THE “YAD VASHEM“ MUSEUM

Yad Vashem, a sprawling educational center in Jerusalem, was entrusted with documenting the history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust, with preserving the story and memory of each individual victim, and with imparting the legacy of the Holocaust for generations to come.

Yad Vashem

Genesis is supporting a four-year effort to translate educational and reference materials into Russian in a number of relevant areas, such as the War in the East and the Extermination of Jews, Jewish Literature in the Soviet Union during the Holocaust, and Jews' Participation in the Soviet Partisan Movement.

With this grant Genesis contributes to the disseminations of Holocaust studies in the Russian-speaking Jewish community worldwide. Online accessibility of the materials will provide both Russian-speaking Jewish students and educators with access to a wealth of information about crucial events in the history of the Jewish people.

Lifting the Iron Curtain: Unknown Stories of the Shoah on the Territory of the Former USSR

In 2008, Yad Vashem, the National Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, began the development and implementation of a longitudinal program, “Lifting the Iron Curtain: Unknown Stories of the Shoah on the Territory of the USSR,” intended for a wide audience of Russian-speaking Jews anywhere in the world.

In 2008–2009 the project produced the following results:

  • The publication of a collection of Yad Vashem research articles and a special edition photo album describing the lives of Holocaust survivors;
  • The transfer of 400,000 new archival documents from the FSU to the Yad Vashem museum;
  • The creation of a distance-learning course, “The Shoah on the Territory of the FSU”;
  • The creation of an interactive Russian-language Internet site which provides access to informational modules on the Holocaust study;
  • The opening of two exhibitions in Moscow dedicated to the history of the Holocaust: Zinovy Tolkachev’s works from the Yad Vashem Museum and a poster exhibition, “Children in the Ghettos;”
  • A visit of more than 200 members of the 12th World Congress of the Russian Press to the Yad Vashem memorial complex in 2010.

The following initiatives to expand the project in Israel and other countries are planned for 2010–2011 in collaboration with the European Jewish Fund and other partners:

  • The development of a holistic program of formal and informal education in Haifa;
  • The implementation of an educational program on the study of the Shoah on the territory of the former USSR in Haifa schools;
  • A one-week seminar in Israel dedicated to the study of the Shoah with the participation of 50 young Jewish leaders from the FSU and 25 students from Russian and Ukrainian pedagogical institutes;
  • A series of YouTube lectures by leading historians about the Shoah and the way to combat its deniers;
  • A documentary film, “The Shoah in the Mirror of My Family’s History,” based on interviews with well-known Russian public figures, which will be available on the website of Yad Vashem and through social network sites;
  • The weekly publication of essays and reviews on the subject, “The Shoah of European Jewry: Unknown Stories,” on popular social network sites;
  • The organization of free tours of the Yad Vashem Memorial Complex for Russian-speaking visitors;
  • A competition of projects focusing on the study of the Holocaust and the dissemination of knowledge about the Shoah;
  • The implementation of special educational projects in cooperation with the Moscow Holocaust Memorial Synagogue museum on Poklonnaya Gora and Hillel;
  • Support for various small projects related to the study of the Shoah.
Grantee Link: 
www.yadvashem.org