Holocaust Speaker Series: Melissa Hunter

The Holocaust Speaker Series, hosted every Wednesday at 11 a.m., features Holocaust survivors and descendants of survivors sharing stories of life before, during, and after the Holocaust. This week’s featured speaker is Melissa W. Hunter. 

Melissa W. Hunter, author of What She Lost, is a writer and blogger from Cincinnati. She studied creative writing and journalism at the University of Cincinnati. Her novel What She Lost is inspired by her grandmother’s life as a Holocaust survivor. 

Generously sponsored by Margaret and Michael Valentine and presented in partnership with the Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Center and Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.

Ready to register for this event?
Register Now
Register Now

Related Events

upcoming event

Yom HaShoah Commemoration & Auschwitz Exhibit Closing Reception

2026-04-12 16:00:00

Join the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, the Mayerson Jewish Community Center, and Jewish Family Service for this year’s Yom HaShoah Commemoration on April 12 at 4:00 PM at Cincinnati Union Terminal. Together, we will remember and mourn the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and honor the resilience of survivors.

This year’s program will include prayer, reflection, music, and a moving candle-lighting ceremony led by six survivor families. We are honored to welcome Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, who will deliver a keynote address as part of the memorial on “The Holocaust: Past, Present, and Future Challenges.” His remarks will explore the urgency of Holocaust education, the rise in antisemitism, and the ongoing responsibility to support survivors, followed by an opportunity for audience Q&A.

Ambassador Eizenstat is a former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union and served in senior roles across multiple U.S. administrations, including Deputy Secretary of the Treasury and Special Adviser on Holocaust-era issues. He has been a leading figure in international efforts to secure restitution and justice for Holocaust victims and currently serves as Chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council.

After the memorial program, guests are invited to continue the evening with a reception, followed by a brief interfaith and civic conversation featuring Rev. Aaron Rogers (Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio), Matt Daniels (Superintendent of Catholic Schools), and Dr. Gary Zola (American Jewish Archives), with an introduction by Elizabeth Pierce, President & CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center.

The evening will also mark the closing of Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away., with a special reception to conclude the exhibition’s run. Guests are invited to stay for remarks from museum and civic leaders. Light bites and drinks will be provided.

Register Now
View All Events
upcoming event

Holding Hope: Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42

2026-05-17 15:30:00

In collaboration with the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center, Queen City Opera presents a moving afternoon of music inspired by Holding Hope, the Center’s portrait exhibition honoring Holocaust survivors with ties to Cincinnati.

The event begins at 3:30 PM within the gallery itself, where small ensembles of QCO musicians activate the space through intimate performances of short works connected to the lives, memories, and cultural backgrounds of the survivors, many of them Russian-speakers from Eastern Europe.

At 4:30 PM, audiences are invited to Reakirt Auditorium for a culminating concert featuring professional singers and orchestra in selections from Mendelssohn’s Elijah and a complete performance of his Psalm 42. Mendelssohn’s deeply personal setting of longing, faith, and renewal offers a powerful artistic response to themes of resilience, remembrance, and hope.

Free parking in the lot of the Cincinnati Museum Center. Seating is general admission. Please contact us in advance if you require accessibility accommodations or wheelchair seating so that our staff may prepare the space to ensure your comfort.

Register Now
View All Events
upcoming event

Museum Mindfulness Yoga at Union Terminal & Character Strengths Journaling

2026-06-04 18:00:00

Join us for Museum Mindfulness, a yoga and creative experience in the iconic Rotunda at Union Terminal, designed to help participants slow down, reflect, and be their best selves by leaning into the mindfulness of their character strengths. The evening begins with a grounding yoga session in the Rotunda, creating space for physical presence, mental clarity, and intentional reflection.

Following yoga, guests will enjoy drinks and light appetizers while taking part in a guided “future self” visualization that invites them to imagine themselves fully living into specific character strengths in their daily lives. Participants will then engage in a reflective journaling experience using a character strengths journal provided as part of the program. The journal includes prompts that explore how their character strengths show up in their lives, where they want to grow, and how they can put their strengths into action. Guests will also have time to artistically decorate their journal cover using color, words, and imagery that reflect their strengths, creating a meaningful and personal keepsake.

To conclude the experience, participants will write a commitment postcard to themselves, naming the character strength they are committing to practice and how they plan to embody it moving forward. The Holocaust & Humanity Center will mail the postcards to participants four to six weeks later, offering a thoughtful follow-up that reconnects them to their intention.

All event attendees must take the VIA Character Strengths Survey prior to registration.

​Please Note: Bring your own yoga mat. All participants will be required to sign a waiver at registration.

Museum Mindfulness is part of the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center’s Cohen Family Upstander Month, an inspiring month of events featuring family activities and an awards ceremony at historic Union Terminal. The month celebrates and uplifts the change makers in our community.

 

Register Now
View All Events
upcoming event

Upstanders in the Kitchen: Cooking for Bethany House

2026-06-07 14:30:00
Join the Holocaust & Humanity Center for a special Upstander Month experience that brings compassion, community, and action together.

Join the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center for a special Upstander Month experience that brings compassion, community, and action together.

Participants will gather at Bethany House for a hands-on opportunity to prepare a complete dinner that will be shared with families and children served by the organization. As you cook side by side with fellow community members, you will learn more about what it means to be an Upstander, explore the mission of the Holocaust & Humanity Center and Bethany House, and gain a deeper understanding of homelessness and the needs facing families in our community.

Participants will also learn about the work of Bethany House Services, the largest provider of family homelessness services in Greater Cincinnati. Bethany House’s mission is to empower homeless and at-risk families with the solutions they need to achieve housing stability and long-term self-sufficiency through emergency shelter, housing support, and family-centered services.

Together, participants will prepare and package the meal while putting Upstander values into action through a meaningful shared experience of service and care for others.

Space is limited. A $10 registration fee reserves your spot and helps cover the cost of ingredients used to prepare the dinner.

Come ready to cook, connect, and make a difference alongside others in your community.

Register Now
View All Events
upcoming event

2026 Upstander Awards Gala

2026-06-14 18:00:00

Join us for an evening where character takes root and courage blossoms. The Upstander Awards celebrate individuals whose values, leadership, and moral courage strengthen our community and inspire meaningful change. Like flowers in bloom, their actions remind us that character has the power to grow, uplift, and transform the world around us.

On June 14, gather in the iconic Rotunda of historic Union Terminal for a gala honoring this year’s Upstander Award recipients. Guests will enjoy a three-course meal, live music, dancing, special activations, and an inspiring awards ceremony that celebrates those who rise to meet the moment with resilience, compassion, and impact.

Through storytelling and shared celebration, the Upstander Awards reflect the mission of the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center and affirm the belief that history matters most when it guides how we act today.

Festive formal attire is encouraged. Wear your florals, purples, and blues to celebrate the evening’s theme. Valet parking is included with each ticket. Early bird tickets are $125 through May 1 and increase to $175 after that date.

Question? Contact Gala Coordinator Leigh Sullivan at [email protected].

Register Now
View All Events