Holocaust education center coming to Phoenix after $7 million in state assistance

(The Center Square) – A new Holocaust education center in downtown Phoenix is expected to open in early 2027.

Seven million to partially fund the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center were allocated through the state government's appropriations bill earlier this summer. It was distributed to the Arizona Jewish Historical Society through the Arizona Department of Education.

"All of my extended family were killed in the Holocaust," Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said at a news conference presenting a check to the society on Tuesday, noting that his parents fled Poland prior to the Holocaust because his father noticed an increased in anti-Semitic sentiment.

The legislative effort was backed by Reps. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson, and David Marshall, R-Snowflake, and it meant to serve as a supplement to the Holocaust education bill signed into law by Gov. Katie Hobbs this session, House Bill 2779.

The bill requires a minimum of three class periods to be dedicated to learning about the "Holocaust and other genocides" twice throughout middle school and high school.

Steve Hilton, who's leading the center's effort, said the issue is deeply personal to him as his father was the sole survivor in his family of the Holocaust. The announcement of the distribution comes as the one year anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered protests across college campuses globally.

"School is now back, and fortunately I haven't seen any major issues like we were seeing during the last semester of school," Hernandez said, adding that she "is looking at our anti-masking laws in Arizona in regards to protests" in the next session.

The superintendent expressed optimism that the education center will help combat anti-Semitism in Arizona in the long-term.

"We think people who are subject to Holocaust education and to the museum will not be susceptible to that kind of thing. They won't be susceptible to hate of any kind against anybody, because they'll can see what it can lead to," Horne added.