Russian Research and Educational Holocaust Center
Encyclopedia
The Russian Research and Educational Holocaust Center was founded in 1992 in Moscow
and has since then been working on awareness raising of the Holocaust in the Russian society. It is the only non-governmental organization
in the Russian Federation, devoted to the study of the life of Soviet Jews during the Great Patriotic War.
The Holocaust Center addressed itself to inform the Russian public about the genocide of Jews. The foundation of this goal is the specialist library, where a large number of publications relating to the Holocaust in the former USSR
are available. Besides, the library includes a video collection and an archive for the preservation of the personal belongings of former ghetto
prisoners, participants in the Great Patriotic War and members of the Resistance
. It also offers its own seminar room with a permanent documentary exhibition. Furthermore, temporary exhibitions are also held from time to time.
The most important target group for the Centers educational programs are teachers. New projects are constantly being developed and implemented in order to enable teachers to participate in specific courses and pass their newly gained knowledge to their students. This initiative intends to counteract anti-Semitism
and to raise awareness for the events of the past through education
.
Meetings of the discussion group "Unknown Holocaust", the Youth Center and the Association of the Righteous Among the Nations
are held at the Center on a monthly basis. Leading world experts regularly give lectures and hold presentations such as Professor Michael Berenbaum
, one of the founders of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
, the former director of the Yad Vashem Museum
Izhak Arad, Paul Levin and Stephane Bruhfeld (Sweden), the authors of the book Tell Your Children About It, and Shimon Samuels, director of the European Bureau of the Simon Wiesenthal Center
. Every year, the Center organizes evening ceremonies commemorating the victims of the Holocaust and the heroes of the Resistance. Government leaders also participate in these events, which evokes a strong response from the society and the media.
, a writer
and journalist
and former member of the State Duma
, who is currently president of the foundation and co-chairman of the center, and co-chairman Ilya Altman
, who is a well-known historian
and archivist. Henri Reznik
, a famous Russian lawyer, is chairman of the board, which includs other personalities form the fields of economy, science, culture and politics.
Apart from an intensive collaboration with Yad Vashem
, which allowed the realization of several seminars and educational programs, the Center cooperates with the Simon Wiesenthal Center
. Hereby the publication of the book “Antisemitism: The Generic Hatred” was realized. Additionally, the Center has close ties with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
, Washington D.C., where Russian teachers annually take part in educational seminars. Other important partners are the Anne Frank Foundation
and the University of Gothenburg (Sweden). Moreover, the Center participates in important international conferences such as the Stockholm Forum.
Many of its partner institutions are based in German speaking countries, such as the House of the Wannsee Conference, where seminars with Russian and Byelorussian teachers regularly take place. Another achievement is the book “Victims of Hate” by Ilya Altman
which is the result of the successful cooperation with Hamburg Institute for Social Sciences. Apart from the close ties with different museums, such as the Jewish Museum Berlin
, the German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst
and the Jewish Museum Frankfurt
(where seminars for teachers are regularly conducted), the Holocaust Center cooperates with the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg.
For many years the Center has successfully been working together with Germany-based Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP)
. Within the framework of this cooperation, every year one young volunteer from ARSP works in the Center in Moscow. Since the late nineties, also young Austrians fulfill their compulsory paid community service
in the Center. This was, at first, a cooperation with “Verein GEDENKDIENST”, but since 2010, the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servants are sent by the Austrian Service Abroad
. All three organizations pursue the goal of preserving the memory of the victims of National socialism also among the younger generations.
Moreover, the Holocaust Center is supported by numerous German, English, Israeli and other international foundations.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and has since then been working on awareness raising of the Holocaust in the Russian society. It is the only non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
in the Russian Federation, devoted to the study of the life of Soviet Jews during the Great Patriotic War.
Responsibilities and Activities
The main tasks of the Center comprise historical research, conducting memorial services, the incorporation of the Holocaust topic into the curricula of secondary schools and universities, promoting the formation of opinions as well as interviews with contemporary witnesses. The Center, furthermore, organizes regular exhibitions.The Holocaust Center addressed itself to inform the Russian public about the genocide of Jews. The foundation of this goal is the specialist library, where a large number of publications relating to the Holocaust in the former USSR
Holocaust in Russia
Holocaust in Russia refers to the Nazi crimes during the occupation of Russia by Nazi Germany.- On the eve of the Holocaust :Beyond longstanding controversies, ranging from the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact to anti-Zionism, the Soviet Union did grant official "equality of all citizens regardless of...
are available. Besides, the library includes a video collection and an archive for the preservation of the personal belongings of former ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
prisoners, participants in the Great Patriotic War and members of the Resistance
Resistance during World War II
Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns...
. It also offers its own seminar room with a permanent documentary exhibition. Furthermore, temporary exhibitions are also held from time to time.
The most important target group for the Centers educational programs are teachers. New projects are constantly being developed and implemented in order to enable teachers to participate in specific courses and pass their newly gained knowledge to their students. This initiative intends to counteract anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
and to raise awareness for the events of the past through education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
.
Meetings of the discussion group "Unknown Holocaust", the Youth Center and the Association of the Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....
are held at the Center on a monthly basis. Leading world experts regularly give lectures and hold presentations such as Professor Michael Berenbaum
Michael Berenbaum
Michael Berenbaum is an American scholar, professor, rabbi, writer, and film-maker, who specializes in the study of the memorialization of the Holocaust...
