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June 2026 Newsletter
Dear Members and Friends,
One of the busiest parts of our year has passed, and now, we look forward to the next half of 2026 with more special programming. I am proud of our many achievements, and I certainly welcome a little summer fun.
But before we decamp for the beach, we have another event on our schedule to honor our local Holocaust survivors. On June 14th we will gather with survivors and their family and friends to honor their survival and strength. This special celebration is funded by grants we have received and commemorates Holocaust Survivor Day. We will send you pictures of this celebration in our next newsletter.
You are very welcome to join us for our summer fun event, the Café Europa ice cream social on August 2nd . We look forward to seeing you then and hope you enjoy a happy summer in the meantime.
KJZZ Story on Holocaust Remembrance Wins Regional Murrow Award
KJZZ host Phil Latzman won the Radio Television Digital News Association’s Region 3 Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Sound for his feature on our 2025 Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The moving story highlighted our collaboration with the Phoenix Symphony and their performance featuring the music of Gideon Klein, a Czech composer murdered in Auschwitz in 1945. Holocaust survivor and PHA board member Hanna Miley is prominently featured in the award-winning news story.
Click the button below to read and listen to the award-winning piece:
Phoenix Holocaust Association proudly congratulates our Executive Director, Leslie Feldman, on being recognized in Jewish News’ “2026 18 Under 50,” honoring individuals making a meaningful impact across the Valley’s Jewish community.
Through her leadership, dedication, and passion, Leslie continues to strengthen Phoenix Holocaust Association and expand our mission of Holocaust education and remembrance. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition and grateful for the impact she continues to make in our community.
Last month, students in Ashley Crose’s class at Saguaro High School had the powerful opportunity to hear from Holocaust survivors Dr. Mark Olsky and Marge Rich, whose stories of survival, resilience, and remembrance left a lasting impact.
Dr. Olsky, who was born on a train to Mauthausen, was also recently featured on CBS 60 Minutes. Marge Rich spoke about surviving the Theresienstadt (Terezín) labor camp alongside her beloved teddy bear, which remains her closest companion today. Despite the painful memories she carries, Marge continues to share her story with one important message: that all children should feel safe and never experience the horrors she endured.
We are grateful to both survivors for preserving Holocaust memory through their courage and testimony.
Holocaust Survivor Day is June 4th!
Phoenix Holocaust Association is grateful to partner with the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix in honoring our local survivors as a recipient of a 2026 Holocaust Survivor Micro-Grant through Seed the Dream Foundation in support of Phoenix’s Holocaust Survivor Day programming.
Holocaust Survivor Day, celebrated annually on June 4th, is a global initiative dedicated to honoring and celebrating the lives, resilience, and contributions of living Holocaust survivors. Unlike Holocaust Remembrance Day, which memorializes the victims, this day intentionally focuses on the joy and legacy of survivors.
We are proud to celebrate our local survivors at the Holocaust Survivor Day Gala and Café Europa on June 14.
Donations
We are grateful for your generous support
For Café Europa
Jeff Cain
A Tribute to PHA
Charlotte Adelman
Gloria Friedman
Haja Silbermann
Helaine Wasser
Holocaust Education
Barbara and Barry Zemel
In Memory of Don Schon
Sheryl Bronkesh
In Memory of Sheila Cohn
Sheryl Bronkesh
In Honor of Edie Wade's 90th Birthday
Edie Wade
In Honor of Karen Kanefsky
The Zimmerman Foundation
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
Jewish Community Day with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Phoenix Holocaust Association is proud to once again participate in Jewish Community Day with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, August 9, 2026 vs. the LA Dodgers. Gates open at 11:30 AM for the community fair activities.
The day will include community activities, special ticket opportunities, and a ceremonial first pitch thrown by local Holocaust survivor Sam Wagman.
Ready to get involved with PHA, connect, and make an impact?
The Young Leadership Committee is focused on young professionals between 22–40 who want to get involved with PHA. Come meet like-minded peers, and be part of something bigger.
Please note, this group is distinct from 3GAZ, which is dedicated specifically to grandchildren of survivors.
Educators Save the Date for the 2026 Murray and Sabina Zemel z״l Educators Conference on the Holocaust and Genocide
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM Midtown Phoenix
Join educators from across Arizona for a meaningful day of Holocaust and genocide education, learning, and collaboration.
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