34 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J
N

OUR COMMUNITY

M

arvin Zucker grew 
up knowing about 
the terrible losses 
suffered by his European-
based family during the 
Holocaust. Although his late 
parents, Nathan and Anna 
Zucker, remained reluctant to 
talk about their very difficult 
times, important information 
was communicated.
Born in the United States 
to parents who met in a 
Russian forced labor camp 
and escaped to America, 
Marvin Zucker came to 
learn that both sets of his 
grandparents were murdered. 
He learned his father’s eight 
brothers and sisters were 
murdered. He learned one of 
his mother’s two brothers was 
murdered.
Zucker, early in his life, 
decided that Holocaust 
history had to be 
communicated and kept in 
people’s minds regardless 
of their ages. Those feelings 
resulted in active involvement 
with The Zekelman 
Holocaust Center based in 
Farmington Hills.
A widower who found 
happiness again with his 
second wife, Cynthia, Zucker 
also found a partner in 
promoting the messages 
of the Holocaust. They 
participated in Zekelman 
center events, and they 
invited their friends. They 
took center tours, and they 

invited their friends. They 
supported Zekelman projects, 
and they invited their friends 
to join their efforts.
For their dedication and 
active involvement with 
The Zekelman Holocaust 
Center, the Zuckers are 
being honored Sunday, 
Nov. 12, during the 39th 
Anniversary Benefit Dinner 
at Huntington Place in 
Detroit. An in-person speech 
by broadcast journalist Dana 
Bash, who also lost family 
in the Holocaust, will be 
featured as well. 
Zucker relatives, scattered 
around the country, will be 
among the interested patrons 
at the dinner, which will 

have an energetic team of 
sponsors.
“It is a privilege and an 
honor to serve as chairs of 
The Zekelman Holocaust 
Center’s benefit program 
where we celebrate the 
remarkable achievements of 
two outstanding individuals, 
Cynthia and Marvin Zucker,” 
wrote Nancy and Arn Tellem, 
this year’s chairs and last 
year’s honorees. 
“Cynthia and Marvin’s 
commitment to making 
the world a better place 
through their tireless efforts, 
activism and generosity is 
truly inspiring. They have 
invested their time, effort and 
resources to ensure a positive 

impact on our community, 
and we are grateful for that. 
The Zekelman Holocaust 
Center has benefited from 
their dedication.”
It came as a surprise 
and honor for the Zuckers 
to learn they are being 
recognized, and they hope 
the event inspires attention 
to counter the growing 
antisemitism in the world. 
“We’re extremely concerned 
in the rise of antisemitism 
and the proliferation of the 
places spilling hatred because 
of the internet,” Marvin said. 
“Before the internet, people 
could not get a platform to 
spew evil. Now they can, and 
they can broadcast it to the 

The Zekelman Holocaust Center to honor the Zuckers 
at its Annual Benefit Dinner.

Benefit Program Honors 
Holocaust Educators

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Cynthia and 
Marvin Zucker

