Three Community Programs
Mindbridge’s Disrupt & Reclaim: This program is presented by the Mindbridge Institute, is a three-part live course that explores how identity and belonging interact with power to shape social structures, sustain the status quo, and how we can challenge these forces by crafting counter-narratives rooted in dignity, care, and resistance. Each two-hour online session combines lecture-style learning, interactive activities, and group-based discussion to help participants analyze systems of power and develop tools for meaningful change. This program is free to HHRC’s community due to HHRC’s generous sponsorship.
In Session One, a virtual gathering on Wednesday, October 22nd from 3:30 to 5:30, participants will examine how identity and belonging influence both personal experience and societal culture, define and differentiate types of power, and map how power appears in systems relevant to their lives.
Sessions Two and Three build on this foundation, guiding participants through the design of counter-narratives and practical interventions. Together, the three workshops create a framework that equips participants with both a deeper awareness and a tangible toolkit for disruption grounded in joy, connection, and shared purpose.
Dismantling Democracy: Building on our educational mission, the HHRC is introducing the Dismantling Democracy Program, a one-hour presentation and Q&A that examines how Hitler and the Nazi party rose to power in Germany and then quickly and legally dismantled its democracy. Through a look-back at history, participants will discuss the fragility inherent in all democracies. After presenting the program to Maine lawmakers over the past two years, we are offering libraries across Maine the opportunity to host the program, free of charge. If you have a personal connection with a library, or would like us to present in your community, please reach out to Tam at tam@hhrcmaine.org.
Witness to History Project: Another initiative continues our mission to connect students with personal testimony through our Witness to History Project. In partnership with the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center, we are offering presentations by Holocaust survivors, liberators, and resisters in schools, online, or at the Michael Klahr Center. These testimonies expose the results of hatred, bigotry, and systemic violence.
A Moving Service
On Sunday afternoon, October 5th, forty people joined us for a deeply moving service of remembrance and mourning for the victims and loved ones of the massacre on October 7th, 2023. While somber, it ws also uplifting and hopeful, as gatherings of community and sharing strong feelings can be. Those who spoke—reading a poem, sharing a personal story, pleading for the end to war, sharing hope in the midst of so much that feels hopeless—were powerful. The Hebrew prayers, El Malei Rachamin and Kaddish, recited in unison, reverberated with long Jewish history and global solidarity. The gorgeous and haunting music, a violin and accordion, played as we convened and during the service to accompany beautiful Yiddish songs. In community we reflected on the enduring impact of October 7th. The sharing of emotions was palpable. Afterward we lit candles—symbols of light in darkness—and placed them on the hill outside the center. It was truly a gathering of grief, heritage, ritual, strength.
A Maine Monitor Community Conversation
Join reporters and staff from The Maine Monitor for an interactive community workshop to share your perspective and help shape the future of independent reporting in Maine. The event is free, light refreshments will be provided, and all discussions are off the record. Please join us at 5:00 on October 23rd at the Michael Klahr Center.
In our role as a trusted convener, the HHRC brings together people and organizations to engage in dialogue rooted in education, equity, and civic responsibility. The topic of local media—its independence, accountability, and role in supporting democratic values—aligns closely with our mission. As the organization looks to the next 15 years, it wants to hear how we access local news and what we need from journalism. Register here.
The Experiences of Women During the Holocaust
Our second Distinguished Lecturer will present on November 6th, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Dr. Katie Chaka Parks, Director of Education at Zekelman Holocaust Center in Michigan, brings forward the overlooked stories of women and how their experiences during the Holocaust were shaped by gender. Her presentation explores how Holocaust research and teaching have too often centered on men’s experiences. Drawing on her dissertation research, which examines gender and sexuality during the Holocaust, and the representation of women in museum exhibits across the United States, Dr. Parks offers a deeper understanding of this history—one that amplifies women’s voices and perspectives.
The program is free to attend and accessible by Zoom, Registration is required as space is limited. Educators can earn two CEU credits. Register here.
A Celebration of Friendship and Innovation
We gathered on September 16th to celebrate 40 years of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center. The evening was memorable as founders, survivor families, executive directors, friends, and colleagues gathered to reminisce, catch up, and thank the people who built the organization. On the sunny afternoon guests mingled on the patio while the Casco Bay Tummlers kept toes tapping with spirited music. A silent auction with 18 items and experiences invited guests to bid, and check back often on their choices. The first two hours enjoying drinks and good friends was a perfect beginning to the evening. During the program many incredible people were acknowledged and thanked for their decades of visions and determination. Gerda Haas’ son David spoke movingly about his mother, describing her as a loving wife and mother—and inspiring, effective organizer and leader. The 2025 Gerda Haas Award recipient, Maulian Dana Bryant, spoke with love and admiration about her grandmother, who offered Maulian and so many others a role model in creating change through trust, tradition, and family. To experience so many of the founders, builders, executive directors, and close friends reconnect for an evening reminded us all of why the HHRC was created, and how it has survived and evolved for forty years. Read more about the celebration here.
