Holocaust Survivors Share Their Experiences with the Rest of the World

Life Before the Holocaust

When you read a firsthand witness account from a Holocaust survivor, you get an unparalleled glimpse into the life and death of European Jews during the second world war. Such accounts often give a fascinating glimpse into Jewish culture and history in Europe. The voices of the past give students of the holocaust a greater felt sense of experience rather than emotionally disconnected dates and timelines. The direct person to person interaction created by such priceless resources create an immediate and tangible link between past events and modern society ensuring that the lessons of the past stay fresh and in high relief within the collective psyche of humanity.

Surviving the Holocaust and Moving On

A Holocaust survivor story tells the story of 20th century European Jews through the lens of a single lifetime and therefore presents the events within the context of the pre and post war socio-political environment. This allows readers to look back through the events leading up to the conflict to see how such events often start with small almost imperceptible changes within a society and allows them to look forward in time to see the full breadth of the ramifications of such actions as they ripple through the coming decades and generations. This includes not just the dark legacy of trauma within the Jewish psyche but also stories of resilience and hope as survivors spread out across the world in the post war period carrying a message of peace and tolerance. They developed countless flourishing and prosperous communities around the world and even initiated and fulfilled a prophetic return of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland in Israel.

Visit www.zachorfoundation.org to find Holocaust survivor content from the ZACHOR Holocaust Remembrance Foundation.