Want to Learn More About the Holocaust?
What was the Holocaust? The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum defines it as such: The Holocaust (1933–1945) was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators.
We know that countless other atrocities were committed by the Nazi regime, including the targeted persecution, incarceration, sterilization, and murder of anyone they deemed as “enemies.” This included people with disabilities, men accused of homosexuality, political opponents, Black Germans and Black people in German-occupied territories. The evil acts also include genocide of European Roma, which took place from 1939-1945. We also know that many people identified with more than one of the targeted groups so we only have estimates of just how devastating the Holocaust and other murders perpetrated by the Nazi regime.
While the Holocaust took place in occupied territories across the European continent, its global impact touched the U.S. in many ways. We will continue to explore this topic further in the upcoming documentary series titled “The U.S. and the Holocaust.” The film, from renowned documentary filmmakers Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, and Sarah Botstein, will highlight how the U.S. government and its people acted as the Holocaust went on. The U.S. and the Holocaust premieres September 18.
Holocaust Remembrance Day and Yom HaShoah
The Holocaust is often referred to as “the Shoah” which is the Hebrew word for “catastrophe.” And every year we remember the victims and take time to honor the estimated six million lives lost on International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27.) This date was chosen because it is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. An additional Day of Remembrance, Yom HaShoah, is a Jewish holiday observed annually on the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified January 27th as the date of the Warsaw Uprising. January 27, 1945 was date of when Soviet forces liberated approximately 7,000 prisoners in Auschwitz. The Warsaw Uprising, a WWII operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation, took place between August 1, 1944 and October 2, 1944
Songs of Survivors
From the Day of Remembrance concert special "Songs of Survivors" we meet Tibor Spitz and Freide Gorewitz. They are Holocaust survivors who shared their stories in order to create original compositions for the concert.
Yom HaShoah: Remembering for Tomorrow
From Cincinnati's CET Community:
"Yom HaShoah: Remembering for Tomorrow - Carrying Our Stories Forward" includes stories of Holocaust survivors woven throughout as well as music, candle lighting, and moving prayers. This special, creating in partnership with the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center also gives our community the chance to shine a light on the value of promoting human rights, ethics, and civic engagement.
Holocaust Survivors Tell Their Stories
There is no better way to learn history than to hear from those who witnessed it. We uplift the personal stories of people who survived the Holocaust to comprehend the weight and lasting damage of such an atrocity. Below is a selection of videos featuring Holocaust survivors who resettled in communities across the country.
All These Delicate Sorrows
From Kansas City PBS:
Follow the journey of Jewish survivors of the Holocaust after their liberation in 1945 through interviews with descendants of survivors, archival video testimonials as well as commentary from local historians. Many survivors immigrated to Kansas City to rebuild the lives they lost and worked to secure lasting legacies in the metro through civic engagement. Watch "All These Delicate Sorrows"
I Danced for the Angel of Death: The Dr. Edith Eva Eger Story
From WLRN:
"I Danced for the Angel of Death - The Dr. Edith Eva Eger Story" reveals how Holocaust survivor Edith Eva Eger’s bravery keeps her alive through three concentration camps, including two encounters with the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele. Liberated in 1945, decades of flashbacks and survivor’s guilt forced her to stay silent and hide from the past.
Benny Hochman, Holocaust Survivor
From Nebraska Public Media's Nebraska Stories:
When German troops crossed into Poland in September 1939, Benny Hochman was a young teen living in Lodz with his parents and two siblings. Within a short time of the invasion, Benny and his older brother, a Polish officer, were imprisoned at Auschwitz. There, Benny lost his brother, younger sister, and parents - all murdered by the Nazis. Young, weak, and angry, Benny was determined to survive. Watch "Benny Hochman, Holocaust Survivor"
116 Cameras
From POV:
As the Holocaust survivor community ages, the USC Shoah Foundation has embarked on an ambitious new project to transform survivors into 3D digital projections. "116 Cameras" follows Eva Schloss, a survivor of Auschwitz and stepsister of Anne Frank, through her story as an interactive hologram that will have conversations with generations to come.
Eva Schloss was also interviewed as part of Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, and Sarah Botstein's "The U.S. and the Holocaust."
Spokane's Voices of the Holocaust
From Spokane's KSPS Learning Resources:
Holocaust survivors in Spokane recount their WWII experiences avoiding capture or death at the hands of the Nazis. Eva Lassman was captured in Warsaw and forced into slave labor. Carla Peperzak joined the Dutch resistance and helped hide Jewish children. Cora Der Koorkanian escaped fascist Romania for Israel. Second-generation survivors describe their parent's fight for survival. Watch "Spokane's Voices of the Holocaust"
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