USC Shoah Foundation will next week launch the U.S. premiere of The Tattooed Torah, an animated film that tells the inspirational story of a Torah rescued and restored after the Holocaust.  The film, based on Marvell Ginsburg’s beloved children’s book of the same name, recounts the true story of the rescue and restoration of a small Torah from Brno, Czechoslovakia. In the film, the Torah is described as the most “precious possession” of the Jewish people and is a symbol that represents memories tied to cultural heritage, family, hope and resilience. 

An online lecture by Wolf Gruner (Founding Director, USC Shoah Foundation Center for Advanced Genocide Research) Organized by the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre and The Base Cosponsored by the USC Shoah Foundation Center for Advanced Genocide Research

Peg LeVine, PhD, EdD is a psychologist, anthropologist, sculptor, and Associate Professor at University of Melbourne; she is a research affiliate with the Centre for Advanced Genocide Studies in Los Angeles. Peg is a USA and Australian citizen and resides in Melbourne.

In his testimonial archived with the USC Shoah Foundation, George Weiss spoke to the dread and exile he endured as a child during Nazi Party rule. This chronicle is about the man who sculptured all he lived, imagined and embodied.

An online lecture by Florian Zabransky (PhD candidate at the Weidenfeld Institute–Centre for German-Jewish Studies at University of Sussex, UK) 2020-2021 Margee and Douglas Greenberg Research Fellow Organized by the USC Shoah Foundation Center for Advanced Genocide Research Cosponsored by the USC Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies

In this lecture, Alan Rosen considers the special manner of witness found in Holocaust-era calendars composed in ghettos, in camps, and in hiding. The marking of fast days and festivals tell a remarkable story; the form, organization, and languages of the calendars convey a related one. And as with testimony in general, what is omitted—a date or a month, a name or a script—speaks volumes. At times, moreover, such calendars served as vehicles for sacred writings, images and symbols as well as for camouflaged defiance. The lecture is based on his recent book The Holocaust’s Jewish Calendars: Keeping Time Sacred, Making Time Holy.

The Casden Faculty and Graduate Student Research Seminar invite you to a discussion with Jennifer Thompson, Maurice Amado Professor of Applied Jewish Ethics and Civic Engagement, California State University, Northridge

The USC Shoah Foundation Center for Advanced Genocide Research invites research proposals from USC undergraduate students and USC graduate students for the 2021 Beth and Arthur Lev Student Research Fellowship.

IWitness has created a new series of 10-minute, daily testimony-based lessons for students that support social-emotional learning and can extend student learning with Echoes & Reflections. Using testimony clips on the themes of identity, gratitude, and resilience, this webinar will model the activities that are now available for classroom use.

An online lecture by Lauren Cantillon (PhD candidate in the Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries at King’s College London, UK) 2020-2021 Robert J. Katz Research Fellow in Genocide Studies Organized by the USC Shoah Foundation Center for Advanced Genocide Research Cosponsored by the USC Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies

USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony enables people to ask questions that prompt real-time responses from pre-recorded video interviews with Holocaust survivors and other witnesses to genocide. This innovative project integrates advanced filming techniques, specialized display technologies, and next generation natural language processing to create an interactive biography that humanizes the individual story. Pairing Dimensions in Testimony with Echoes & Reflections helps educators pair historical context and effective pedagogical principles with this new and impactful technology. During this webinar, teachers will discover the variety of ways that they can meet and interact with Holocaust survivor, Pinchas Gutter.

The short-animated film, The Tattooed Torah brings to life the true story of the rescue and restoration of a small Torah from Brno, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) The film provides students an opportunity to reflect on fundamental themes of family, hope, resilience, and cultural traditions appropriate for the K-5 audience. In this webinar, educators will learn effective strategies for primary level students on how to integrate The Tattooed Torah and supporting testimony-based resources, now available on IWitness.

Arsene Nsabimana speaks on the importance of nonviolence, forgiveness, and friendship.

We are very saddened to learn of the passing of Holocaust survivor Irving Roth on February 16, 2021, at the age of 91. A survivor of the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps, Roth was a dedicated educator and author who taught generations of people around the world about the horrors of the Holocaust.

Award winning documentary, Liberation Heroes: The Last Eyewitnesses explores the journeys of Liberators and Liberation Witnesses drawing parallels between the past and present. These one-of-a-kind stories of World War II heroes serve as a compelling reminder of what is at stake as antisemitism and xenophobia are on the rise again, and as a call to action to stand against hatred in all its forms.

How does technology aid in teaching the lessons of the Holocaust? Join USC Shoah Foundation Finci-Viterbi Executive Director, Stephen Smith as he delivers a keynote address on the subject of Technology in Holocaust Education at the Liberation 75 Professional Development Symposium for Teachers.

Join USC Shoah Foundation Finci-Viterbi Executive Director, Stephen Smith and Executive Director of Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre, Simon K. Li as they discuss the future of Holocaust education in Asia.

Mirla G. Raz is a past president of the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors’ Association. She is a member of the Board and the Education Chair for the Phoenix Holocaust Association. Ms. Raz’ newest publication is The Birds Sang Eulogies: A Memoir. The book recounts the harrowing experiences of her parents during WWII as they struggled to survive the Nazi’s attempted extermination of the Jews.

The young boy was walking down the street in Łodz, Poland, when he spotted the treasure. He could not believe his luck! He picked up the belt admiring its beautiful etchings and the decorative metal buckle. With his chest out, he proudly continued walking down the street with his new treasure rolled up and safe in his pocket. Now he would be able to wear long pants instead of the short pants and suspenders young boys wore. His new belt would rocket him from boyhood to manhood status! What a monumental find!

Anne Bertolino leaves a message for future generations about standing up to hate and not letting history repeat itself.

360-degree testimonies on location use the latest technology with a single camera that is able to capture the interviewee and the surrounding location in a single shot. This allows viewers to feel like they are standing in the location with the survivor. The locations might include a childhood home, a ghetto, a concentration camp, inside a museum or other places of key significance to a survivor’s personal history.

This is an introduction to the Visual History Archive and an indepth demonstration of how to conduct searches.

In addition to collecting and preserving video testimonies, USC Shoah Foundation produces documentaries about the Holocaust and genocide. The Institute’s documentary films have aired in 50 countries and are subtitled in 28 languages.

Sara speaks about not being able to eat because she didn't finish her work. Her friend, an older girl, helped her complete the work daily so she could eat.

After escaping a Jewish ghetto in occupied Poland, 13-year-old Sara Guralnik hid in plain sight, passing as an orthodox Christian in the Ukrainian countryside, where she was taken in by a farmer and his wife who did not know her true identity. The award-winning film My Name Is Sara tells the story of her courage and her harrowing journey. Hear about Sara’s inspiring story and her legacy from her granddaughter and son, the film director, and the actress who portrays her, with context provided by a Museum historian.

“Continuing” does not begin to characterize the work that was accomplished in the past year — we crushed it by any measure.