The Zekelman Holocaust Center

What The Zekelman Holocaust Center does

The Zekelman Holocaust Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum and educational institution headquartered in a 55,000-square-foot facility in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Founded in 1984 by local Holocaust survivors as the Holocaust Memorial Center on the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center campus, it relocated to its current award-winning building in 2004 and is now Michigan's only Holocaust museum. Its core product is a 20,000-square-foot permanent exhibit featuring Michigan survivor voices and recent historical scholarship, supported by the Janice Billmeyer Mobile Guide for self-guided tours, a research Library Archive with a searchable online catalog, and an Oral History Collection of more than 700 video and audio testimonies from survivors, liberators, veterans, and witnesses.

The Center serves six primary customer segments: K-12 schools (the largest, driven by Michigan Public Act 170's mandate of six hours of Holocaust and genocide education for grades 8-12), general public visitors, college and university programs, corporate teams, security sector professionals (law enforcement, fire, corrections, military), and Michigan educators. Revenue is generated through unit-priced admissions ($5-$8), $50/year memberships, group tour fees ($3/student field trips, $50/session corporate education), traveling exhibit hosting (up to $1,000), donations and tributes, planned giving via a Legacy Society, and an annual Anniversary Benefit fundraising event. Many programs — particularly security sector training — are provided free of charge, signaling a mission-driven rather than margin-driven model. The Center reaches 65,000+ on-site visitors and 150,000+ people annually across all programs.

Strategic positioning is anchored in three structural advantages: a regulatory moat from Michigan's Holocaust education mandate, an irreplaceable intangible-asset base (oral histories, artifacts, Anne Frank tree sapling, Holocaust-era boxcar), and an ecosystem of academic and institutional partnerships (University of Michigan's Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Oakland University, USC Shoah Foundation, Echoes & Reflections, MHGE Council). Distribution has been progressively broadened through a 1,000-square-foot traveling exhibit deployed statewide and a virtual programming channel, indicating a deliberate push beyond the single-site museum model.

Name

The Zekelman Holocaust Center

Legal name

The Zekelman Holocaust Center

Website

https://holocaustcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Zekelman Holocaust Center is Michigan's only Holocaust museum, operating a 55,000-square-foot facility in Farmington Hills that delivers Holocaust education to K-12 schools, the general public, corporations, security sector professionals, and educators through exhibits, oral histories, and outreach programs reaching 150,000+ people annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Holocaust Museum Education

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Holocaust education
• Museum exhibits
• Survivor testimonies
• Educator professional development
• Holocaust research archives

Headquarters

HQ city

Farmington Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: Visitors pay admission fees to access the museum exhibits. General admission ranges from $5-$8 per person depending on category, with free admission for members, uniformed services, library visitors, and EBT cardholders.
2. Membership Program: Annual general membership at $50 provides free admission, personalized membership card, exclusive events, exhibit previews, free admission to monthly public programs, 10% shop discount, and library/archives access for the household for one year.
3. Donations and Tributes: General donations support education and outreach programs. Tribute gifts honor or memorialize loved ones while supporting the mission.
4. Group Tour Fees: School field trips charge $3 per student with free admission for teachers and required chaperones. Adult education programs charge $50 per session.
5. Annual Anniversary Benefit: Annual fundraising event with tickets, sponsorships, and recognition of honorees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Zekelman Holocaust Center is Michigan's only Holocaust museum, operating a 55,000-square-foot facility with a 20,000-square-foot permanent core exhibit, Library Archive, and Oral History Collection of 700+ survivor testimonies. It delivers Holocaust education through in-person visits, group tours, traveling exhibits, virtual programs, professional development for educators, and specialized training for schools, corporations, and security sector professionals. Its programs meet Michigan Public Act 170 mandates for grades 8-12 and reach 150,000+ people annually.

