“Through our Own Lens: Reflecting on the Holocaust from Generation to Generation” Conference

Hundreds of educators from across the world will be attending the 9th International Conference on Holocaust Education from July 7-10, 2014 at Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies.

The conference entitled "Through Our Own Lens: Reflecting on the Holocaust from Generation to Generation" includes some 450 participants from 50 countries including China, Poland, Argentina, Canada, Namibia, Venezuela, Greece, and Spain.

The conference is split into three sections: the purpose of Holocaust documentation on the part of the first and second generations; how the events of the Shoah continue to find significance in the lives of those born afterwards; and the future of Holocaust education and remembrance among the youth of today – and tomorrow. The conference's panels, discussions and lectures will be presented by prominent guest speakers including internationally renowned authors, filmmakers, theologians, world-class historians and technology experts which will primarily focus on this central theme of generational responsibility in the perpetuation of Holocaust remembrance and education.

Opening remarks will be given by Minister of Education Rabbi Shay Piron and Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council. During the course of the conference participants will have the opportunity to hear from many lecturers and moderators including Justice Gavriel Bach, former deputy prosecutor in the prosecution of Adolf Eichmann, Professor Yehuda Bauer, Academic Advisor to Yad Vashem, Holocaust survivor and author Professor Rabbi David Halivni, historian and author Professor Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, and an interview with Serge Klarsfeld, who led prosecutions against Nazis and their collaborators, conducted by his son Arno Klarsfeld.

Each part of the conference is designed to examine the unique role of Holocaust survivors, and the second, third and fourth generations, in sustaining effective and meaningful Holocaust education for various age groups as well as meet the many challenges currently faced and those anticipated in the future.

"As the events of the Shoah are rapidly receding into history, it is incumbent upon us to explore how each generation has grappled with, and continues to find significance in, the implications of the Holocaust,” said Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate Avner Shalev. "As our documentation efforts continue to evolve with the many technological advances that have made the presentation of information more accessible to a wide array of audiences, our responsibility in continuing to shape and inform the future of Holocaust commemoration and education remains as vital and relevant as ever."

The conference is made possible by the generous support of the Asper Foundation, Adelson Family Fund and Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.  

Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies conducts dozens of seminars annually for educators from around the world, and produces educational material in over 20 different languages. Established in 1993, the International School is a world leader in Shoah education; working to implement educational activities for different target populations and age groups in Israel and abroad.

More information about the conference, including a live broadcast, can be found here.