Our vision

Avi Lipkin studied for an MA at Israel’s Conservative Jewish Seminary, is a spokesman for the Israel Defense Force (reserves) and is a former Sr. Editor and translator for the Israeli Government press office under Prime Minister Shamir.

He grew up in the liberal, northeastern part of the US. His experiences there, along with the horrific events of the Holocaust, led him to believe that all gentiles hated the Jews. Wanting to escape this hatred and feeling that the future of the Jewish people lies in Israel, Avi decided to move to Israel (make “aliyah”).

Avi Lipkin has written several book including: Is Fanatic Islam a Global Threat?,Christian Revival for Israel’s Survival, Islamic Threat Updates Almanac #1, Israel’s Bible Bloc, and Islam Prophesied In Genesis.

Brad Freels is the Chairman and CEO of Houston-based Midway, a privately owned, fully integrated, real estate investment and development firm.

Midway is the developer of Kings Harbor Waterfront Village, the location of the Holocaust Garden of Hope, in Kingwood, Texas.

Midway generously donated the Holocaust Garden of Hope land site in 2017.

Cary Summers is the founder of the Nehemiah Group which was formed in 1998 and has developed many global projects. He has been recognized as a leader in Israel tourism and he serves on several not-for-profit USA boards.

Mr. Summers is President Emeritus of Museum of the Bible, Inc. Steve Green and Cary Summers spearheaded the creation of the Museum of the Bible’s organization and the planning, implementation, construction and the opening operations of the Washington D.C. museum plus the many other programs formed under Museum of the Bible.

Before his work with the Museum of the Bible, Summers was president and CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment/Silver Dollar City Corporation, one of the world’s largest theme-attraction operators. He previously served as vice president for retail, catalog, and wholesale for Bass Pro Shops and was the general manager of Abercrombie and Fitch when it was the world’s oldest sporting goods company. Mr. Summers is also President Emeritus of Nazareth Village located in Israel, co-founder of Treasures of the Holy Land, and Destination Concepts and Development.

David Lawhon is professor emeritus of American history and Holocaust studies for Texas A&M University at Galveston, where he was the university’s Honors program director. The Holocaust has always been a part of his family’s history, wherein, at the age of 18, his father was a liberator in World War II with the American 49th Rainbow Division who liberated Dachau concentration camp near Munich, Germany, and Mauthausen near Linz, Austria. He has been a member of Holocaust Museum Houston for five years and is Education Director for Holocaust Garden of Remembrance at King’s Harbor.

Devon is the Director of Community and Public Relations at HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood. With expertise in strategic marketing, communications and social media integration, she is responsible for public affairs as related to the hospital and the role it plays in the community.

Dr. Bron Barkley is an accomplished  musician, teacher of the Jewish roots of Christianity, ministry leader and former senior pastor. He is the author of Designed Life.  He is also part of Dr. Victoria Sarvadi’s First Genesis Team.

Dr. John Garr has served the Christian church as theologian, minister, presbyter, and educator for over 50 years, including the past 25 years as Founder and President of Restoration Foundation (Hebraic Christian Community), an Atlanta-based transdenominational, international, multi-ethnic networking organization focused on publishing and education. His career has been devoted to equipping Christians with insights into the historical and theological truth of Christianity’s Hebrew foundations and to promoting rapprochement between the international Christian and Jewish communities.

Emanuel Rund, successful documentary filmmaker and producer, grew up as the son of German Jews in Israel. When he moved to Germany after completion of training, he noticed that there was in this country no remembrance for the victims of National Socialism–and grabbed the process of memory reprocessing in Germany under the arms. Johanna Strunge has spoken to us by Rund.

If Emanuel Rund talks about his idea for a German Day of Remembrance for Victims of National Socialism, he begins with his life in America. Around grows up as the son of German Jews in Israel. For his training as a documentary filmmaker, he goes to the USA. He tells of his life in New York and Hollywood and its successful start into the film business. “Suddenly, I wanted to know where I came from.” In 1984, he travels with his mother in her hometown Aurich in East Friesland. There he learns the story of his murdered by the Nazis relatives–such as his grandparents Joseph and Ida Wolffs.

