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A Mission Inspired by Memories A daughter's tribute inspires a movement to create a Holocaust museum in San Diego survivors like my mother and others in the South Bay," Scheller says. at vision became the exhibit RUTH: Remember Us the Holocaust, which began its journey in 2020. Scheller grew up in the South Bay, home to a significant cross-border Jewish community, shaped in part by the fact that, at various times, it was easier for Jews escaping persecution to enter Mexico than it was to enter the United States. e exhibit includes a wide range of artifacts, from dolls dressed in Nazi garb to an empty can of Zyclon B poison gas. One of its most powerful pieces, and a major inspiration for the exhibition, is a dress marked with an "X" on the back, worn daily by Scheller's grandmother while imprisoned in Auschwitz. "A single uniform can speak. e artifacts carry the voices of the survivors. ey are what remain: evidence, memory, truth. If those voices are to endure, we must care for what was placed in our hands," says Scheller. e exhibit has been so successful, presenters extended its stay in La Jolla, and Scheller and others are now working hard to create a permanent home for the collection. Last month, community leaders, philanthropists, and educators gathered at the home of Dr. Irwin Jacobs to begin the process of establishing a Holocaust museum in San Diego. Envisioned as a binational initiative, the project aims to draw visitors from both sides of the border while preserving historical artifacts, honoring survivor stories, and providing education. ere are several potential sites under consideration. In the meantime, those with World War II-era items — such as photographs, documents, or artifacts — who would like to find them a permanent home and place of honor are encouraged to contact Scheller at sscheller@cox.net. rememberustheholocaust.org BILL ABRAMS S an Diego is one of the largest cities in the United States without a permanent Holocaust museum. e word "holocaust," like many others these days, has lost its impact over time. Originally defined as destruction by fire, especially a sacrificial offering burned to ash on an altar, today it is most associated with mass slaughter on a devastating scale. In contemporary usage, it is closely tied to "genocide," the deliberate destruction of a group of people. Yet even this term has been subject to debate over its definition and application, and in the case of the Jewish Holocaust of the 1930s and 1940s under Nazi rule, there are some who argue it never happened. e historical record, however, is extensive and undeniable, and a powerful selection of that evidence is currently on display at the La Jolla/Riford Public Library through June 28. Featuring artifacts, personal testimonials, and photographs, the exhibit vividly documents the atrocities committed by the Nazis and leaves no doubt as to their reality. Sandra Scheller, the daughter of Holocaust survivor Ruth Goldschmiedova Sax, is the driving force behind the exhibit, which has been touring San Diego County. "I had the idea to create a space in downtown Chula Vista to honor Holocaust Focus history PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL ABRAMS Sandra Scheller, pictured with life-size cutouts of several of the Holocaust survivors featured in the exhibit ranchandcoast.com 42 MAY 2026 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE