The Dallas Morning News named Holocaust survivor and human rights activist Max Glauben the 2019 Texan of the Year. The 91-year-old Dallas resident has become a source of hope and inspiration to people in North Texas and all over the world for his message of tolerance, fairness and forgiveness.
“At a time when hate crimes are rising, Max Glauben reminds us how hope can triumph over fear and kindness can overcome hatred when good people speak out,” said Dallas Morning News editorial page editor Brendan Miniter.
Glauben was living in Warsaw with his family when the Nazis invaded in 1939. After spending several years in and out of hiding, they were discovered and deported to the Majdanek concentration camp where his parents and brother were killed. Over the next two years, he lived in four more camps, where he survived and helped his fellow prisoners with his cunning and courage. Glauben was liberated on April 23, 1945 by the U.S. Army at the age of 17.
In 1947, he immigrated to the U.S. and joined the Army and served in the Korean War. When he completed his active duty, he moved to Dallas, where he was a founder and loyal supporter of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.
Thanks to efforts by Glauben and others like him, the museum expanded and moved to a new home in 2019 that reflects the dreams of Glauben and other Holocaust survivors to educate new generations about human rights. Glauben remains a prolific speaker in North Texas and for the past 14 years has led a group of youth on a tour of holocaust sites called March of the Living. Glauben and his wife, Frieda, have three children and seven grandchildren.
Texan of the Year is an award program to honor those who have made uncommon, inspirational impact on our world.
Finalists for 2019 Texan of the Year were Simone Biles, Botham Jean’s family, John Goodenough, Jody and Sheila Grant, Katherine Hayhoe, Vicki Hollub, Dan Huberty, Diana Natalicio, Dirk Nowitzki, sex trafficking warriors, school superintendents in Odessa and El Paso, Robert Smith, Tom Torkelson and Karen Uhlenbeck.
The Texan of the Year award was founded in 2003. Previous recipients include George W. Bush, Laura W. Bush, Janis Jack, Adm. Bill McCraven, Rick Perry and Craig Watkins.