In a world where geo-political tensions can and have escalated quickly, Dr. Peter Halmos wanted to leave a legacy to ensure that lessons from past atrocities are not forgotten or distorted.
As a survivor of the Holocaust, Dr. Halmos, who passed away in December 2022, funded an initiative through the Community Trust Foundation (CTF) to help teachers in Allegany County take their students free of charge to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.
“Even though I lived the tragic events of the Nazi tyranny in the late 1930s and 1940s, my first trip to the museum was a very emotional experience,” Halmos previously recalled. “It is disturbing to me that anyone could assert the Holocaust did not happen. When you visit the museum and see the boxes of shoes, the harsh reality is brought to life. I saw it happen. I lived it.”
Halmos looked to The Community Trust Foundation to bring his idea to sponsor bus trips to the national museum to fruition. Since its inception in 2006, the Community Trust Foundation serving Allegany, Garrett, and Mineral counties has helped donors like the Halmos family realize their charitable vision. CTF’s sole purpose is to strengthen the region by connecting philanthropic donations for community good. Through the foundation, Dr. Halmos received the administrative services and stewardship needed to implement his idea.
Considering recent world events, a group of Holocaust survivors who volunteer at the museum shared an open letter with the public. They wrote in part, “That is why memory and education become more important with each passing year. And why we are proud of our contributions to fortify new generations to face the challenges that lie ahead.” In October, Holocaust Memorial Museum Chair Stuart E. Eizenstat issued the following statement. “In the wake of Hamas’ terror attack on Israel, the largest killing of Jewish civilians since the Holocaust, we are witnessing a horrific rise in antisemitism. College students, leaders, and the broader public need to learn the history and lessons of the Holocaust—the dangers of unchecked antisemitism, the power of propaganda, and the potential for complicity in group-targeted violence. All of us need to understand the lessons of the past and take responsibility for the future. “A nonpartisan federal, educational institution, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, dedicated to ensuring the permanence of Holocaust memory, understanding, and relevance.
To learn more about the opportunity for students to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, contact CTF at 301-876-9172.