HMH Bearing Witness - November 2016

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WINTER 2016 11
EDUCAT ION
To everything there is a season. . . In early October
Holocaust Museum Houston lost a heroine and
an advocate, and my column in this issue could
be about no other than my beloved friend and our
revered Board Member, Naomi Kaplan Warren.
I offer these words in celebration of a brilliant,
beautiful, kind and good woman. Fifteen years
ago, after meetingNaomi Warren at theUniversity
of Texas at Austin, where I was a faculty member,
I fell in love with her. Naomi changed my life, quite
literally. Because of her, I work at and promote the
mission of Holocaust Museum Houston. Naomi
will forever remain with me, close to my heart,
close to my soul. She welcomed me into her world
as we came to know each other.
Our friendship was enriched by seriousness: the
mission, vision and public values of HMH and
also by joy and laughter. We laughed together
about many things. Naomi had a grand sense of
humor, she shared her joie de vivre, her exuberant
enjoyment of life and the grace she held so
naturally.
Naomi changed my life, as she changed the lives
of so many people. First, her children: Helen
Spector, Geri Roper and Benjamin Warren. She
taught her children well, to bring light to the world
by making a difference, which each of them
has done, in her or his own way. Naomi was so
thankful and so proud of these amazing human
beings, who became role models for their own
children. Her children, grandchildren and great
grandchildren continue her legacy. They are filled
with love for Naomi, or Nunu as she was called
by family members. On Rosh Hashanah this
year, their lives changed, irrevocably. Now, they
are further bound to keep Naomi’s memory and
share her wonder, as are we at HMH.
DR. MARY LEE WEBECK
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
She was a wonder. She was “absolutely
incredible,” a description Naomi used to
describe something or someone very special.
Many of you have heard her use these words,
and it always delighted me to hear the joy in her
voice as she did so. I will always hear her.
Naomi’s life was filled with light following
darkness. This is one of the reasons that I
believe so many individuals came to love her.
Throughout her life and most especially during
the Holocaust, Naomi defied darkness with her
ingenuity and determination, with her hope for
her future. Light shone forth from Naomi.
In no way is this more evident than in the words
of educators who came to revere Naomi. On
Naomi’s 80th birthday, her children created the
Warren Fellowship for Future Teachers, holding
its first week-long program in 2003 at HMH.
Today, Fellows are selected for the Warren
Fellowship from a national pool of applicants, or
as Spector/Warren Fellows from the Syracuse
University student population. In January and
May the Fellows come to learn about the history
and lessons of the Holocaust and genocide.
They study at the Museum, in its exhibits, with
distinguished scholars, experts in pedagogy
and they meet and spend time with Holocaust
Survivors. As a result of being Warren Fellows,
540 future educators have studied at Holocaust
Museum Houston. This time is intense, it is
emotional, and it is career changing.
Holocaust scholar Lawrence Langer has said
that educating about the Holocaust is like
opening a door of impossibility, for how does
one teach the unfathomable? I believe that
the Warren Fellowships have created a model
that is effective, and Naomi Warren and her
family have been at the center of its creation.
She demonstrated her absolutely incredible
strength, energy and wisdom to welcome
the beginning educators to learn this painful
history, and she made this possible by sharing
her sense of life, and of light after darkness.
Now, I will share with you several of the
hundreds of messages I received from Fellows
after Naomi’s passing, reflecting on their time
with Naomi. Before I do so, I would like to ask
you to consider that if each Warren Fellow
teaches between 30 - 100 students per year
that means that between 16,200 to 54,000
students per year learn about the Holocaust;
about Naomi and the Survivors the Fellows met;
and about being an upstander in a troubled world.
Kate Starkes (2009) Oh, my heart is so heavy
yet it’s also filled with starstruck appreciation
for Naomi’s life’s light that continues to inspire
me everyday.
Today, I decided to dedicate my teacher
education class to Naomi’s memory. I shared
her story, her life’s cause and her forever impact
on the world of education. She did it again. Her
spirit is at work in all of us. I will stay the course.
Mara Johnson (2016) I’m sorry to hear of this
loss, and I am sending my condolences to the
Warren and HMH families. Today marked the
beginning of my Holocaust, genocide & human
rights unit in my world lit class, and I shared
my amazing experiences from the Warren
Fellowship. Naomi’s light continues to shine,
and it always will.
Hillary Williams (2014) Naomi instilled a
responsibility in each of us to uphold justice and
stand tall. Her spirit was filledwith grace, grit, and
tenacity. I am so honored to have known such a
strong woman, beautiful soul and role model.
Erin Balfour (2003) We celebrate her life not
only as a singularly magnificent human being,
but also as one who shaped the lives of so
many around her. She is the stone dropped in
the pond that sent ripples throughout the world.
Ripples of peace, love, and hope.
Tarah Burris (2004) Naomi Warren shared
her story of survival and of building and
continuing a beautiful life after the Holocaust.
I promised her the day I met her that I would
carry her story all the days of my life, and
without a doubt I have. She quite simply was
the truest example of grace, generosity, and
strength. She filled so very many with love and
will be missed dearly.
Thank you to Naomi and members of the
Warren family for what you have created here
at Holocaust Museum Houston. There is no
greater honor for an educator than for her
students to achieve, and achieve the Warren
Fellows have. As I reflect on these words, so
eloquent, I would like to say to Naomi and
members of the Warren Family, that through
these stirring words, reflections of Naomi’s life,
love, and commitment to education, I pledge to
you to continue your work, with dedication and
in your memory. We will continue to shine your
light after darkness, for you have shown us how.
We thank the Survivors who have spoken toWarren Fellows since 2003 for adding somuch to the
Fellowship experience. Your stories will live on and be shared in classrooms around the world.
Stefi Altman
Renia Berzak Z”L
Ruth Brown
Alice Cahana
Rosine Chappell
Helen Colin Z”L
Renee Danziger Z”L
Celina Fein
Lili Gordon
Edith Hamer Z”L
Vera Hollo Z”L
Louise Joskowitz
Walter Kase Z”L
Hania Lewkowitz
Al Marks
Edith Mincberg
Bill Morgan
Bill Orlin
Riki Roussos
Pauline Rubin
Sam Rubin Z”L
Rubin Samelson Z”L
Sam Spritzer Z”L
Anna Steinberger
Larry Steinfeld Z”L
Ruth Steinfeld
Sonia Stern Z”L
Lissa Streussand
Chaja Verveer
Naomi Warren Z”L
Ben Waserman
Laure Wittner
Zoly Zamir