Chappaqua Family Joins Society at U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum announced Friday that Chappaqua's Unger family, who have donated $2 million from several gift, have joined its Pillars of Memory Society.

"Our family has been an active, ongoing supporter of the Museum's current activities, particularly around the issue of modern genocide. I do not believe there is a better platform or institution in the world with the knowledge, experience, and connections to affect greater impact on this issue." Howard Unger, a family member, said in a statement.

The most recent gift from the family was for the museum's Center for the Prevention of Genocide (CPG), which spreads awareness about genocide, why it happens and what can be done to prevent it, the museum stated.

“As a son of a Holocaust survivor, Howard Unger felt an important obligation to the Museum and to the victims of future genocides,” Sara J. Bloomfield, the museum's director, said in a statement. “He wanted to help the Museum advance its efforts in doing for the victims of today and tomorrow what was not done for the Jews of Europe.  His generosity and leadership have helped us advance this work in significant ways."

The Unger family has an extensive history with the museum. Howard Unger was appointed to its governing council in 2011 by President Barack Obama, while the family gave support for an exhibition called From Memory to Action, which looks at genocide since 1945. Additionally, the Unger family's gift supports the museum's comprehensive campaign, which will the museum preserve the memory of the Holocaust and to address topics including antisemitism, Holocaust denial and genocide that is contemporary. The campaign's financial total is $540 million.