“I am nominating Paula Riemer, a member of our Advisory Board and a pillar of the Holocaust Center community,” executive director of the Holocaust Center Lauren Bairnsfather said.

Paula attends every event we host, is extremely supportive of our staff, and keeps in touch with us when there is news about a survivor. Paula’s father, Jack Sittsamer, was a Holocaust survivor and advocate for Holocaust education. He was known and loved throughout the community and was committed to Holocaust education. It is said that more than 100,000 students and others heard his testimony. So committed was he that he left an endowment for the Holocaust Center to continue its efforts in Holocaust education into the future.

Paula was part of a young group of children of Holocaust survivors that began to meet in the late 1970s. Most had not heard their parents’ Holocaust stories first hand. This included Paula – the group came together before her father began to tell his story. In this small group was the seed of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. Indeed, Paula has been with us from the beginning!

Paula is the Administrator in the Department of Music at the University of Pittsburgh and has been supportive of the integration of music into the Holocaust Center’s commemorative programs.

Thank You Paula.