Chai Society2012 Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival
The Zachor Holocaust Remembrance Foundation has given out over 90,000 Zachor pins to students of Holocaust studies since our inception Janurary 2009.
Tribefest 2012 The 2012 National Young Leadership Conference is coming back to Las Vegas!
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Federation of Las Vegas
Why we remember
2011 MTSU International
Holocaust Studies Conference
Ben Lesser
If you would like to learn more about Mr. Ben Lesser, Zachor Foundation's Founder. Please visit his personal site, BenLesser.com
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Ben Lesser on Rhett Palmer Live
- 12/08/11
Ben Lesser was a guest on Rhett Palmer Live on WAXE 1370, Vero Beach, FL speaking about his upcoming book 'Living a Life That Matters - from Nazi nightmare to American Dream'. Click here to listen to interview.
If you would like to pre-order a copy of Ben's book please click here
Contact us if you are interested in having Ben Lesser, Holocaust Survivor speak at your event
Lesser’s global commitment urges each and every one of us to begin in the home, community, school, workplace, and places of worship to erase Hate from our heads and hearts. Lesser challenges corporate mega-audiences and conventions to re-motivate their lives. Standing ovations follow Ben Lesser’s talks at schools, synagogues and churches with young teens promising him they will never forget the past since he has become the link between generations to impact their lives. Click here if you would like to contact Ben Lesser to speak at your school or next event.
Yom HaShoah - Never Forget
By Ariela Pelaia,
Today is Yom HaShoah, a day that remembers the tragedy of the Holocaust and the six million Jews who were murdered as part of the Nazi's systematic extermination of the Jewish people. Yom HaShoah - which means "Day of the Calamity" in Hebrew - was first proposed in 1951 when then Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion suggested a special day to commemorate the Holocaust and prevent the world from forgetting what happened during World War II. Two years later, in 1953, the Knesset designated the 27th of Nissan (a Hebrew month) as Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah - "Day of the Holocaust and the Heroism." 
In Israel Yom HaShoah is commemorated with an official ceremony at Yad VaShem and a moment of nationwide silence at 10:00AM. At this moment, an air-raid siren sounds for two minutes and everyone in Israel comes to a standstill. Flags are also flown at half-mast.
Yom HaShoah is observed by many communities in the Diaspora as well. In my community there are public remembrance services and many of our teens participate in March of the Living. March of the Living is an international program that brings Jewish teens from all over the world to Poland on Yom Hashoah to march from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest concentration camp complex built during World War II. They then travel to Israel to observe Yom HaZikaron, Israel Memorial Day, and Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day.
Holocaust Remembrance Month
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has launched Remember Me?, an international campaign to identify the fates of 1,100 children who were displaced at the end of the Holocaust and World War II. The Museum is publicizing photographs of the children taken immediately after the war in hopes of identifying them, piecing together information about their experiences, and facilitating renewed connections among these young survivors, their families, and other individuals who were involved in their care during and after the war.
Please help by visiting www.ushmm.org/rememberme, and contacting the Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center at RememberMe@ushmm.org or 202-488-0416 if you recognize yourself or someone you know in one of the photos. Please share these powerful photographs with your family and friends to increase the chances of identifying these children and help raise awareness about the experiences of the most vulnerable victims of war and genocide.
A Jew Grows in Brooklyn supports the efforts of the Zachor Foundation.
Jake Ehrenreich’s one-man play humorously portrays his journey as the child of Holocaust survivors. Read full article here.
Zachor makes impact in Reno
Last April 2010 I participated in the March of the Living, an extraordinary event where young people, all seniors in high school from around the world gather in Poland to visit concentration camps, see for themselves where the horrible atrocities of World War II and the Nazis were committed. They are also accompanied by and learn from some of the few remaining survivors about what they witnessed and endured. I went with the Los Angeles contingent, a group of about 160 teenagers and seven survivors, including myself.
There were five busses in our group and with each tour we survivors would ride in different busses. While on route to our destinations, we gave our eye witness testimony. By doing so all of the teenagers had a chance to hear most of the survivors and we survivors had a better chance to personally get acquainted with most of the teens.
