Education on antisemitism and the amplification of Jewish perspectives on antisemitism are more important today than ever. With rising antisemitic incidents, the need to engage with the lived experiences of survivors and their descendants is critical for understanding the ongoing impact of antisemitism. This webinar will introduce educational materials that focus on Jewish perspectives on antisemitism, both past and present. The materials provide crucial insights into how Holocaust survivors and their families navigate the enduring legacies of trauma and prejudice. The webinar will also give an insight into the testimonies of the October 7th massacres.
The event will highlight two interview projects, conducted in 2022 and 2023, from the Bundesverband RIAS, that offer powerful testimonies from survivors and their descendants. The first project, “Learning from the Past— Acting in the Present”, features interviews with eight Shoah survivors and some of their families, exploring how antisemitism has persisted over time and continues to impact Jewish communities. The interviewees discuss their survival during National Socialism, share personal experiences with antisemitism, and address the issue of transgenerational trauma. The second project, “Continuities and Discontinuities”, focuses on the 2nd and 3rd generation of Holocaust survivors. Through four interviews, it examines how transgenerational trauma shapes identity and their ongoing struggle against contemporary antisemitism. The descendants reflect on how their family histories influenced their upbringing and the role those experiences play in their lives today. Personal encounters with current forms of antisemitism, as well as their dramatic rise, are central to the interviews—most of which were conducted shortly after the massacres of October 7, 2023.
Additionally, the USC Shoah Foundation‘s interview project, that captures the testimonies of October 7th survivors and witnesses, will be introduced. Since the October 7th massacres in Israel, the USC Shoah Foundation has been conducting and collecting hundreds of interviews of survivors and witness as part of their initiative to document contemporary antisemitism.
Key questions to be explored include:
· How do survivors and their descendants reflect on Holocaust distortion and denial?
· What roles do testimonies and Jewish perspectives on antisemitism play in education and identity formation?
· What are the common and unique challenges faced by different EU countries in this
regard?
The webinar will feature presentations from Benjamin Steinitz, Executive Director of Bundesverband RIAS, and Vanessa Gelardo, Educational Trainer of Bundesverband RIAS, who will introduce the interview projects and their educational applications. Lukas Welz, Executive Director of AMCHA, will discuss the impact of Holocaust denial and distortion on survivors and their descendants today. Crispin Brooks, archivist at the USC Shoah Foundation, gives an insight into an interview project with October 7th survivors and witnesses. The event will also include a panel discussion featuring experts from the European Network on Monitoring Antisemitism (ENMA), who will explore the role of survivor testimonies in education across different European contexts.
The webinar offers a live Q&A session, allowing participants to engage with the speakers.