Ensuring That What Happened Before Does Not Happen Again

As we observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we need to ensure that the world at large continues to appreciate the tremendous toll of this dark period. A recent study by Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, otherwise known as the Claims Conference, has pointed to an alarming increase in ignorance about the Holocaust in France, where 25% of millennials have not heard—or don’t think they have heard—about the Holocaust. This echoes similar surveys done in the United States, Canada and Austria. This certainly represents a daunting challenge for the next generation. But it is also an opportunity for the Yeshiva University community to demonstrate educational leadership, as it has done with the recent establishment of the Emil A. and Jenny Fish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The Center’s consequential mission will be to train both school and university educators in the field of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, leveraging the uniquely qualified faculty and resources of Yeshiva University’s undergraduate, graduate and professional schools and affiliates to extend Holocaust education to people of all ages and backgrounds.

An Interview with Julius Berman, YU Board of Trustees Member and President of the Conference of Jewish Material Claims Against Germany

Julius Berman, longstanding YU Board of Trustees member, president of the Conference of Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and tireless advocate for Holocaust survivors, discusses the results of a new survey on Holocaust knowledge in France and how it informs the state of Holocaust education today. Read more»

MusicTalks presents “Ashes and Dust”

Join us for a Holocaust Remembrance Day performance of Yehuda Poliker’s 1988 album “Ashes and Dust”, a tribute to children of survivors, by Israeli singer Gilad Paz. The program is co-presented by the Yeshiva University Museum, the YU Center for Israel Studies, the American Sephardi Federation, and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Ticket Info: $15 general; $10 for YUM members, American Sephardi Federation and YIVO members; YU students/faculty/staff free. Reservations required at www.brownpapertickets.com or 800-838-3006

Essays from YU Educators

Five esteemed YU educators respond to the findings of the surveys with great insight and passion.

• Dr. Karen Shawn: We Call for Justice, But Who Is Hearing Us?
• Dr. Ruth Bevan: International Holocaust Remembrance Day: 75 Years
• Dr. Vera Bekes: The Holocaust in Transgenerational Context
• Meirah Shedlo: Commemoration as Justice: Promoting Holocaust Education for a More Peaceful Future
• Tova Rosenberg: International Holocaust Remembrance Day 75 Years After the Liberation of Auschwitz