It was on one of those bus rides that I had the privilege of sharing the front seat with this lovely, inquisitive young lady. She was full of questions and seeking answers. Her name is Shadi Farahi. After Shadi returned home to Reno, Nevada she told her parents all about me. A few days later I received a telephone call from Parinaz Farahi, Shadi’s mother, asking if I would be their guest and tell my story at Shadi’s high school... Read more »
All I can say is "WOW!"
From the first chapter to the last, once I entered your life and death world--I simply could not put your book down. As I read your story, my eyes were opened to the many heroic, behind -the-scenes acts you performed. I saw how instrumental you were in saving so many people's lives. Clearly, these heroic acts helped to bring about a quicker end to World War II, thereby saving thousands of innocent lives.
Max, on a very personal level, you are, and always will be, my hero. This is because as a concentration camp prisoner on the brink of death, I was one of the people you helped to save. If the Americans had not liberated Dachau on April 29, 1945, I would not have survived another day.
Because of you, I have had a life, a wonderful family, and the blessings of becoming an American.
I am sure that your many readers will be awed by the fact that you were able to maintain your sanity and humanity despite the physical and mental tortures you had to withstand during your captivity.
Zachor Foundation Participates in opening of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMH)
Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust's - Dedication Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting - October 14, 2010
View LAMH's 2010 Promo Video
The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust's 2010 video promo is now available to view on youtube. The promo was premiered at the Museum's 2010 Annual Gala Dinner on October 17, 2010.
Video courtesy of JankovicMedia 2010.
This year's Annual Dinner of the LA Museum of the Holocaust was dedicated to the opening of their new facility and to the people who made it possible. The gala event held on October 17th was attended by nearly 1,000 supporters including Zachor Foundation's founder, Ben Lesser and its executive director, Gail Gerber.Click here to view image gallery of event!
The evening included the giving out of a number of awards. Most notably, Jona Goldrich was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing his generosity and commitment to the Jewish community. Additionally Jon and Beth Keane were recognized with the Next Generation Award for their efforts of insuring that the Holocaust is never forgotten.
The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMH) is the oldest Holocaust museum in the United States. In 1961 at Hollywood High School a group of Survivors taking English as a Second Language classes found one another and shared their experiences. Some of these founding Survivors remain active on the LAMH Board of Directors today.
The 2010 Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust promotional video can now be viewed by clicking here.
Recent News
Global Day of Jewish Learning - 11/7/10
Zachor Foundation to participate in Global Day of Jewish Learning
Jews to unite in first worldwide trans-denominational Talmud study event
Zachor Holocaust Rememberance Foundation is excited to co-sponsor the Global Day of Jewish Learning, the first worldwide, trans-denominational event devoted to Jewish learning. Jews all around the world will come together in their communities on November 7, 2010, to celebrate their shared heritage through events and programs during which they will collectively study, explore, and debate a single set of texts…Read More »
March of the Living - 5/27/10
Recently, I had the great privilege of participating in the March of the Living, “an educational program that brings Jewish teens from all over the world to Poland on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) to march from…Read More ».
As seen in The Jerusalem Post
From Tragedy to Transcendence
By Gregory Keer and Jordan Silverman
A particularly poignant March of the Living.
International Holocaust Studies Conference - 11/19/09
Zachor pins make an impact at the International Holocaust Studies Conference hosted by Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee…Read More.
2009 Annual Dinner for the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust - 1/8/09
Zachor supports the new Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust
On Sunday evening, November 8th, members of the Zachor Foundation board of directors participated in the 2009 Annual Dinner for the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. The museum, founded in 1961, is the oldest Holocaust museum in the United States and is currently building a permanent home in Pan Pacific Park next to the Holocaust monument there.
"We are thrilled to be here and support the museum" said Ben Lesser, founder of the Zachor Foundation. "The museum has for many years, been a central figure in providing Holocaust education in Los Angeles and the new building will enable them to do more and reach more people."
The Zachor Foundation has made financial contributions to the museum and has provided zachor pins for distribution at some of their events and activities. "Once the new museum is built and as we grow, we look forward to supporting them even more in their future activities" Lesser added.
