MAITLAND — The Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center in Maitland is working to spread the word on its newest museum, which opens in January.
The new Holocaust Museum for Hope & Humanity is located in downtown Orlando and officially opens on Thursday, Jan. 18 to let the public to explore a “Community Story”: the lives of local Jewish Holocaust survivors and their recorded histories, including often harrowing stories about standing up to the injustice and horrors of the Final Solution.
This newly designed museum is being refined and completed as the Center remains closed for several more weeks. Located at the former Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce building at 75 S. Ivanhoe Boulevard, the new museum will be overlooking the natural beauty of Lake Ivanhoe.
The City of Orlando has been leasing this property to the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center, which is promising a unique new exhibition gallery.
“Step into Hope & Humanity, our redesigned main exhibit gallery which serves as a test site for the storytelling methodology we plan to showcase at the Holocaust Museum for Hope & Humanity,” the Center notes.
The new museum will enhance the Holocaust Center’s long-standing mission, the Center notes.
“Spanning 20,000 square feet, the museum will utilize state-of-the-art technology to preserve survivor testimonies, ensuring their voices endure as we lose the last remaining witnesses,” the Center notes on its website. “Through storytelling, artifacts, and documents, visitors will learn about the Holocaust and the resilience of humanity in the face of atrocity. This space will not only celebrate Orlando’s inclusive spirit but also serve as a global beacon of hope, reminding us of our collective responsibility to foster a better future.”
What is the Exhibit Hope & Humanity?
Plans for the new museum were first announced in 2020 as a means of expanding their educational outreach through interactive exhibits focused on social justice and the important lessons of history.
As the Holocaust Center notes in its newsletter, “This January, step inside a powerful new experience at the Holocaust Center. Hope & Humanity, our newly redesigned main exhibition, invites visitors to explore the stories of our local Jewish survivors who stood against injustice through acts of courage, dignity, and resilience.”
Once it opens, this exhibit — which is still being refined but remains on track for the Jan. 18 opening — will be free and open to the public.
“The exhibition shares the lived experiences of local Jewish Holocaust survivors — not as statistics, but as individuals with families, dreams, fears and hopes,” the Center notes. “Through stories of defiance, dignity and resilience, visitors are invited to reflect on what it means to be human in the face of inhumanity and how hope can endure even in the darkest times.”
What is the Holocaust Memorial Center?
The Center was first established in 1981 as the Holocaust Project of Valencia College. The project had been initiated by a Holocaust survivor, Tess Wise, to “raise awareness about the Holocaust during a time when education on the subject was limited, culminating in a significant two-day conference.”
In 1983, it became an independent 501c3 organization, and in 1986, the Center opened as the first Holocaust museum in the Southeast, predating the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.
Where Can I See The Hope & Humanity Exhibit?
The Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center is a part of the Shalom Orlando Roth Jewish Community Center, 851 N. Maitland Ave. in downtown Maitland. The Holocaust Museum for Hope 7 Humanity will be housed at 75 S. Ivanhoe Boulevard off Lake Ivanhoe.
Call (407) 628-0555 for more details.
The Center is undergoing a special closure now through Jan. 16 “for the holiday season and to finalize renovations for our grand reopening. We look forward to welcoming visitors back when we resume normal operating hours on Sunday, January 18, 2026. Be sure to follow us on social media for the latest updates on hours, special closures, and upcoming holiday events so you don’t miss any opportunities to connect with the Center this season.”
Michael Freeman is an Orlando journalist, playwright, and author of the book “Bloody Rabbit”. Contact him at Freelineorlando@gmail.com.
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