The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida is an organization dedicated to combating anti-Semitism, racism, and prejudice with the ultimate goal of developing a moral and just community through its extensive outreach of educational and cultural programs. Using the lessons of the Holocaust as a tool, the Center teaches the principles of good citizenship to thousands of people of all ages, religions, and backgrounds each year. Our Center is one of the oldest facilities of its kind in the nation. It houses permanent and temporary exhibit space and archives. It is a nonprofit organization supported by tax-exempt donations and is open to the public free of charge. In June of 1980, founder Tess Wise, aided by Valencia Community College and the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando, created a series of community-wide events on the Holocaust and relevant human rights issues. The focus was on the social, historical, moral, ethical, and economic implications of the Holocaust for today. A conference was held in March 1981. The same coalition sponsored a Conference on Terrorism the following year, and in 1986, a Holocaust Center facility was constructed, a professional museum exhibit was installed, and a library with documentary and archival collections was developed. The Center received national and international recognition for its unique facility, the only one of its kind in the Southeast until 1996, and for its dedication to world-class, innovative programming. Today, the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center offers a variety of programs to sensitize the public to issues of tolerance, diversity, and respect for cultural differences. Its leadership and supporters firmly believe that preserving the past helps us protect the future and that a moral and just community grows from understanding the watershed events of human history.
