News & Impact

Like many children who had a parent who survived the Holocaust, Lydia Preisler Shorenstein felt an obligation to find a way to honor her father’s memories and experiences, as well as to educate others about the tragedy of the Holocaust so that history would not continue to repeat itself.

For Lydia the call to action came when she and her late husband, Doug Shorenstein, visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., along with her family, including Lydia’s parents, Simon and Etelka.

Lydia Preisler Shorenstein and Doug Shorenstein z”l with children Sandra, Brandon, and Danielle

Simon Preisler was born in Fancsicovo, Czechoslovakia, to an observant Jewish family. A survivor of Auschwitz, he met and married his wife, Etelka, and they settled in Germany after the war, where he had a successful career in business.

Lydia learned the value of giving back through her father, who was a leader of the Frankfurt Jewish community and a well-known philanthropist. His courage and wisdom served as a reminder of the strength of the human spirit in the face of hate and indifference.

Douglas Shorenstein’s father, Walter, was a successful real estate developer who instilled in his children a deep commitment to civic causes. Following in his father’s footsteps, Doug assumed leadership of Shorenstein Properties and served on boards and committees of hospitals and universities. Doug succumbed to cancer in 2015, after a courageous battle. His profound impact on the San Francisco skyline and on our community cannot be measured, but it will be lasting.

Lydia Shorenstein in conversation with teachers at the Holocaust Center’s annual Day of Learning, which inspired the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education’s educational model.

Lydia and Doug founded the Preisler Shorenstein Institute to provide Holocaust education to thousands of youth, and they created an endowment fund to permanently support it.

They saw an opportunity in partnering with the JFCS Holocaust Center, and Lydia joined the Center’s Council of Children of Survivors. She now chairs the Advisory Council.

Susan Lowenberg, who served with Lydia on the Council of Children of Survivors and now works alongside her on the Advisory Council, witnessed Lydia and Doug’s personal approach to philanthropy up close for many years. Looking back on the couple’s importance to the community, she said, “It’s a very quiet, dignified leadership that we all should take as a role model.”

Among the educational initiatives that Lydia has supported over the years include the annual Day of Learning, which for almost two decades brought together students and teachers from throughout Northern California for an interactive conference about the Holocaust and patterns of genocide, and The Children of Willesden Lane “Bay Area BIG READ” in 2015, which reached 7,000 students and educators and was the largest Holocaust education initiative Northern California had ever seen.

The BIG READ called upon students to read a true account of a musical prodigy who was rescued from the Nazis through the Kindertransport—and culminated in four days of musical performances at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. Lydia’s support helped make this program a great success.

In this video, Lydia and Doug reflect on the Preisler Shorenstein Institute’s 13th coming-of-age year.