The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation is partnering with the Mahoning Valley Historical Society to digitize numerous analog audio and video recordings of Holocaust Survivor testimonies contained in the Dr. Saul Friedman Collection housed at the Jewish Community Center’s Schwartz Library & Holocaust Resource Center.
Dr. Saul Friedman, Youngstown State University professor of history from 1969 until his retirement in 2006, was among the early pioneers of Holocaust Studies in the United States. He implemented one of the first Holocaust courses
in the nation at YSU. He was instrumental in creating the YSU Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies—funded by a generous endowment by William and Hilda Clayman. Among his many other achievements, Friedman’s efforts led to the dedication of a Holocaust memorial on the grounds of the JCC at the Youngstown Jewish Community Center.
Following Friedman’s passing in 2013, his family donated many of his records and works to the Schwartz Library & Holocaust Resource Center. These works consist of essays, lectures, and recordings of interviews with local Holocaust survivors—over 50 cassette tapes and two 8mm films, with hours of important history and stories that will now be converted to a digital format.
Community Shaliach, Marom Shmueli, who is spearheading this project with local archivist Connie Jones, said, “archiving this history and these survivors’ stories is important to not only the Jewish community in Youngstown but around the world.”
Once the project is complete, Friedman’s interviews will be available at the Historical Society in Youngstown, in the Schwartz Library & Holocaust Resource Center, and ultimately at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in Israel.