, one of the founders of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history...
, the former director of the Yad Vashem Museum
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
Izhak Arad, Paul Levin and Stephane Bruhfeld (Sweden), the authors of the book Tell Your Children About It, and Shimon Samuels, director of the European Bureau of the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
. Every year, the Center organizes evening ceremonies commemorating the victims of the Holocaust and the heroes of the Resistance. Government leaders also participate in these events, which evokes a strong response from the society and the media.
Direction
The Center is under the direction of Alla GerberAlla Gerber
Alla Efremovna Gerber is a Russian politician, journalist and film critic.- Life :In 1955 Alla Gerber graduated from the faculty of law of the Moscow State University. In the following years she worked as a lawyer and a journalist...
, a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and former member of the State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
, who is currently president of the foundation and co-chairman of the center, and co-chairman Ilya Altman
Ilya Altman
Ilya Alexandrovich Altman is a Russian historian and founder and co-chairman of the Russian Research and Educational Holocaust Center in Moscow...
, who is a well-known historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and archivist. Henri Reznik
Henri Reznik
Henri Reznik is a prominent Russian lawyer. He is the chairman of the presidium of Moscow City Bar Association.-References:...
, a famous Russian lawyer, is chairman of the board, which includs other personalities form the fields of economy, science, culture and politics.
International cooperations
The network of foreign partners constitutes a key element for the work of the Holocaust Center, especially as a research and educational institution. The Center works in close cooperation with several foreign organizations:Apart from an intensive collaboration with Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
, which allowed the realization of several seminars and educational programs, the Center cooperates with the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
. Hereby the publication of the book “Antisemitism: The Generic Hatred” was realized. Additionally, the Center has close ties with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history...
, Washington D.C., where Russian teachers annually take part in educational seminars. Other important partners are the Anne Frank Foundation
Anne Frank Foundation
The Anne Frank Foundation or Anne Frank Stichting is a foundation in The Netherlands originally established to maintain the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam...
and the University of Gothenburg (Sweden). Moreover, the Center participates in important international conferences such as the Stockholm Forum.
Many of its partner institutions are based in German speaking countries, such as the House of the Wannsee Conference, where seminars with Russian and Byelorussian teachers regularly take place. Another achievement is the book “Victims of Hate” by Ilya Altman
Ilya Altman
Ilya Alexandrovich Altman is a Russian historian and founder and co-chairman of the Russian Research and Educational Holocaust Center in Moscow...
which is the result of the successful cooperation with Hamburg Institute for Social Sciences. Apart from the close ties with different museums, such as the Jewish Museum Berlin
Jewish Museum Berlin
The Jewish Museum Berlin , in Berlin, Germany, covers two millennia of German Jewish history. It consists of two buildings. One is the old Kollegienhaus, a former courthouse, built in the 18th century. The other, a new addition specifically built for the museum, designed by world-renowned architect...
, the German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst
German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst
The German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst is dedicated to German-Soviet and German-Russian relations with a focus on the German-Soviet war 1941-1945.- The museum building :...
and the Jewish Museum Frankfurt
Jewish Museum Frankfurt
The Jewish Museum of the City of Frankfurt am Main covers the history and culture of the Jewish communities in Frankfurt from the 12th to the 20th centuries. There is another branch of the museum, the Museum Judengasse, in a different part of town....
(where seminars for teachers are regularly conducted), the Holocaust Center cooperates with the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg.
For many years the Center has successfully been working together with Germany-based Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP)
Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP)
The Action Reconciliation Service for Peace is a German peace organization founded to confront the legacy of Nazism.The Action Reconciliation Service for Peace was founded in 1958 by the synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany, driven by the efforts of Lothar Kreyssig...
. Within the framework of this cooperation, every year one young volunteer from ARSP works in the Center in Moscow. Since the late nineties, also young Austrians fulfill their compulsory paid community service
Zivildienst
Zivildienst is the civilian branch of the national service systems in Austria and Switzerland. In Germany as well Zivildienst was the alternative service to military service until suspension of conscription in 2011...
in the Center. This was, at first, a cooperation with “Verein GEDENKDIENST”, but since 2010, the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servants are sent by the Austrian Service Abroad
Austrian Service Abroad
Austrian Service Abroad is a non-profit initiative and was founded in 1998 by Andreas Maislinger and Andreas Hörtnagl. Since 2001 Michael Prochazka is part of the managing committee.-General Information:...
. All three organizations pursue the goal of preserving the memory of the victims of National socialism also among the younger generations.
Moreover, the Holocaust Center is supported by numerous German, English, Israeli and other international foundations.
See also
- Holocaust researchHolocaust researchHolocaust research is a scholarly discipline that encompasses the historical research and study of the Holocaust.Among the research institutions and academic programmes specializing in Holocaust research are the International Institute for Holocaust Research at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel, the...
- The Holocaust in Russia
- The Holocaust in Ukraine
- History of the Jews in the Soviet UnionHistory of the Jews in the Soviet UnionThe history of the Jews in the Soviet Union is discussed in the following articles relating to specific regions of the former Soviet Union:*History of the Jews in Armenia*History of the Jews in Azerbaijan*History of the Jews in Belarus...
- Babi YarBabi YarBabi Yar is a ravine in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and a site of a series of massacres carried out by the Nazis during their campaign against the Soviet Union. The most notorious and the best documented of these massacres took place on September 29–30, 1941, wherein 33,771 Jews were killed in a...