Dear Friends,

As we head into the final months of 2026, I am filled with gratitude for this community. Because of your vision and support, the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center is moving closer to reality every day, with construction now more than 60% complete and exhibit fabrication beginning to take shape!

While our walls are still going up, our mission is already making an impact across Arizona: 

• This fall, we launched our inaugural Educators Advisory Committee, welcoming dedicated teachers from across Arizona to participate in focus groups, help develop lesson plans, and shape meaningful student experiences. 

• Through our new partnership with the Bureau of Jewish Education’s Hebrew High program, 9th and 10th graders are exploring Holocaust history, curation, and the importance of preserving memory. They are currently conducting family and community oral history interviews, helping to ensure that the stories of previous generations and preserved for the future. 

• Our team has been out in the community sharing the Center’s vision, connecting with audiences at the East Valley JCC, the Center for Jewish Philanthropy's Professional Advisory Network, Mirabella at ASU, and beyond. Every conversation is an opportunity to build relationships, share why this work matters, and invite more people to be part of what we are creating. If you have a group you'd like us to present to, we'd love to connect! 

Looking ahead, we are excited to offer even more opportunities for you to engage with our mission through special events, film screenings, concerts, and community programs. As we move closer to opening our doors next year, I am reminded every day that the Center is about the students we will reach, the stories we will preserve, and the responsibility we all share to stand up against antisemitism, hatred and intolerance. 

Thank you for being part of this journey. I look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming programs and sharing all that lies ahead. 

All the best,

President & CEO

Arizona Jewish Historical Society

Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center

Steve Hilton and Oskar Knoblauch at a special signing

A Living Legacy:

Oskar Knoblauch Signs His Beam at the Center

In a deeply meaningful moment ahead of his 101st birthday, beloved local Holocaust survivor and motivational speaker Oskar Knoblauch joined Steve Hilton to sign "Oskar's Beam." Oskar is one of four survivor "companions" whose stories will be featured throughout our Holocaust Gallery, and he has spent decades sharing his family’s story with thousands of students and teaching the importance of being an upstander.

This beam will be permanently installed in the Center's main lobby, welcoming students and visitors as they begin their experience and reminding future generations of the importance of remembering the past and taking responsibility for the future. 

For Oskar, whose story will continue to educate and inspire generations of visitors, this moment was especially meaningful. 

AZ Family reporter Zach Prelutsky captured this special moment and highlighted why Holocaust education and confronting antisemitism are more important than ever. 

The filmmakers with HFHEC President and CEO Talli Dippold

A Powerful Evening of Remembrance:

An Auschwitz Album Story

We were honored to welcome members of our community for a special screening of An Auschwitz Album Story, a new documentary sharing the extraordinary survival story of Mike and Joe Kreitenberg and their life-changing discovery in the Auschwitz Album: photographs of their family and neighbors who were murdered during the Holocaust. 

Following the film, producer Mitch Kreitenberg and his son, Ben, as well as director Jeffery Gary, participated in a thoughtful conversation about how the film came about, the process of making it, and what they hope audiences take away from their family's history. 

The evening was a powerful reminder of why preserving survivor stories and sharing them with future generations is so important. 



To learn more about the film, click here.

Talli Dippold, Oskar Knoblauch, and Steve Hilton on site of the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center

With heartfelt gratitude to our growing and dedicated community, we are thrilled to announce that our campaign has now raised $48.25 million in support of building and endowing the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center. 

This incredible milestone reflects the commitment of individuals and families who believe in the importance of Holocaust education and the lasting impact this Center will have on future generations. More than 84% of the funds committed have already been received!

To date, more than 1,300 donors have made commitments of all sizes, each helping bring this vision to life. There is still an opportunity to join or expand your involvement. 

All gifts of $5,000 and greater will be recognized with a donor recognition plaque prominently displayed in the lobby of the new Center. Explore the nine donor levels and the Donor Wall and Recognition Plaques Concepts. 

To learn more about giving opportunities or to discuss increasing a gift, please contact Frank Jacobson at fjacobson@azjhs.org. 

Thank You to Our Newest Donors!

We are deeply grateful to the individuals and families who continue to invest in our mission and help bring the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center to life. Your involvement energizes and sustains our work. As of October 26, 2026, we are pleased to recognize the following donors who have made new gifts or increased their commitments $5,000 or more between June 5 and October 26, 2026. Your generosity is helping us build a legacy of education, remembrance, and hope.

Visionaries ($100,000+)

Arthur & Marlene Greenberg

Upgraded gift from Builders - $50,000+ 

Ellen & Michael Gross

Upgraded gift from Benefactors - $25,000+ 

Builders ($50,000+)

Peter & Alice* Buseck

Upgraded from Benefactors - $25,000+ 

Purple Mountain Foundation

Upgraded from Benefactors - $25,000+ 

David & Elizabeth Shapiro 

Benefactors ($25,000+)

Bill & Mindy Brandt

Upgraded from Guardians - $10,000+ 

Lois & Randy Gamiel 

Jim Hirshorn 

Dahlia & Erik Maskin 


Guardians ($10,000+)

Barbara & Marvin Aal 

Priscilla & Lou* Cohen

Upgraded from Sustainers - $5,000+ 

Debra Sylvan deLeeuw & Robert deLeeuw  

The Aizenman/Dippold Family

Upgraded from Sustainers - $5,000+ 

Heather Figelman 

John & Kathleen Graham 

Betty Hum & Alan Yudell

Upgraded from Sustainers - $5,000+ 

Gary & Tandy Kippur 

Gary & Miriam Marcus 

Shari Miller 

Nate & Tally Nathan 

Larry Seay & Barbara Walchli 

Gary & Linda Thomas

Upgraded from Sustainers - $5,000+  

 

Sustainers ($5,000+)

Steven Bandler 

Randal, Sheryl, Harrison & Eli Golden 

Howard & Karen Lieberman 

Howard Monheit & Cari Lefkow  

Hannah Sperber 

*Of Blessed Memory

Click here to see a current list of all donors over $5,000 and

the donor giving categories.

Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center

in the News! 

"Steve Hilton, co-founder and executive chairman of Scottsdale-based Meritage Homes Corp., is leading the charge to develop Arizona's first Holocaust education center in downtown Phoenix.

His late father, Sam Hilton, survived five concentration camps during World WarII. He later spoke to children about his experiences and became an expert witnessfor the FBI, which led to the deportation of some Nazis who were hiding inthe U.S.

Following in his father's footsteps to continue educating children about the Holocaust is one of the most important things Steve Hilton said he's ever done."

Our story continues to reach new audiences! Steve Hilton recently spoke with the Phoenix Business Journal about the progress of the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center and the vision behind this important project. Read the interview in the Phoenix Business Journal.