Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center

10/12/2026

We are honored to host leading voices in literature, journalism, global affairs, civic life, and Holocaust memory for our landmark symposium on freedom, democracy, and America’s future.

The following speakers will engage in insightful conversations on what the Four Freedoms demands of us today, and how they can guide a more inclusive and human future. Our esteemed speakers and panelists include:

• Isabel Wilkerson, Pulitzer Prize Winner, National Humanities Medal Recipient, and Author

• Jelani Cobb, Ph.D., Staff Writer at The New Yorker and the Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism, Columbia Journalism School

• Leslie Vinjamuri, Ph.D., President and CEO of Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Professor of Practice in International Relations and Diplomacy, SOAS University of London

• Verneé Green, Chief Executive Officer, Mikva Challenge

• Maria Hinojosa, Emmy-and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist

• Elisha Wiesel, Chairman of the Board, The Elie Wiesel Foundation, Son of the late Nobel Laureate, Elie Wiesel

Don’t miss your chance to be part of these important conversations. Tickets are on sale now: https://buff.ly/5lw0qnq

10/09/2026

Congratulations to our own Kelley Szany, SVP of Education & Exhibitions, on being recognized as one of Blooloop’s Top 10 Museum Global Influencers!

Blooloop is a leading online news and business resource for professionals across the global visitor attractions industry, and we are proud to see Kelley recognized alongside leaders shaping the future of museums and cultural institutions.

For more than 25 years, Kelley has helped shape Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center through her vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment to education. From starting as an intern to serving today as Senior Vice President of Education & Exhibitions, Kelley has spearheaded transformative initiatives, including the development of our groundbreaking virtual reality experiences, major exhibition projects, our current Museum renovation, and the creation of Experience360, and so much more.

Through it all, Kelley brings a deep sense of curiosity, purpose, and commitment to truth and history that continues to guide our Museum and its mission.

We are incredibly proud to see Kelley recognized by Blooloop for her dedication, innovation, and lasting impact on our Museum and the communities we serve.
Read more: https://buff.ly/JJuAZOF

10/08/2026

We’re excited to announce that three of our acclaimed virtual reality films are now available to experience on Meta Quest 3 and 3S! Later this fall, these three films will also be available to experience on Pico 4 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy AndroidXR.

As the next generation of learners increasingly engage with immersive technology, bringing these films to consumer VR headsets is an important step in making Holocaust history and first-person Survivor testimony accessible to more people, across generations and around the world.

A special thank you to Kelley Szany, SVP of Education & Exhibitions, for spearheading this project, and to our incredible partner East City Films. We are grateful for the generous support from Agog: The Immersive Media Institute for helping us bring these stories beyond the Museum’s walls.

Learn more about this exciting project in Kelley’s newest piece on Medium:

The students walking into our classrooms today didn’t grow up watching history from a distance. Filmstrips and documentaries asked them to…

10/07/2026

On this day in 1944, in the darkest heart of Auschwitz-Birkenau, an extraordinary act of resistance and courage took place: the Sonderkommando Uprising.

The Sonderkommando were prisoners forced into the unimaginable—emptying gas chambers and disposing of victims’ bodies. Knowing their own deaths were imminent, they chose to fight back. Crematoria III and IV were burned, Crematorium II exploded, and a fire damaged the ceiling and roof of Crematorium I. Three SS were killed and others wounded. Nearly 250 prisoners died during the suppression of the uprising, and guards subsequently shot another 200. Their bravery was made possible by four young women who risked everything to smuggle explosives to them.

Today we remember the courage and bravery of those who chose to fight back against the N**i's. Learn more about their legacy at Illinois Holocaust Museum: https://buff.ly/IkABAoL

10/06/2026

Imagine losing your nationality because of your religion.

That was the reality for Holocaust Survivor Eva Schloss and her family in 1938. Born in Vienna, Austria, Eva was forced to become a German citizen under N**i racial laws because she was Jewish.

And that was only the beginning of Eva’s fight to survive the Holocaust. Through a series of circumstances and moments of chance, Eva survived and went on to share her story with generations around the world.

This week at Illinois Holocaust Museum’s Experience360, you can ask Eva questions directly through her interactive hologram, hearing her story and reflections in her own words.

Reserve your ticket to Experience360 today: https://buff.ly/IkABAoL

10/05/2026

Join us for a special afternoon as we bring together leading voices in literature, journalism, global affairs, civic life, and Holocaust memory for a landmark symposium on freedom, democracy and America’s future. Titled, A World Made Possible, this singular event celebrates the enduring meaning of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms at America’s 250th.

First articulated in 1941 as the Holocaust was beginning to unfold, the event will reflect on the four freedoms eighty-five years later, inside a museum built on the evidence of what happens when freedom collapses.

The symposium features voices that will explore what freedom requires now including:
• Opening keynote: Isabel Wilkerson
• National panel: Jelani Cobb, Ph.D., Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri and Verneé Green
• Featured conversation: Maria Hinojosa and Elisha Wiesel

That afternoon, we are proud to present the special exhibition Words and Vision: Roosevelt, Rockwell, & The Four Freedoms Address, which will display a preserved original copy of FDR’s Four Freedom speech, as well as high-quality reproductions of Norman Rockwell’s iconic 1943 Four Freedoms posters, which translated Roosevelt’s ideals into images that reached every American home.

Purchase your ticket for an inspiring day of history, ideas and conversation about how the Four Freedoms can be sustained for generations to come. Tickets are on sale now: https://buff.ly/G5kyV3V

10/04/2026

A Luminous Raffle Now Open! Play your luck and help the Museum combat antisemitism. The raffle drawing will take place on October 29th during the Young Professional Board's signature event. All prizes are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. See all details and restrictions on each raffle prize. Need not be present to win. Questions call 847.967.4821.

Raffle tickets: 1 for $10 . 3 for $25 . 5 for $40

https://buff.ly/1WR6O8o

10/02/2026

Are you a Bank of America cardholder? If so, enjoy FREE admission to our Museum on October 3 and 4 through the Bank of America Museums on Us program.

This weekend, take the opportunity to explore powerful stories of resilience, courage, and the importance of standing up to hatred and injustice.

Reserve your free tickets today: https://buff.ly/cRipQeg

10/01/2026

Today we celebrate an extraordinary milestone- Holocaust Survivor and longtime Museum volunteer Janine Oberrotman’s 100th birthday! Born on this day in Lvov, Poland, in 1925, Janine’s life is a testament to courage, resilience, and hope.

At just 15, she and her family were forced into the ghetto. Her father was killed in Janowska, and her mother was murdered during the ghetto’s liquidation. With the help of a non-Jewish friend, Janine escaped using false papers, hiding with relatives and later surviving as a forced laborer in Stuttgart while passing as Catholic. She was liberated by the French army in 1945.

After the war, Janine married fellow Survivor Joseph Oberrotman, and together they built a new life in Chicago, raising three sons. She went on to work as a French teacher and vocational counselor, helping countless immigrants begin again.

For decades, Janine has shared her powerful story of surviving the Holocaust, inspiring people of all ages, including 14-year-old Museum volunteer Dhilan Stanley. In 2024, CBS News highlighted their remarkable friendship, a beautiful reminder that compassion, respect, and understanding are the foundation of meaningful connections.

Wish Janine a very special happy birthday! Learn more about her story: https://buff.ly/SFBHaqN

09/30/2026

We affirm our solidarity with the organizations, educators, and citizens in Germany working tirelessly to defend historical truth, democratic integrity, and human rights.