Honoring Family With a Gift to HMH

In a multitude of ways, Gail and Milton Klein have tirelessly committed themselves to the mission of Holocaust Museum Houston. Born into families who suffered the atrocities of the Holocaust, they have pledged to sustain the memory and meaning of that horrific time.

Gail, a native Houstonian, reminisces about her beloved parents, Renee and Benjamin Danziger.

“My Hungarian mother survived Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, but tragically lost her mother, two younger sisters and brother,” Gail says. “Secretly humming and singing in the camps, she credited her survival to the healing power of music and repaid this debt by working on behalf of Houston Grand Opera and Houston Symphony for the rest of her life. Renee received the prestigious Masterson Award from HGO and shortly after her death, Maestro Lawrence Foster dedicated a concert in her memory.”

“My father came from an Orthodox Lithuanian family who helped found what today is United Orthodox Synagogues,” she continued. “He held many board positions at UOS and was influential in the creation of Aishel House. Both parents participated in many other charitable causes.”

Although born in Rhode Island, Milton was raised around the world. His father, Rabbi Dr. Carl Klein was born in Slovakia and was descended from a 500-year rabbinical dynasty.

“My 16th generation grandfather, buried next to Maimonides, was Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem in the 1500s,” Milton says. “My father co-founded Bar-Ilan University and founded the Conservative Movement in Mexico. My mother, Helen, was of Hungarian decent but was born in New York City.” Tragically, Milton lost his fraternal grandmother and many family members to the Holocaust.

After graduating from McGill University in Montreal and UC San Diego School of Medicine, Milton served on the cardiology faculty at Washington University, St. Louis, publishing numerous research articles. In 1979, he joined the clinical faculty at Baylor College of Medicine and later UT Houston, serving as clinical professor at both institutions and receiving awards from UT and the American Heart Association. He practiced cardiology for over 35 years and was vice-president of Houston Cardiovascular Associates.

Milton was on the board of the American Jewish Committee and the founding steering committee of Jewish Federation’s Maimonides Society. Currently retired, he recently published a book of philosophy entitled, “Learned by Heart: Dialogues with My Father,” has helped create an adult cardiology division at the largest medical center in Tanzania, and is beginning a new project with American Heart Association International.

After attending Newcomb College, spending her junior year in Paris and graduating from UT Austin, Gail taught six levels of high school French. She enjoyed 10 years as a docent at the MFAH but later focused on co-creating the docent program at HMH when it opened in 1996.

Gail has served on the boards of the JCC (co-chairing book fair, art committee, 50th anniversary gala and numerous other committees), Jewish Federation, American Jewish Committee, BBYO and Houston Achievement Place. A founding board member and passionate leader of HMH, Gail has served in numerous officer positions, chairing and serving on multiple committees, including Changing Exhibitions, Art Circle and LBJ Moral Courage Award Dinners. She was chair of the Museum in 2015-16.

“Being deeply involved in HMH since its inception has been one of the most inspirational activities of my life,” states Gail.

“We want to make a lasting impact to help secure HMH’s future by including a gift in our estate plan,” adds Milton. “If we can encourage young people to become upstanders, to champion human rights and moral courage, we will have indeed made a difference. We are pleased to have passed these vital lessons on to our sons, Joshua and Stephen, and are proud to watch them and their spouses, Etty and Nina, give back to their communities. We know our precious granddaughters will follow in their footsteps. We invite all of you to consider HMH in your legacy plans.”

If you want to make a difference at HMH with a gift in your estate plan, like Gail and Milton did, please contact Colton Larsen at 713-527-1612 or clarsen@hmh.org.