To learn more about the museum go to http://lamoth.org
Click here to view the image gallery from the event.
Las Vegas Sun Interview - 9/23/09
Ben Lesser was recently interviewed by the Las Vegas Sun, click here to read the full article
Ben Lesser Holocaust Survivor on NBC Las Vegas - 4/17/09
Click here to watch video…
A Letter to Survivors and Their Families
Dear Friend,
The Fifth Commandment instructs us "To honor thy Father and Mother". As children and families of Holocaust Survivors, this commandment has added meaning. That added meaning is to honor our parents memory by remembering the Holocaust; "Zachor."
"To honor thy father and mother" is not just something we do while our parents are alive. It is something we do long after they, and our grandparents and great-grandparents are gone. We honor them by never forgetting their memory or all that they suffered and endured to give us our freedoms, liberties and of course, Israel. We owe them much more than honor and thanks. We owe them a debt of gratitude that will never be re-paid until all racism, hate and prejudice is erased in this world. Until that day, the Holocaust must be taught and talked about. It must be remembered.
We remember the Holocaust in several ways. We hand down to our children the stories we have learned. We teach Holocaust education in our schools. We pause and take time to remember on Yartzheits, Yom Hashoah and the anniversary of Krystal Nacht . We do many things, but the question is do we do enough? Can we do more?
Here at the Zachor Foundation, we believe that we can do more and that is why we exist. We have discovered that doing one small thing can have a huge impact on Holocaust education programs here and around the world. I know this is true because I am a Holocaust survivor and have been telling my story to audiences around the country for more than 15 years. But just over a year ago that all changed…for the better.
Just over a year ago I began ending my presentations by handing out a small pin with the Hebrew letters of the word "Zachor"…."remember". I never could have anticipated the responses gotten by giving out this small, tangible memento at the end of my presentations. Students of all ages respond saying "I will never forget what I have learned today", "I will cherish this pin forever" and "This pin will be handed down to my children." My presentations have always generated a response, but never like this.
It was then that I knew what needed to be done and started the Zachor Foundation. In less than twelve months, we have manufactured and given out, free of charge, more than 35,000 of these pins. Schools and Jewish organizations all over the world are calling and requesting these pins and we want to fill every request. Also, our goal is to provide grants, scholarships and to host other Holocaust education events. However we cannot do this alone and need your help.
Please join us in this worthy cause and help us continue to make a difference and have an impact on students around the world. Support us by making your tax deductible donation to us today. Also, you can join our Chai Society and make a monthly contribution of $18.00 or more. Become a part of our movement to end prejudice, hate and to stop the world from ever getting amnesia, forgetting the Holocaust and allowing history repeating itself.
With your help we can do this. With your help we can change the world for good. With your help, we can honor our parents and all those that came before us.
Baruch Hashem,
Ben Lesser
Zachor Means - Remember…
Our organization is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust. We provide students of Holocaust education programs with a ZACHOR pin, as a tangible reminder of what they have learned.
Just Released! Hot off the press!
A World After This
"A memoir of loss and redemption"
It is the amazing true story of the WW II survival of Lola Lieber
Lola is Ben Lesser's Sister and the only other survivor of Ben's immediate family.
A Worthy Cause
The Zachor Holocaust Remembrance Foundation is a non-profit organization with a unique cause. The founder, Ben Lesser of Las Vegas, NV is a holocaust survivor with a mission to ensure that the tragedies of the Holocaust will never be forgotten.
For the past fourteen years Mr. Lesser has dedicated his life to bearing witness to the atrocities of the Holocaust. He travels across the country speaking at schools, colleges, synagogues and churches, sharing his experiences…Read More »
On The Move
“Our goal is to manufacture and distribute Zachor pins worldwide” said Ben Lesser, founder of the Zachor Holocaust Remembrance Foundation…Read More »
Letters to Ben
Click here to view letters that have been written to Mr.Ben Lesser, Zachor Foundation's founder, from people that were inspired by his amazing story.
Upcoming Events
Click here to view upcoming events.
Upcoming Events
This project is funded in part through a grant from the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas.
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