Holocaust Learn and Remember Focuses on 'Judgment'
Published on January 05, 2026
The 14th annual program series is presented by San Antonio Public Library and the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio.
SAN ANTONIO (January 5, 2026) – San Antonio Public Library (SAPL) and the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio (HMMSA) present the 14th annual “Holocaust Learn & Remember” series this January. Each year, SAPL and the HMMSA commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27) with this series dedicated to honoring and remembering the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.
This year’s theme is “Judgment” with a focus on the Nuremberg Trials, the first international prosecution of Nazi leaders after the Holocaust. Programs will take an in-depth look at the past and how some of the most powerful Nazi leaders were held accountable for their actions. Programs will also focus on the stories of survivors of concentration camps and the journey to honor the victims.
The opening event at Central Library, “The Unknown Story of Karya’s Forced Labor Camp,” will focus on stories of survival within Greece’s forced labor camp, Karya, and how that camp was discovered.
The series will end on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, with a program from legal historian Dr. Isaac Amon focusing on the legacy of the Nuremberg trials. Dr. Amon’s presentation will draw on courtroom testimony, archival footage and his own personal visits to historic sites.
Visit the SAPL website for more information on the series, exhibition, closing event, and book lists for children, teens and adults about the Holocaust. For more about the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio, visit the museum website.
Programs
The Unknown Story of Karya’s Forced Labor Camp
Central Library, 600 Soledad St., 78205
January 8, 7 p.m.
The history of the Karya forced labor camp in Greece might have remained unknown if not for the dedicated research of author Andreas Assael. A photo album purchased from a street vendor sparked his 20-year investigation to identify victims and perpetrators. Among the images, Andreas discovered his father and survivor Sam Cohen. This compelling presentation features Andreas Assael and Jerome Cohen as they recount this harrowing chapter of history and the journey to honor the victims.
An Afternoon with Holocaust Survivor Eva Balcazar
Parman Branch Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak, 78258
January 11, 2 - 4 p.m.
Holocaust survivor Eva Balcazar shares her remarkable story of resilience in the face of Nazi oppression. She will recount her childhood, her beloved parents, and their forced migration from Germany following Kristallnacht in 1938.
Judgments about the Final Solution
This presentation will focus on the institutional, situational and personal judgments about the Final Solution, the Nazi plan to eliminate Europe’s Jewish population. The lecture will also emphasize the selection process at Auschwitz, where inmates were either designated to the gas chamber or to perform forced labor.
Cody Branch Library, 11441 Vance Jackson, 78230
January 13, 3 - 4:30 p.m.
McCreless Branch Library, 1023 Ada St., 78223
January 15, 3 - 4:30 p.m.
Las Palmas Branch Library, 515 Castroville Rd., 78237
January 21, 3 - 4:30 p.m.
Nuremberg in the News
Online, registration required
January 14, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
January 20, 6 - 7 p.m.
This program examines how journalists, photographers, radio broadcasters and newsreel filmmakers reported on the Nuremberg trials and helped bring unprecedented international attention to the court, not only shaking public attention, but also how the trials are remembered today.
The Legacy of the Nuremberg Trials
Registration required
Thursday, January 27, 7 p.m.
Legal Historian Dr. Isaac Amon explores the legacy of the first international prosecution of Nazi leaders after the Holocaust. Drawing on courtroom testimony, selected archival footage, and his visits to sites such as Auschwitz, Treblinka, and the historic Nuremberg courtroom, Dr. Amon will examine how judgment at Nuremberg 80 years ago established a permanent historical record of the Holocaust, gave voice to survivors, and affirmed that even the most powerful be held accountable.