Schacter, a young Jewish chaplain who was amongst the camp’s liberators, is shown leading the Shavuot prayer service for survivors.

05/19/2026

Our hearts are with the San Diego Islamic community.

Our statement on today's horrific attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego.

05/19/2026

Join us tomorrow!

There is still time to register for "After the Synagogue" a panel discussion presented in conjunction with The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, Rauh Jewish Archives, and REACH (Remember, Educate and Combat Hate) as we learn about the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in 2018.

To register visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/after-the-synagogue-shooting-registration-1984053474351?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

05/18/2026