Over the course of his distinguished 45-year career, Mr. Zeidman has been involved in numerous high-profile workouts, restructurings and reorganizations.  He was former CEO, President and Chairman of Seitel, Inc., a Houston-based provider where he was instrumental in the successful turnaround of the Company. He most recently served as Chief Restructuring Officer of Transmeridian Exploration, Inc. and Bankruptcy Trustee AremisSoft Corp.  He held the post of Chairman of the Board and CEO of Unibar Corporation, the largest domestic independent drilling fluids company, until its sale to Anchor Drilling Fluids.

Heinz Reuss is the international director of March of Life and part of the pastoral team of TOS Church in Tübingen, Germany. Heinz is in charge of the training programs, young adult ministries, and public relations for TOS Ministries internationally. Heinz has been married to Ann-Caroline since 2013.

Deborah (“Debbie”) Riddle is a former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 150, which encompasses much of northwest Harris County in and about Houston, Texas. 

Debbie is a horse breeder who lives in Tomball with her husband Mike, an attorney. In 2010, she self-published Taking Back Your Community, Your Country and Your Kids, which she described as, “a practical roadmap for anyone who chooses to make a difference in their country and community.

Karen Duston is an advocate of conservation and sustainability. In her capacity as advisor to the Holocaust Garden of Hope, she is using her expertise to help enhance the Garden’s green space for use by wildlife as well as visitors. Dr. Duston retired from the San Jacinto College District in Houston, Texas where she served as the Chair of the Department of Natural Sciences before stepping down to develop the two-year engineering program on the South campus. She taught a variety of courses in the fields of biology, geology, and engineering, including environmental
science courses. Prior to coming to San Jacinto College, Dr. Duston was employed as an Environmental Scientist and Engineer/Research Scientist at Rice University, Houston, Texas for 18 years. She continued to work with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice as an Adjunct Professor and consultant for an additional eight years.

Dr. Duston holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering from Rice University, a M.S. in Microbiology from Texas A&M University, and three B.S. degrees – Microbiology from Texas A&M University and Chemistry and Metallurgical Engineering from The University of Texas at El Paso.

Martin Fein is President of Martin Fein Interests, Ltd., a development and acquisition company of more than 30,000
units of class A multi-family garden apartments; and Westchase Construction Limited, a company constructing high-end apartment developments.

Mr. Fein is a long-term, generous supporter of the Holocaust Garden of Hope and an active member of the Executive Advisory Council.

Maryann Gremillion is a writer and educator working with elementary schools, teachers, and nonprofits to build transformative communities. She taught elementary school for fifteen years in Houston where she discovered a passion for creative writing and integrating fine arts in the content areas.

Maryann also worked for twelve years as a writer-in-residence and then program director for Writers in the Schools (WITS) in Houston. Her work has been published in The Ekphrastic Review, Glass Mountain, Teachers and Writers magazine, and several local anthologies. She recently completed a book chapter with a colleague called Innovation and Integrity: Working

Through Disruption to Support Teachers in Their Roles as Literacy Educators. The book is Developing Knowledge Communities Through Partnerships For Literacy by Emerald Publishing.

Maryann has a passion for educating children about the Holocaust and investing her talent in developing unique mini-lessons and curricular materials for the Holocaust Garden of Hope and HRA18.

Mike Riddle is the Managing Partner of Riddle & Butts, LLP and has been practicing law in Harris County and surrounding counties for almost 40 years. Mike has been a guest speaker for the White House Conference on Aging and he spoke before the International Association of Financial Planners in Washington, D.C.

Mike has been a guest speaker for 30 years on Christian radio station KHCB 105.7. He has three grown children and lives in the Tomball area. He is a member of Champion Forest Baptist Church, where he serves as a Sunday school teacher. Mike is married to former Texas State representative Debbie Riddle.

Rabbi Brian Strauss is the senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, the largest synagogue in Houston, Texas.

Rabbi Strauss is passionate about social action, which is a major focus of his senior rabbinate and believes very strongly that citizens can and should do more for the greater Houston community.

Rabbi Strauss is a long-term, generous supporter of the Holocaust Garden of Hope and an active member of the Executive Advisory Council.

Mrs. Sanja Zoričić Tabaković is from the Shoah Academy, president of the Jewish Community of Zagreb and the Coordination of Jewish Communities.

Shaya Ben Yehuda serves as an advisor to the Holocaust Remembrance Association, bringing a deep passion for Israel, Jewish heritage, and relationship-building between Jewish and Christian communities. Through years of educational and community engagement, he has encouraged understanding, dialogue, and support for the Jewish people. His commitment to combating antisemitism and fostering meaningful connections makes him a valued member of our Advisory Team.