Helen Ginsburg recalls mission to remember Holocaust in Colorado and nation

This Women's History month, we're learning more about a woman who transformed the way the Holocaust is recognized in our state and across the country.

Helen Ginsburg, founder of the Babi Yar Foundation, had to summon all her tenacity and leadership skills to make that happen.

An audio recording at the interactive exhibit at Babi Yar Memorial Park in southeast Denver park states, "On Sept. 29, 1941, in Kiev, Ukraine, USSR, German Nazi units rounded up Jews and murdered them in the ravine called Babi Yar."

Raising money for Babi Yar Park was a lesson in understanding and self-interest, says Ginsburg. A segment of the Jewish community initially opposed its creation.

Ginsburg recalled, "it was one of the larger fundraising groups in the city and they were concerned this project would siphon away funds that should have come to them. And I was told in no uncertain terms by the leadership of that organization that I could not solicit money from the Jewish community, ever, at all."

Ginsburg figured she had to do something. She was given the opportunity to speak at various churches, and although they were generous, it was still not nearly enough.

She remembers, "so I called a meeting. 'Look if we are going to build this park, and we are going to build this park, there is only one way to get the money. I have to go talk to President Carter because he is known for his humanity and caring.  And they looked at me as though I was a little bit off."

But go to the White House, she did.

And the very organization that opposed her fundraising originally came along too.

"It was me against the guys, so to speak," said Ginsburg.

Carter agreed to help her. The Babi Yar Foundation's current president, Alan Gass, said, "Helen was able to convince him to release funds in the amount of between $70,000 and $170,000."

That money was allocated to Colorado to build Babi Yar Memorial Park. And in the end, "the entity that stood in my way did contribute a nice sizeable amount of money," she added.

"Had he not been a very nice, appropriate lovely southern gentlemen, he might have called on the men to speak first. But he chose me to speak first.  And I got home with the goods," she said. "It's a story of humanity really. This park represents it. It is the voice of the past and a warning for the future of what happens where there is hatred."

The president also shared his hopes for building a Holocaust museum for the country.

"I said it was a wonderful idea. 'Where were you thinking of building it?' And he said 'why in New York, of course. That's where the most Jews live.' And I said, 'but Mr. President, we know what happened to us. It's got to be built here in Washington, in the heart of democracy. It has to have the stamp of reality because so many people question whether there was even a Holocaust. It's got to be in Washington, DC,'" Ginsburg said.

Ginsburg read from a Congressional declaration made when Babi Yar Park was dedicated: "We in their memory will join hands toward that day when we will see an end, not only to antisemitism, but to anti-humanism anywhere in the troubled world of ours."

Ginsburg also founded AWARE, an organization dedicated to Alzheimer's research, rallying hundreds of volunteers and raising over $675,000 for research.