Yellow Ribbons for Our Loved Ones
This community project was created by a mother-daughter duo, Camille and Anya Davidson. Camille and Anya, dual citizens of Israel and America, were inspired by the stitch them home idea, a community-led project using knitted or crocheted yellow ribbons to call for the release of the hostages taken from Israel on October 7th, 2023. After months of feeling hopeless and distraught, they decided to channel their sorrow into creativity and advocacy. The exhibit is to bring awareness to the continued plight of the hostages and their families after nearly 2 years. There are still 50 hostages in Gaza—on display are their pictures along with a few words about them. Anya and Camille launched this project by gathering friends to knit and crochet while learning more about the hostages and the efforts to bring them home. Each ribbon is lovingly created with them in mind. We cannot forget about them and their families.
Behind the Lens
An upcoming exhibit and event with Jack Montgomery
We are delighted to present a new exhibit, Behind the Lens, featuring the photography of Jack Montgomery, who for more than two decades has documented the lives and stories of Maine Holocaust survivors. His portraits capture moments, expressions, delight while also glimpses of the humanity and resilience of those who endured unimaginable loss but survived, rebuilt their lives with family, friendships, meaningful work and close friendships. These 'out-takes' from the more formal portraits on display in the Michael Klahr Center are a celebration of our founders.
Drawn from Jack’s original proof sheets, the portraits reveal moments of trust, reflection, laughter, and connection between Jack and his subjects. They invite visitors to engage with history personally, reflecting on the power of photography to capture an essence, a moment and a life.
They will be an exhibit opening in late October be announced soon. From the Holocaust to Maine: Testimonies of Survivors is Jack’s just-published book showcase his stunning portraits and survivor stories. Writes Jack, “The things we save can become the means for our recovery. I am moved by every aspect of these stories … And I am forever grateful to the survivors for giving us this record, which no amount of denial or historical revisionism can ever erase. We are in their debt.” With gratitude to a donor, these books will be distributed to every school in Maine.
Were The House Still Standing
Your generous contribution supports our work: building brave and welcoming communities by promoting universal respect for human rights through education, outreach and cultural experiences. This ambitious goal takes many forms. We offer sixteen educational programs to Maine students, sponsor talks and performances, curate exhibits, house valuable archives, showcase multi-media stories from survivors, and invite all visitors into the beautiful Michael Klahr Center. To preserve the oral testimonies of Holocaust survivors and liberators living in Maine, In 2005 the HHRC commissioned Sculptor Robert Katz to create an 80-minute multimedia installation, a centerpiece of the Michael Klahr Center, entitled Were the House Still Standing. For 18 years visitors have been moved by the stories of personal trauma, tragedy, bravery and resilience told by the survivors, many founders of the HHRC. Now it needs a significant upgrade. We need donations and grants to fulfill this goal. Can you help us?. Please donate here.
A Teacher’s Guide
At the Holocaust & Human Rights Center, we believe that history comes alive through the voices of those who lived it. That’s why we are committed to uplifting Holocaust survivor testimonies and making them accessible to students across Maine and beyond.mThis year, our Holocaust Scholar and Education Coordinator, Erica Nadelhaft, has been leading an ambitious project: a Teacher’s Guide to accompany Jack Montgomery’s book From Maine to the Holocaust: Testimonies of the Survivors. We know that the study of the Holocaust can be overwhelming. Students can get lost in the numbers, dates, and places, but survivor testimonies transform statistics into real lives, filled with stories of resilience, courage, and the enduring human spirit. These first-person accounts do more than teach history. They foster empathy, understanding, and a connection to the past that no textbook alone can provide. With generous support from the Sam L. Cohen Foundation in 2023, we have made tremendous progress. Over the next nine months, we will expand the guide to include all nineteen survivors in the book.
Exploring Juneteenth
Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States. It marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom, following the arrival of Union troops and the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation. A few years ago we became curious about this important date, listened to a podcast, read some articles and essays, and discussed it as a group. Questions emerged. Why for so many years hadn’t people heard about something so important to Black Americans? Why wasn’t it taught in schools? What brought it into our national consciousness after 150 years, becoming a federal holiday in 2021? We each shared a ‘What surprised me most’ observation for discussion. In a spirit of humility, we shared our questions and eagerness to discover about this consequential holiday. Read it here.
Hours & Directions
We are open from 8:00–4:00 Monday through Friday and welcome visitors.
Please call ahead to be sure we are open when you arrive. The Center calendar aligns with the University of Maine at Augusta, so check for holidays and inclement weather closures on the UMA website.
We are housed in The Michael Klahr Center located at the University of Maine, Augusta. Our address is 46 University Drive, Augusta, Maine. Click on the map image for a detailed map of the UMA campus.
From the South: Take I-295 N/US-1 North toward Augusta. Take exit 112A, stay right at the intersection to merge onto ME-8 South. Tavel 0.6 miles then turn right onto University Drive. At the top of hill, bear right and into the parking lot.
From the North: Take 95 South toward Augusta. Take exit 112, merge onto ME-8 South. Travel 0.7 miles then turn right onto University Drive. At the top of hill, bear right and into the parking lot.
For instructions to access the Michael Klahr Center by elevator, click here.
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