Museum Announces $5 Million Gift From the Sara and Asa Shapiro Family

May 05, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC - The Sara and Asa Shapiro Family - Mickey Shapiro, Steven and Margie Shapiro, and Edward Shapiro - recently joined the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s most dedicated philanthropists as Benefactors, with a $5 million gift to the Museum. The gift was given in memory of their parents, both Holocaust survivors, and will be recognized with the naming of the Museum’s 14th Street foyer as the Sara and Asa Shapiro Foyer. 

“The Shapiro Family has been involved with the Museum for decades, and Mickey previously served as a member of the Museum’s governing Council. Sara’s and Asa’s testimonies are part of our collection, and this very generous commitment helps us advance our goal of bringing the history and lessons of the Holocaust to new generations worldwide,” said Museum Director Sara Bloomfield. “This gift comes at an especially critical time as we see rising antisemitism just as we are experiencing the gradual loss of the survivors.” 

Sara and Asa Shapiro were both born in the small, predominantly Jewish town of Korets, in what was then Poland and is now Ukraine. During World War II, Asa was in a Soviet labor camp and then conscripted into the Soviet army. Sara escaped a ghetto in German-occupied Poland and posed as a Ukrainian maid to avoid capture. Her story of courage and resilience is told in the feature film My Name is Sara which will be released this Fall. They were the only members of their families to survive the Holocaust. After liberation, they immigrated to the U.S. where they settled in the Detroit area.

Out of deep respect for their parents’ struggles and to honor what they had achieved, the Shapiro Family was moved to make this exceptionally generous gift to the  Museum. Mickey Shapiro, Sara and Asa’s eldest son, said, “If not us, who?  If not now, when? The Museum has the ability to reach people at a national and worldwide level, and that is essential at this point in history.  We also believe it is an important legacy to our parents to provide this support to the Museum.”

About the Campaign

This gift supports the Museum’s $1 billion campaign, Never Again: What You Do Matters. The Museum is making critical investments to keep Holocaust memory alive as a relevant, transformative force in the 21st century. 

About the Museum

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity.  Its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors.  For more information, visit https://www.ushmm.org