Remembering the Past to Protect the Future

Holocaust Testimony

While the Holocaust was one of the largest genocides in world history, 63% of students in Alabama reported they did not know that Nazi perpetrators and their collaborators killed six million Jews (Claims Conference, 2020). Our project seeks to change that! To learn more, follow these steps. Please view:

The Path to Nazi Genocide, an introductory film from the U.S. Holocaust Museum.
“The Importance of Holocaust Testimony,” an interview with Sherry Bard of Echoles and Reflections.
JSCC students’ interview with Mrs. Riva Hirsch, a Holocaust survivor living in Birmingham.
“Holocaust Denialism,” an interview with Sheryl Silver Ochayon of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

We also want to hear back from you! We are sponsoring two scholarship competitions and will award $500 to the winner in each category! You can!

Make a digital essay through the IWitness Essay Project created by the Shoah Foundation at the University of Southern California.
Submit an original written essay based on one of the prompts on our website.

We know that, together, we can work for a world based on justice, peace, and human rights for all!

Introductory Film from the U.S. Holocaust Museum

The Importance of Holocaust Testimony

Beta Lambda Delta Interview with Mrs. Riva Hirsch

Holocaust Denialism: an Interview with Sheryl Silver Ochayon of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem

Helpful links:

Resources to Counter Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial

What is Holocaust Denial?

Tackling Holocaust denial and distortion in the classroom

Yad Vashem Links

* The views are those of our speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of JSCC or PTK.

Student Call to Action

Option A: Digital Essay through the IWitness Digital Essay Project

Digital Essay Project – Activity | IWitness (Linked with permission from IWitness/The Shoah Foundation at the University of Southern California)

Option B: Essay Contest

Directions: Write an essay of 300-500 words in response to one of the prompts below. Please include your name and school on your essay. (Names will be removed for judging purposes.)

Deadline for essay competitions is Wednesday, December 31st at 11:59 p.m. Winners of each competition will receive a $500 scholarship! While students may enter both categories, they may win in no more than one category.

Survivor Testimony Essay Competition

Name*
First Last
Phone*
Email*
Grade*
School*
1. How does hearing or reading stories in survivors’ own words change our perspective of the Holocaust compared to reading statistics or official documents?
2. Discuss the impact that Holocaust survivor accounts have on promoting empathy, inclusiveness, and historical awareness among students your age. Support your argument with examples.
3. Imagine you are tasked with convincing your school principal to invite a Holocaust survivor to speak at your school. Write a persuasive essay that explains the unique value of firsthand testimony in Holocaust education and how such an experience could help students understand the moral lessons needed to prevent acts of hatred and genocide in the future.
4. Survivor accounts often focus on individual choices and experiences during the Holocaust. How do these personal stories help us understand not only the suffering and resilience of victims, but also the consequences of bystanders, collaborators, and rescuers in times of moral crisis?
5. As the number of living Holocaust survivors declines, their recorded testimonies become even more important. How might future generations use these testimonies to remember the Holocaust and take action against modern-day discrimination, racism, and violence?
Upload Essay
Max. file size: 128 MB.