Survivor testimony provides a crucial way to learn about the Holocaust, understand the context, history and diversity of Jewish people, and address antisemitism in the world today. That’s why, in 2005, Learning for Justice (then known as Teaching Tolerance) interviewed Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein in support of One Survivor Remembers, an award-winning documentary from 1995 based on her testimony.

In observation of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, on January 27, LFJ staff member Jaci Jones wrote this new article that emphasizes how testimony like Klein’s is essential for understanding this history and its relevance today. “Testimonies like Gerda’s are essential because they build empathy and understanding in ways that historical facts alone do not,” Jones writes. “In history, as in life, personal connections matter.” Jones’ article also includes related resources and suggestions for using One Survivor Remembers in teaching young people about the Holocaust.

‘Never Again’ Starts With Education

Why do so many U.S. public schools mandate Holocaust education while simultaneously banning or censoring other “hard histories” from the classroom? This article from LFJ examines that question and urges us to make a truly meaningful commitment to “never again” by teaching history in its full, difficult context.

‘Hope, Despair and Memory’

Writer and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel gave this sobering address when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986: “Of course we could try to forget the past. Why not? Is it not natural for a human being to repress what causes him pain, what causes him shame? Like the body, memory protects its wounds.” (The full text of Wiesel’s remarks is available on LFJ’s website.)