30th Anniversary Guardians Commemorative Book - Book - Page 163
PRESERVING
FAMILY STORIES
My first connection
to the United States
Holocaust Memorial
Museum was made
while I was in high school. I was
at the kitchen table with my dad
when we heard on the news that
a Holocaust museum was going
to be built in Washington. I knew
I had to work there. I joined the
staff after college and for nine years
was privileged to be surrounded
by the people whose intellect
and passion built this Museum.
The dedication of the Museum
staff is unbelievable. One of the
curators I recently met said that
she was a ‘newbie’ at 24 years there.
I’ve already made three visits to the
Shapell Center, and they are never
repetitive. We are literally walking
through stories. I am always so
touched by the thoughtful, planful,
serious attention paid to preserving
these stories and evidence.
My 92-year-old father, William Loew,
is one of five to survive from a large
Jewish family in Lwów, Poland. Our
family is inspired by his resilience and
his ability to remember his past while
always looking toward the future. The
Museum has had an enduring impact
on our family, and we wanted to make
sure that we made an impact on the
Museum: When someone tells the
story of who we are, the Museum is a
central part of that story.
The Museum is a passion for our
entire family. Every time my husband,
Dan, and I walk into the Museum, we
know that our investments of energy
and time are exactly the right way
to make a meaningful impact. We
have participated in the Museum’s
Washington, DC, Next Generation
Board. We co-chaired the tribute
dinner honoring Elie Wiesel, and our
three daughters have all graduated
from the ‘Bringing the Lessons Home’
program. Dan also recently joined the
Strategic Advancement Committee.
With the Museum’s upcoming 25th
anniversary, we were ready to make
our second gift. We liked the idea
of funding an endowment match
through our estate, so we created the
25th Anniversary Mendelson Legacy
Challenge. Now, the Museum is truly
part of our family’s legacy.”
SAFEGUARDING TRUTH FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS l 161