Product overview

The Zekelman Holocaust Center is a 55,000-square-foot Holocaust museum and education institution in Farmington Hills, Michigan, offering a comprehensive suite of educational products and services. Its core offerings include a 20,000-square-foot permanent museum exhibit with Michigan survivor voices, the Janice Billmeyer Mobile Guide for self-guided tours, and Survivor Talk Sundays featuring first-hand survivor accounts. The Center provides extensive education programs including professional development workshops for educators (eligible for SCECH hours), the annual Summer Academy training seminar, and the Kappy Family Art & Writing Competition for students. Group tour offerings span school field trips ($3/student), college/university programs, corporate education sessions ($50/session), and free security sector training including MCOLES-registered law enforcement programs. The Center operates a traveling exhibition program ('The Holocaust: History, Memory, and Michigan Voices') at 1,000+ square feet with optional 'Art as Resistance' expansion, and maintains a research Library Archive with searchable catalog plus an Oral History Collection of 700+ testimonies. Additional offerings include a Museum Shop, General and Sustaining Memberships ($50/year), and an annual Anniversary Benefit fundraiser.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Core Holocaust Museum Exhibit A 20,000-square-foot permanent museum exhibit featuring Michigan survivor voices, the latest historical research on the Holocaust, and multi-media technology for visitor engagement. Located within the 55,000-square-foot Farmington Hills facility and accessible through general admission or membership.
• The Holocaust: History, Memory, and Michigan Voices Traveling Exhibit A 1,000-square-foot multi-panel traveling exhibition bringing Holocaust education to communities across Michigan, featuring local survivor voices and archival materials. Hosted at libraries, schools, colleges, museums, faith-based institutions, and civic centers for 2-6 month durations, with optional 500-square-foot 'Art as Resistance' expansion.
• School Group Field Trips Customized 60-minute guided tours for middle and high school students led by professional Museum Educators, with optional 30-minute Next Generation Speaker presentations and customized content aligned with learning objectives. Student admission is $3 per person with free admission for teachers, bus drivers, and required chaperones. Designed to meet Michigan Public Act 170 requirements for grades 8-12.
• College and University Programs Customized museum tours and virtual programs for college and university classes, presented by expert educators with options for Next Generation Speaker presentations. Supports in-depth, inquiry-based Holocaust education at the higher education level.
• Corporate Museum Education Programs Professional development programs teaching leadership, diversity, and ethics through Holocaust lessons. Includes museum tours, virtual programming, and on-site visits lasting 30-60 minutes at $50 per session, covering prejudice, ethics, team-building, and cultural perspectives for business teams.
• Security Sector Education Programs Custom programs for law enforcement, firefighters, military, and security professionals focusing on ethical leadership, diversity, and atrocity prevention. Includes MCOLES-registered 'Policing and the Holocaust' training qualifying for CPE credits. All security sector programs are free of charge.
• Virtual Education Programs Theme-based virtual presentations lasting 45-60 minutes for groups of any size, exploring particular questions, themes, or events in-depth rather than general Holocaust overview. Accommodates remote audiences with experienced Holocaust educators.
• Professional Development Workshops Teacher training workshops and seminars covering Holocaust pedagogy, trauma-informed practices, literature-based teaching, genocide prevention, eugenics education, antisemitism awareness, media literacy, and specific resources for teaching Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel's works. Eligible for SCECH hours.
• Summer Academy Annual four-day intensive training seminar for Michigan educators held July 27-30, featuring Holocaust history sessions, pedagogical workshops, and guided exhibit tours. Partners include Raoul Wallenberg Institute at University of Michigan and Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.
• Doris & Eric Billes Museum Shop On-site retail shop featuring Holocaust-themed books, educational materials for children and teens, World War II history books, Judaica, fair trade goods, and commemorative items. Members receive a 10% discount.
• Library Archive Research Research and reference collection on Holocaust history with a searchable online catalog, special collections, Hungarian microfilm collection, audiovisual documentaries, Holocaust badges, memorial books, music books, and genealogy resources. Open by appointment Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Oral History Collection Collection of over 700 video and audio testimonies from Holocaust survivors, liberators, veterans, and other witnesses, indexed and available for viewing. Categories include survivors, emigrés, escapees, partisans, righteous gentiles, and U.S. service members.
• Tracing Survivors & Victims Research Research assistance for tracing Holocaust survivors or victims, connecting visitors with resources including Arolsen Archives, USHMM, Ancestry.com, JewishGen, Yad Vashem, and the Center's own collections.
• General Membership Annual $50 membership providing free household admission, a personalized membership card, exclusive events, exhibit previews, free monthly public programs, a 10% museum shop discount, and library archive access for one year.
