Montgomery College Foundation Receives Bequest from Holocaust Survivor

The Montgomery College Foundation received a gift of over a quarter of a million dollars from the estate of the late Bella Mischkinsky. Her gift will help fund the Global Humanities Institute, which will prepare the College’s students to become citizens and workers who understand other cultures, speak other languages, and envision creative and transformative solutions to serious conflict.

A longtime resident of Montgomery County who lived for the past few years in Florida, Mischkinsky was an enthusiastic volunteer and a generous donor to Montgomery College. Her greatest involvement with the College was as a subject in the Portraits of Life: Holocaust Survivors of Montgomery County photography exhibit. In the exhibit, she recounts her escape to freedom from Nazi persecution and eventual reunion with her sister, Irene Glassberg, also featured in the exhibit.

A survivor of the Holocaust, Mischkinsky exemplified living life to the fullest. Despite her harrowing experience as a Holocaust survivor, her message to those she encountered was “not to hate, never to hate.” She was proud of the education she received and was a lifelong learner. Mischkinsky became involved with the College while taking classes, and later joined the Board of Governors for the Alumni Association, where she will always be remembered for her wonderful spirit and the joy she brought to everything and everyone.

“We are forever grateful to Bella for her participation in our Legacy Society and for remembering the Montgomery College Foundation in her estate,” said Carol Rognrud, executive director of the foundation. “Her thoughtfulness and generosity will help support the Global Humanities Institute…. She was truly a remarkable woman who made the world a better place.”

Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard will host an event celebrating Mischkinsky’s life as part of the Portraits of Life exhibit on November 21, 2013 at the Pepco Gallery in Washington, DC. The event, which emphasizes tolerance, understanding, and knowledge, is the first time all three components of the exhibit—Portraits of Life: Holocaust Survivors of Montgomery County; Portraits of Life: Student Experiences; and Portraits of Life: LGBT Stories of Being—can be viewed together.

For more information about Montgomery College’s Legacy Society, please contact Carol Rognrud, executive director of the Montgomery College Foundation, 240-567-7493 or carol.rognrud@montgomerycollege.edu.