OJMCHE is pleased to announce the establishment of the Gail Schwartz and Irwin Joseph Family Fund for Holocaust Education in Memory of Ardine Spira and in Honor of Vicki and Charles Spira.
“This type of financial support is crucial as we continue to fulfill our mission of the Oregon (not Portland) Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education,” said OJMCHE Director of Education Amanda Coven. “In the past 2.5 years, we have made significant connections with teachers throughout the state. Now we can offer sustained educational support.”
OJMCHE’s statewide work grew exponentially beginning in May of 2019, with the passage of Oregon Senate Bill 664 directing schools to provide instruction about the Holocaust and genocide. This new chapter in the life of OJMCHE has given the museum the tools to greatly extend its reach and help accomplish its mission to “explore the legacy of the Jewish experience in Oregon, teach the universal lessons of the Holocaust, and provide opportunities for intercultural conversation.” Now with the addition of special funds to support Holocaust Education, OJMCHE is poised to deliver statewide professional development for educators, classroom workshops, and facilitated conversations on difficult topics.
The museum has been focused on our outreach beyond the Portland region. This week, thanks to the new fund, OJMCHE is hosting an onsite workshop for teachers from Central Oregon. These past two years, the museum has been able to strengthen ties with educators across the state with the development of robust digital resources and the addition of staff member Andrew Duden, Education Specialist for Digital Learning. Coven reports that she has been “pleased with the numbers of teachers from throughout the state, who are now more connected to the museum. The pandemic has provided an opportunity to rethink and restructure who we reach and how we reach them and now with this new fund in place in 2023 we can expand professional development opportunities for teachers throughout Oregon.”
Gail Schwartz has had decades of experience in education. She has worked as a resource specialist and as an education administrator throughout California – from inner-city high schools to small rural communities – with much of her work focused on facilitating and organizing professional development for educators and parents.
As Gail and Irwin were packing to move to Portland from California in January 2022, they began researching philanthropic opportunities with an educational focus. “My husband, Irwin, found the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education online and that day Director Judy Margles had announced the Nancy Green Memorial Teacher Training Fund,” shared Schwartz. “My heart has always been in education and Holocaust studies – so we knew we wanted to do something similar. I was inspired by the Green family’s gift and we hope that others are inspired to fund work they believe in at any level.”
“We are so grateful to Gail Schwartz and Irwin Joseph for this transformational gift,” said Director Judy Margles. “The vision and support of our community is what allows our mission to continue to expand. We are delighted to count Gail and Irwin as part of the OJMCHE community and we look forward – with gratitude – to this next phase of our educational development.”
If you are interested in contributing to the fund, please click here.