By Melissa Bateman
Federation Director of Community Engagement
The Holocaust Education and Commemoration Committee of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation has been working to prepare for the United Nations International Holocaust Remembrance Day and for Yom Hashoah.
At the beginning of summer, the JCRC in partnership with the Mahoning Valley Historical Society digitized 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 and Holocaust Resource Center. Those recordings are available on the Federation website, and Holocaust educational specialist Jesse McClain is continuing the work.
As part of that work, the JCRC and the communications department of the Federation are working together to create a video list of Youngstown area Holocaust Survivors that will be played at the beginning of the Yom Hashoah Community Commemoration at the JCC on April, 23, 2023. In addition to listing the names of the Survivors, we would like to display a picture of the Survivor in the video. In order to do this, we need your help. If you are a child, grandchild, or family member of a Survivor, please send us a digital copy of a picture of the Survivor. If you do not have a digital photograph, we can use a hard copy of the picture to create a digital photo. Any help with this project is greatly appreciated.
I know Yom Hashoah is months away; however, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the UN is soon— January 27, 2023. To commemorate the day, the Holocaust Education and Commemoration Committee of the JCRC has invited Erika Gold from Cleveland to speak at a Lunch & Learn. Erika Gold was a child in Budapest, Hungary during World War II. I am excited about the opportunity to bring Ms. Gold to our community and to give everyone the opportunity to hear her story of survival. Please join us for the Lunch & Learn on January 27, 2023 at noon.
I believe this probably is one of the first Lunch & Learns since the height of the pandemic. Years ago, when I did not work for the Federation, I was a regular at Lunch & Learns. Coming up to the JCC to learn over a quick lunch was a perfect break in the workday. The programs varied from Israeli cooking and baking, Israel diversity, and Israel cultural programing. Hopefully, in the coming months we will have some more JCRC and Israel 75 Lunch & Learns.
I hope your family has a wonderful Hanukkah and Happy New Year!