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April 2026 Newsletter
Dear Members and Friends,
Reflections on Remembrance and Freedom I was fortunate to share two seders with friends this year. I gathered with them to share our history with all four generations present and to celebrate our freedom. The mission of Phoenix Holocaust Association is also to remember our history and to honor those who perished, those who died for our freedom, and those who survived and lived to tell their story. It is with remembrance and education that we hope to make this a better world.
Commemorating Yom HaShoah With that same spirit, we gather this month to commemorate Yom HaShoah. We will remember. We will reflect on the horrors that hate engenders, and instead, we will cherish our shared humanity. Our safety and our rights are intertwined with the safety and rights of all.
Please join us on April 12th to remember and reflect as a unified community. I hope to see you there.
The community is invited to attend the 2026 Community-wide Yom HaShoah CommemorationonSunday, April 12, 2026, at 4:00 PM
North Phoenix Location (location details to be sent once registered)
This year, Phoenix Holocaust Association is deeply honored to welcome Holocaust survivor Dr. Mark Olsky as our keynote speaker. His story is extraordinary. Born after his mother courageously hid her pregnancy in Auschwitz, Dr. Olsky entered the world on a transport train in the final days of the war—a testament to survival against unimaginable odds. Dr. Olsky’s remarkable journey was recently featured on 60 Minutes. You can watch the segment here. Be prepared to be amazed and deeply moved by his story.
We invite you to join us as we honor Dr. Olsky and over 20 other local Holocaust survivors, and the memory of the six million Jews - and many others - who perished and suffered during the Holocaust.
Condolences to the family of Holocaust survivor Bodo Schrader who passed on March 15, 2026. Bodo was born November 11, 1941, in Magdeburg, Germany, and was a longtime member of Phoenix Holocaust Association. As a child, he survived unimaginable loss—losing his mother in Auschwitz and enduring Theresienstadt alone—before finding refuge in the United States. He later made his home in Phoenix and shared his story with students for many years. May his memory be a blessing.
Speakers Bureau
Holocaust survivor Kathy Gross speaks with an 11th grade history class at Phoenix Country Day School, sharing her story and preserving the memory of the Holocaust for future generations.
3G Sandor Lubisch shared his family’s Holocaust history with students across the Valley, including 6th and 7th grade religious classes at Temple Solel, 80 sixth graders at Spectrum Elementary in the Gilbert School District, middle school students at Mesa Academy, and 100 ninth graders at Apache Junction High School.
2G Sheryl Bronkesh, past president of Phoenix Holocaust Association, visited Ashley Crose’s History of WWII class to share her parents’ stories of survival, her father’s time as a partisan, and their journey to building a life in the United States.
2G Eva Flaster, president of Phoenix Holocaust Association, spoke to Ashley Crose’s History of WWII class, sharing her parents’ Holocaust experiences and presenting a video testimony from her mother.
Donations
We are grateful for your generous support
For Café Europa
Jeff Cain
A Tribute to PHA
American Lutheran Church
Shirley Heiman
State of Israel
Helaine Wasser
Holocaust Education
Jane Salk
In Memory of Pesha Wasser on Her Yahrzeit, 17 Adar
Helaine Wasser
Book of Remembrance
Chanukah in Carefree
Eva Cropp
Franciscan Renewal Center
Einat Orlev Dolev
Nancy and Ike Feiges
Leslie Feldman
Eva Flaster
Clara Grossman
Jewish National Fund
Suzi and Steve Hilton
Jewish Tuition Organization
David Kader
Kim Klett
Mangum, Wall, Stoops & Warden
Monique Mendel
National Council of Jewish Women
Hanna Miley
Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center
Karen Perna
Arthur Rothstein
Judy Searle
Jennifer Sosnow
PHA is supported by a grant from the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix.PHA’s Holocaust Education Initiatives are supported by a grant from the Molly Blank
Upcoming Events
Rosenbluth Family Charitable Foundation Genocide Awareness Week 2026
April 13 - April 16
In-person or on Zoom
Holocaust survivor and PHA board member Kathy Gross will be speaking on Tuesday, April 14, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love and Plenty.
Thursday, April 30, 2026
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Join PHA for an intimate evening with award-winning 2G author Bonny Reichert who will discuss her book How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love and Plenty.
Light fare will be served.
(Location in Scottsdale will be shared upon registration)
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