Our Purpose
We are stewards of memory, educating the community about the history of the Holocaust and its lessons for our world today.
OUR VISION
We envision a society that remembers the Holocaust and uses its lessons and eyewitness accounts to create respect and dignity for all people.
Who We Are
We are Educators
Rooted in sound pedagogy and best educational practices, our innovative Educator Toolkit, workshops, field trips, and community programs help deepen understanding of Holocaust history. These offerings foster meaningful connections to the Holocaust’s enduring lessons on empathy, human dignity, and the importance of standing against prejudice—both in and beyond the classroom.
Our professional development opportunities and resources empower teachers with knowledge and confidence.
We are Storytellers
Stories open doors, hearts, and minds.
Using visual testimony, cutting-edge technology, and engaging resources, we immerse our patrons in powerful stories of survival and loss, perpetrators and victims, and rescue and liberation, ensuring these stories are never forgotten.
Behind every important statistic, date, and event is a human story waiting to be told. Stories resonate. They also challenge and transform.
We are Connectors
When we understand the root causes of hatred, bigotry, and indifference, we realize that even small changes have a significant impact. By fostering this connection between past and present, we provide a meaningful link, inspiring our visitors to take action in their lives, their communities, and beyond.
Our Values
At the Alabama Holocaust Education Center, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all.
We welcome and value the contributions of people of every race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, and background. We value you as a part of a community dedicated to dignity, equity, and the shared responsibility to stand against antisemitism and bigotry in all its forms.
Repairing The World (Tikkun Olam)
Repairing the World, Tikkun Olam, reflects our responsibility to make the world a more just and compassionate place by fostering a more informed and empathetic society.
Remember (Zachor)
We honor the memory of Holocaust Survivors, victims, rescuers, and resisters by preserving their stories and ensuring they are retold and never forgotten.
Respect for Human Dignity
We ensure every exhibit, program and conversation affirms the inherent dignity of all people and the need to protect it.
Join us in examining the
past to build connections
with the future.
Our growing calendar of programs and events offers everything from teacher workshops, to memorials, to interactive community events. We take action to ensure that the Holocaust is never forgotten.
Get in touch with our team to create a special experience for your classroom, family, or team by touring our new state-of-the-art Center. We’re proud to curate an experience tailor-made for you.
Our History
The Alabama Holocaust Education Center began as an idea. Formed by an all-volunteer subgroup of the Alabama Holocaust Commission — a state-led agency for Holocaust education — our organization’s founders sought to bring a richer, more vibrant understanding of the Holocaust to Alabama.
And it was personal. Formed by educators, community members, and Survivors themselves, the “Birmingham Holocaust Education Committee” (or the BHEC) advocated for stronger Holocaust education. They sought to commemorate the victims of Nazi-era persecution and to eliminate bigotry in all its forms.
In 2011, the organization changed its name to the “Birmingham Holocaust Education Center” (still the BHEC) as the members established themselves as more than an AHC subcommittee. In 2014, the BHEC officially filed for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, hiring its first full-time, paid employee.
In 2022, the BHEC rebranded to its current name: The Alabama Holocaust Education Center. Driven by that same mission to preserve the lessons and legacy of the Holocaust, the AHEC is now active in over 40 counties statewide. From Mobile to Huntsville, we carry forth the mission to ensure that the Holocaust’s stories of suffering, struggle, and survival are never forgotten.
Phyllis Weinstein, Founder
Stories of Survival
Ernst Billig
1923-
Vienna, Austria
Ernst was only four years old when he boarded the Kindertransport.
Read his story of survival and browse Ernst’s collection of photos from his life in Coventry, England before settling in Birmingham.