Kutas has played instrumental role as PHRF consultant, will manage fundraising campaign and ongoing educational programming

The Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about the universal lessons of the Holocaust, announced that it has tapped Eszter Kutas as the organization’s director. In this role, Kutas – the grandchild of four Holocaust survivors -- will be responsible for overseeing all of the PHRF’s operations, including fundraising for the organization’s $4-million endowment campaign, maintenance of the recently constructed Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza, and developing and implementing programming and educational content that remembers the victims of the Holocaust and aims to eradicate all forms of bigotry.

Kutas will join the PHRF from Fairmount Ventures, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit consulting firm, where she served as assistant vice president. In her three-plus years at Fairmount, Kutas worked extensively on behalf of the PHRF, leading the organization’s fundraising efforts for two years and overseeing other aspects of the organization’s operations, including the Plaza’s construction, and relationships with the City of Philadelphia, the USC Shoah Foundation and ADL Philadelphia. Through her consulting position at Fairmount, Kutas has served as the PHRF’s acting director for the past year.

This announcement comes on the heels of the October unveiling of the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza, a significant expansion to the existing plaza surrounding the Monument to Six Million Jewish Martyrs, which has memorialized the Holocaust since 1964. The Plaza, located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at Arch Street, now provides Philadelphia residents and visitors with an outdoor experience where they can reflect on the universal lessons of the Holocaust and learn the importance of combatting hatred and bigotry.

“With physical construction of the Plaza complete, we are now laser-focused on ensuring its ongoing use as an educational resource about the Holocaust,” said PHRF Board Chairman David Adelman. “As we begin this new chapter, we are extremely excited to bring aboard Eszter to spearhead these initiatives in her new full-time role. The success of the Plaza’s redevelopment was largely due to Eszter’s excellence as a project manager and her passion for the cause, and we are confident in her ability to continue disseminating the messages of tolerance.”

Prior to Fairmount, Kutas held several roles at Philabundance, a nonprofit devoted to eliminating hunger from Philadelphia communities. Earlier in her career, she worked as a senior staff attorney at the Claims Conference, an organization focused on securing compensation and restitution for Holocaust survivors, after receiving a juris doctorate from University of Eotvos Loran in Budapest, Hungary and a master’s of law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

“Over the last few years, we’ve seen an upsurge in anti-Semitic rhetoric and activity in both Europe and the U.S., which has made the PHRF’s mission of remembrance increasingly relevant,” said Kutas. “The city of Philadelphia has long been at the forefront of the fight for justice and equality, and the Plaza channels Philadelphia’s unique democratic history in teaching the importance of standing up to hatred and bigotry. I’m eager to assume this new position at the PHRF, and to build out our educational programming and technology initiatives to help the organization in its quest to build a future of tolerance.”

In addition to coordinating the expansion of the Plaza, the PHRF has also partnered with the USC Shoah Foundation to offer educational, multimedia content via “IWalk”, a mobile app that will connect specific locations at the Plaza with personal testimonials of Holocaust survivors. The app will guide visitors as they move through the Plaza, providing explanations about each interpretive element, including the Monument to Six Million Jewish Martyrs, original train tracks from railroads leading to the death camps, and the “Six Pillars,” which contrast atrocities of the Holocaust with American constitutional protections and values.

In the near term, Kutas will continue to build financial support to further the PHRF’s mission as the organization’s focus shifts from the Plaza’s capital campaign to community engagement and education. To do so, Kutas will be focused on developing strategic partnerships for community events and educational programming to bring relevant and relatable Holocaust content to Philadelphia’s diverse communities.

There are numerous sponsorship opportunities available for individuals or firms looking to play a role in teaching the lessons of the Holocaust. Interested parties are encouraged to find more details at https://www.philaholocaustmemorial.org

About the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation

The Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Philadelphia residents and the global community about the universal, timeless, and enduring lessons of the Holocaust. The organization, which is led by business and community leaders from across the region, led the capital development for the Philadelphia Holocaust Memorial Plaza centered around the Monument to Six Million Jewish Martyrs on 16th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia.