Honoring the Legacy of Tauba Weiss (z”l)
Catalyst for Change, Guardian of Memory
The entire JFCS community mourns the loss of Tauba Weiss—Holocaust survivor, a founder of the JFCS Holocaust Center, and lifelong catalyst for change.
Tauba’s life embodied both courage and compassion. A survivor who refused to be silenced, she helped build the institutions that would ensure that the community would remember the Holocaust not only as history, but as a living lesson in moral clarity and resilience.
Born in 1925 in Łask, Poland, Tauba was one of eight children in a close-knit Jewish family, of whom only she, her father, and a brother survived the Holocaust.
At age 12, her life was upended by Nazi invasion. Tauba endured three years in the Łask ghetto, then the Łódź ghetto, followed by imprisonment in Auschwitz, Stutthof, and Terezin. She lost her mother and six siblings to the gas vans at Chelmno.
After liberation, Tauba rebuilt her life in San Francisco, raising a family and becoming a fierce advocate for Holocaust remembrance and education. She helped found the JFCS Holocaust Center, inspired the establishment of San Francisco’s Holocaust Memorial, and dedicated her life to teaching young people about the past—and the values that must shape the future.
The Moment That Mobilized a Community
In 1977, Tauba faced a moment that would change the course of Holocaust remembrance in the Bay Area.
A Nazi bookstore had opened its doors just steps from a synagogue in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset neighborhood. On Erev Pesach, Tauba confronted the shop’s owner, demanding an explanation, and telling him that the nazis killed her whole family, wasn’t that enough? His chilling reply — “No, it was not enough” — only strengthened her resolve.
Filled with anger, Tauba threw a rock through the storefront window. Her act of fearless defiance sparked a protest, and she was soon joined by other survivors—including her husband, Morris—who protested and threw the store’s inventory into the street.
Not only did this protest preempt the closure of the Nazi bookstore, but it galvanized the city’s entire Jewish population to take a stand. Tauba and other local survivors worked in partnership with then SF Supervisor Diane Feinstein on a three-part resolution:
- Establish a Holocaust Center
- Build a permanent Holocaust Memorial in San Francisco
- Organize an annual Yom HaShoah public commemoration
A Lasting Legacy
Thanks to Tauba’s leadership and vision, all three of these pillars were realized:
The Holocaust Library and Research Center—today the JFCS Holocaust Center—became a primary resource for Holocaust and genocide education in California.
The Center continues to lead the San Francisco’s annual community-wide Yom HaShoah Commemoration, a powerful gathering of remembrance and resilience.
San Francisco’s Holocaust Memorial now stands in Lincoln Park, a permanent space for reflection and memory.
When it came time for the Holocaust Memorial’s groundbreaking, Tauba prepared to attend with her beloved husband, Morris. But just days before the event, Morris passed away. At the ceremony, it was Tauba, embodying the resilience she taught us all, who stood before the community and read the speech her husband had written, ensuring that his voice, too, was part of this historic moment.
A Life of Compassion and Strength
Beyond public leadership, Tauba’s quiet acts of kindness shaped countless lives. She helped resettle newly arrived Russian Jewish emigrants, making sure they had furniture, jobs, and community as they built new homes in San Francisco.
In her own home, she made Judaism a source of pride and joy. One grandson recalls: “I always felt special to be Jewish while at her house.” She believed deeply that strength must be shown outwardly, and she often said: “We wear the sparkles on the outside and we show strength.” Today, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren—her “sparkles” — continue to embody that message.
Education Brings Understanding
Tauba believed that education is the most powerful antidote to hatred. Her mantra — “Education brings understanding” — guides every aspect of the JFCS Holocaust Center’s work today.
Through our educational programs, teacher training, and public events, we continue to teach not just history, but the values that will build a more just future.
As we remember Tauba Weiss, we honor her legacy by carrying her mission forward — to stamp out hate, to preserve memory, and to teach the richness of Jewish life and resilience to generations to come.
May her memory be a blessing. And may her legacy guide us always.
Help Carry Forward Tauba’s Legacy
Tauba Weiss showed us that one person can spark a movement. You can help continue her work.
Make a gift to the JFCS Holocaust Center in Tauba’s memory today.