SF center keeps survivors' stories alive on International Holocaust Remembrance Day

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Monday, January 27, 2025
SF center keeps survivors' stories alive on Holocaust Remembrance Day
The Jewish Family and Children's Services Holocaust Center in San Francisco has a vast archive with thousands of items related to the Holocaust and is focusing on education to make sure the stories of survivors are not forgotten.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Monday marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

The Jewish Family and Children's Services Holocaust Center in San Francisco has a vast archive with thousands of items, including original books, photographs, letters and artifacts related to the Holocaust, when the Nazis killed more than six million Jews.

The center is focusing on education.

"We look at just a significant increase in the experience that our students are living in California classrooms on the receiving end of incidents of hate, specifically anti-Semitism," said Morgan Blum Schneider, Director of the JFCS Holocaust Center.

MORE: Jewish community fights to keep history alive on International Holocaust Remembrance Day

As Holocaust Remembrance Day approaches, the Jewish community is working to fight antisemitism and keep history alive.

San Francisco has one of the largest Jewish populations in the U.S.

A large number of refugees from Shanghai, China settled in San Francisco after the Holocaust.

Many Holocaust survivors are aging and the center wants to make sure their stories are not forgotten.

"When we think about what do we want to remember at this 80 year anniversary-that's the stories of these witnesses, the courage, the resilience and how we as humans every day can be more empathetic and socially courageous," Blum Schneider said.

Monday, the center is hosting an all-day training session in Sacramento for educators about teaching about the Holocaust and genocide. More than 40 school districts are participating. The goal is to prevent incidents of hate and anti-Semitism on campuses.

It's in partnership with the state Department of Education.

And there will be a private remembrance event in the city.

In addition, the center will participate a noon Zoom event with a survivor sharing his story.

Everybody is invited to participate.

You can go to the center's website for more information.

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