Who is eligible to record a testimony?
Individuals who experienced antisemitism after the Holocaust, particularly in the following contexts:
- Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Yemenite Jewish communities, many of which were displaced from North Africa and the Middle East in the late 1940s and thereafter.
- Ethiopian Jewish communities, including those who left, or were evacuated to, Israel, North America, or other countries.
- North American Jewish experiences since 1945.
- The experiences of Jewish communities under communist rule, including Jewish life in the Soviet Union and other communist countries.
- Victims of antisemitic terror attacks worldwide.
Where do interviews take place?
Interviews are currently being recorded in interviewees’ homes or at the Ceci Chan and Lila Sorkin Memory Studio at our international headquarters on the USC campus in Los Angeles.
How long is the interview?
Recorded interviews usually run 1 to 2 hours, depending upon the witnesses’ experiences, remembrances, and stories.
What is the interview format?
Most interviews will be conducted remotely using a video-call application.
How do I sign up to be interviewed?
Potential interviewees and their family members who would like to be contacted about scheduling an interview are invited to complete the interview request form.
Can family members attend the filming?
Family members are welcome to accompany the interviewee but cannot be in the room where the interview is taking place. This is because it is important to create a distraction-free atmosphere in which the interviewee feels comfortable recalling often difficult memories. At the end of the interview, family members are invited to speak on camera, if they would like to share thoughts or messages.
Is there a fee for recording testimony?
Interviews are filmed free of charge to the interviewee. If you are interested in supporting funding for this effort, click here or contact [email protected].
Can I become an interviewer?
The USC Shoah Foundation is looking for people with a strong relevant academic background to volunteer as interviewers. This may include academics, graduate students, journalists, social workers, or mental health professionals. A short training course is required. Fill out our interviewer form.
What does the USC Shoah Foundation do with the testimonies?
Our Visual History Archive includes 59,702 video testimonies of witnesses to the Holocaust, other genocides, and post-Holocaust antisemitism.
This collection is preserved and shared for remembrance, education, research and action to counter antisemitism, racism, and other forms of hate. The USC Shoah Foundation pursues academic programs and partnerships across the University of Southern California and at 204 institutions worldwide. We also provide professional development for educators and teaching resources through our award-winning IWitness education program that reaches millions of students and educators every year. The USC Shoah Foundation's interactive programming and research materials can be accessed in museums, classrooms and universities worldwide, and are often cited by government leaders, NGOs, and other thought leaders.
How are the testimonies saved?
The USC Shoah Foundation uses state-of-the-art digital preservation methodologies to store and share testimonies in the Visual History Archive, including a variety of technologies that keep the testimonies safe in locations worldwide. At USC, for example, the digital recordings are copied and checked at the bit level every 6 months to ensure files do not get corrupted.
Where can I access the testimony?
Those who share their testimony with us are provided with a link to view and download their interview. Families can request links to the testimony free of charge here. Testimonies are also shared through USC Shoah Foundation programs and resources such as the Visual History Archive, our YouTube channel, and IWitness. Learn more about institutions with access here.