• Inside the Glass Case On-Demand Museum Experiences Educational video series featuring survivor testimony, artifact analysis, lesson plans, and resources for classroom use, including materials on Nazi propaganda, camp life, and dehumanization. Designed for teachers and self-directed learners.
• Special Exhibits Rotating special exhibitions complementing the core exhibit, including 'Age of Influence: Youth and Nazi Propaganda' on display July 2026 to January 2027, plus past exhibits on topics such as The Evidence Room, Boris Lurie: Nothing To Do But To Try, Deadlier Medicine, Kindertransport Memory Quilts, and The Book Smugglers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,000+ visitors served annually through museum visits and programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Michigan Holocaust & Genocide Education (MHGE) CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016The MHGE council was created under Public Act 170 of 2016 for individuals who want to teach and learn about Holocaust and genocides, or to connect to museums and events happening in Michigan. The website and lesson plans are designed to meet Michigan classroom needs.
• Vancouver Holocaust Education CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre developed the 'Age of Influence' special exhibit on youth and Nazi propaganda and loaned it to The HC for display from July 2026 to January 2027.
• Raoul Wallenberg Institute at the University of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Summer Academy educator training. Faculty members including Dr. Jeffrey Veidlinger and Dr. Miriam Mora provide special lectures on antisemitism throughout history and Pure Michigan: The History of Hate in the Great Lakes Region.
• Oakland University William Beaumont School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Summer Academy educator training. Dr. Abe Brummett teaches Medical Ethics and the Holocaust sessions focusing on choices made by medical professionals during the Holocaust.
• Echoes & ReflectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership providing resources for Holocaust instruction. The HC uses Echoes & Reflections materials and the USC Shoah Foundation's iWitness survivor video testimonies for teacher training and classroom instruction.
• Soul StudiominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Doris & Eric Billes Museum Shop carries pieces from Soul Studio, a studio art program at Friendship Circle for adults with special needs that supports each artist's creative growth.
• USC Shoah FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner providing access to iWitness survivor video testimonies used in education programs and professional development for educators.
• Westland Public LibraryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCurrent host of the traveling exhibition 'The Holocaust: History, Memory, and Michigan Voices' from May 1 to June 30, 2026.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre: Canadian Holocaust education centre with which The HC partnered to develop the 'Age of Influence' exhibit. Comparable as a peer museum focused on Holocaust education, survivor testimony, and special exhibits.
• Virginia Holocaust Museum: Richmond, Virginia-based Holocaust museum offering exhibits, survivor testimony, and educational programming. Comparable as a peer regional Holocaust museum with similar outreach focus.
• Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center: Located in Skokie, Illinois, this is one of the largest Holocaust museums in the Midwest and directly comparable as a regional Holocaust museum offering exhibits, educator training, and survivor testimony programming for a similar demographic.
• Holocaust Museum Houston: Texas-based Holocaust education museum offering exhibits, survivor testimony, and school programs. Directly comparable as a regional peer museum with similar educational programming, traveling exhibits, and survivor engagement.
• Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust: New York City-based Holocaust museum offering exhibits, educational programming, and survivor testimonies. Directly comparable as a peer Holocaust museum with similar mission, programming mix, and audience.
• Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum: Dallas-based museum expanding into a new 55,000+ sq ft facility with combined Holocaust and human rights programming. Comparable as a peer museum of similar physical scale and educational scope.
• Holocaust & Humanity Center (Cincinnati): Cincinnati-based Holocaust and humanity museum operated by Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Comparable as a peer regional museum offering survivor testimony, educator training, and traveling exhibits.

Broad incumbents

• Simon Wiesenthal Center / Museum of Tolerance: Los Angeles-based Museum of Tolerance operated by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, combining Holocaust education with broader human rights programming. Comparable as a peer museum emphasizing Holocaust history and ethics/leadership education for diverse audiences.
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: The national Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C., is the largest and most visited Holocaust institution in the U.S. It is broadly comparable as a peer museum and educational institution, though it operates at a national scale versus The HC's state-level focus.

Others

• Skirball Cultural Center: Los Angeles-based Jewish cultural center with educational programming on Jewish heritage, history, and values. Comparable as an adjacent peer institution with educational programming for schools and the general public, though with broader cultural scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HMCMichigan
• Facebookfacebook.com/HolocaustCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zekelman-holocaust-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/holocaustcenter
• Xx.com/HolocaustMI

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Zekelman Holocaust Center