Yossie Hollander

As the 21st century began, and time threatened to still the voices of many witnesses, Joseph “Yossie” Hollander became concerned about the state of education on the Holocaust. “It was almost frozen,” says Hollander, an Israeli technology entrepreneur whose parents survived the Holocaust. “At some point, we will not have the capability to teach with actual Holocaust survivors.”

George and Irina Schaeffer

The child of Holocaust survivors, George Schaeffer has supported USC Shoah Foundation’s mission since he first heard about it. His parents met after the Soviets liberated Ravensbrück, the Nazis’ largest concentration camp for women. His father had been sent there as a laborer. The couple married in 1945, the same year they were freed.

Kathy and Richard Leventhal

The couple is particularly excited about the New Dimensions in Testimony project, which allows testimonies to be shared through interactive interviews that facilitate engagement with survivors. “Having seen a demonstration and having learned how new technology enables real-time interaction with a Holocaust survivor is extremely powerful,” says Kathy. “The authenticity of that exchange leaves an indelible impression.”

Kristallnacht Commemoration Event

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 08:59 PM PDT

Join us for a virtual commemoration and lecture featuring a keynote address from USC Professor of History Wolf Gruner, the Shapell-Guerin Chair in Jewish Studies and Founding Director of the Center for Advanced Genocide Research at USC Shoah Foundation.

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Testimony: Eyewitnesses Speak for Action Now

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 08:59 PM PDT
Part of a series that will examine genocide and the law, this moderated discussion will explore why eyewitness testimony matters in preventing genocide. USC Shoah Foundation Finci-Viterbi Executive Director Stephen Smith will lead the conversation with witnesses and experts in the field to tackle this urgent challenge from multiple perspectives.

The Sacred Duties of Democracy: Gerda Weissmann Klein

By: USC Shoah Foundation

Four generations: Gerda Klein with her great-granddaughter Kayla, granddaughter Alysa Cooper and her daughter Vivian Ullman

As Americans head to the polls on Election Day, Alysa Cooper, granddaughter of Holocaust Survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein, is working hard putting her grandmother’s values into practice.

USC Shoah Foundation

"For Me, It’s Never Over"

By: USC Shoah Foundation

Over the past five years, USC Shoah Foundation has documented the stories of experts and witnesses to contemporary antisemitism as part of our Countering Antisemitism Through Testimony Program (CATT).
 
Holocaust Survivor Judah Samet first gave testimony to USC Shoah Foundation in 1997.
USC Shoah Foundation

Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 08:59 PM PDT

Classrooms Without Borders, in partnership with Liberation75, Rodef Shalom Congregation, and Film Pittsburgh, is excited to offer the opportunity to watch the film "Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz" and engage in a post-film discussion with the film director, Barry Avrich; former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, David Scheffer; Executive Director of the USC Shoah Foundation, Dr. Stephen Smith; former Senior Historian at Facing History and Ourselves, Dr.

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