LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Southern Nevada has a diverse Jewish community, and the month of May is Jewish American Heritage Month.
This month is a time when Jewish identity and what it means to be Jewish are highlighted and celebrated.
Tricia Kean introduces you to Heidi Straus, whose heritage and education have inspired a local nonprofit that could one day turn into a permanent museum.
Heidi Straus, a Las Vegas native with a master's degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from the University of Southern California, is working to establish Nevada's first permanent Holocaust museum through her organization, the Nevada Center for Humanity.
Straus has been collecting Holocaust artifacts, some donated by local survivors, to educate Nevadans about the genocide that claimed 6 million Jewish lives between 1941 and 1945.
"I took my first Holocaust class at USC as an undergrad, and before there was a USC Shoah Foundation," Straus said. "I am giving you my age now and it was taught by a survivor, and it got me so interested in this topic."
After graduating from USC, Straus studied and traveled abroad, where she encountered disturbing reminders of antisemitism.
"That's where I saw my first swastikas. I saw them in different countries throughout Europe, and it does have a profound effect on you when you see that. And then seeing them in my own country is when I was done," Straus said.
This experience became a call to action for Straus, who founded the Nevada Center for Humanity, a 501(c) public charity. Through this organization, she educates Nevadans about the Holocaust and the importance of standing against hate.
Southern Nevada is home to 80 Holocaust survivors, some of whom have entrusted Straus with their personal artifacts for educational purposes.
"I was just at the governor's office for four months in his Las Vegas office with an exhibit. It was amazing because I had the security of Capitol Police, and I had so many groups. Twice a week I had two tours a day, so that's four tours a week, showing rare artifacts and things that belong to our local survivors. It was amazing," Straus said.
Some local Holocaust survivors even participated in the tours, adding their personal perspectives.
"Try giving a Holocaust tour to a group of Holocaust survivors. I can tell you that was stressful. But I think they were proud. I think I did them proud and they were able to interject within the tour and share things that are not going to be on their USC testimonies," Straus said.
Last month, Straus gave a presentation before the Clark County Commission on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Her speech emphasized the importance of being an "upstander" – someone who takes action against injustice, often at personal risk.
"Muslims saved Jews as well from 55 different countries, saved the life of one or more Jews. Those are upstanders, those are righteous among the nations," Straus said.
Straus already owns the name "Nevada Holocaust Museum" and hopes to establish a permanent facility in Las Vegas. Currently, her collection functions as a traveling exhibit that has visited six of Nevada's 16 counties.
"I have the artifacts, the educational materials, survivor testimonies. I need now support. In a big way, in a big way, I have supporters; it's all private, everything I'm doing. I'm not asking the government for any money. I would like to do it all with private funders," Straus said.
She remains determined to complete her mission, incorporating modern technology to preserve survivors' stories.
"Let's self-actualize. I want to get it done. I am ready. I mean, and I'm working on virtual reality. I've got survivor testimonies. I've got all these artifacts from survivors that are giving them up to us now. It is very exciting," Straus said.
Straus continues her work educating students about the Holocaust, guided by the words of Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel: "Action is the only remedy to indifference."
Those interested in donating or partnering with Straus can contact her through the Nevada Center for Humanity website.
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