Yad Vashem: World Holocaust Center, Jerusalem

As we go , discover the story of Erich Klibansky, Headmaster of the Yavne Jewish Gymnasium, who saved dozens of teachers and students during the Holocaust.

Before the Holocaust, Klibansky served as headmaster of the Yavne Gymnasium with some 500 students attending. In 1937, he began to develop programs for his students in both Hebrew and in English, preparing them to adjust should they need to flee Germany amidst rising antisemitism.

In 1938, the school was damaged during the Kristallnacht pogrom, and just two months later Klibansky arranged safe passage for many of his students and teachers to England.

Klibansky personally assumed responsibility for students, even when their parents could not pay for the travel arrangements.

The Yavne Gymnasium closed its doors on 1 July 1942, at which point Klibansky tried to emigrate with his family to the US, but tragically, it was too late.

On 20 July 1942, Erich Klibansky, his wife, and sons were deported to the Minsk region and murdered in killing pits.

More than 130 of his pupils survived in England.

Learn more on our online exhibition "Rescue by Jews: One for All" >> https://bit.ly/3brFrqK

On 1 September 1939, N**i Germany invaded Poland, causing the outbreak of World War II.

Before the war, Jews enjoyed a vibrant and diverse life throughout Europe, but the normal rhythm of their lives came to an abrupt end. WWII transformed the face of these communities, of Europe, and of the entire world.

Our online exhibition “1939: Jewish Families on the Brink of War”, presents the stories of Jewish families throughout Europe in 1939, as WWII began. The exhibition then follows their fate throughout the years of the war.

Learn about these families, and the experiences of Jews across Europe, by exploring their personal artifacts, photographs, letters and more, on our online exhibition here >> https://bit.ly/3t2Q5gs

The Memorial to the Deportees (Cattle Car) designed by architect Moshe Safdie is one of Yad Vashem’s iconic monuments. The memorial is situated on a mountainside, where it is exposed to the elements, presenting the challenge of how to preserve it in the long term.

“The cattle car itself and the railway tracks are made of wood, an organic material. Rain, humidity changes etc. could damage it,” explains Noga Schusterman, Head of the Restoration Section at Yad Vashem. “Before embarking on the restoration work, we consulted with a building engineer, and installed the necessary safety measures. In order to carry out the restoration work itself, we had to pull the cattle car off the track to the side of the road, so that we could erect scaffolding. The restoration process was completed successfully over two weeks and the cattle car has been returned to its original location on the railway track and is ready to be viewed.”

Congratulations to Sima Velkovich on her appointment to the IAJGS (International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies) Board of Directors.
Sima, Head of the Family Roots Research Section in the Yad Vashem Archives, will be delivering a lecture at the 2024 Conference in Philadelphia together with Bettina Malka-Igelbusch, Director of the Reference and Information Services Department, Yad Vashem Archives.
Sima and Bettina, we wish you much luck at the upcoming conference!
Proud of you and sending our support from afar, your colleagues at Yad Vashem.

A Dairy, a Vessel, a Drawing: Disney Drawings in Yad Vashem's Collections
>> https://bit.ly/4fC6hNh

During the Holocaust's darkest hours, Jews clung to nostalgic memories as their last refuge of humanity. Amidst the unimaginable horror, they retreated into mental sanctuaries of pre-war life—simple moments like buying groceries or enjoying entertainment without fear. These brief escapes were often shattered by the brutal reality in which they existed.

Pre-war, cinema was a shared experience that transcended geographic and social boundaries. Disney's first animated blockbuster film, "Snow White" (1937), represented for many Jews their last carefree experience before they were flung into the abyss of chaos and despair. This whimsical memory would be, for some, an escape from N**i-occupied Europe, and the beloved characters became bittersweet reminders of their lost innocence.

Yad Vashem's new David and Fela Shapell Family Collection Center includes a collection of Disney-inspired artwork by Holocaust victims and survivors that powerfully illustrates their humanity, hopes, and resistance against dehumanization.

Discover the moving stories behind some of these creations.

Take a bittersweet glimpse into a world of memories and dreams that sustained hope even in humanity's darkest hour.
>> https://bit.ly/4fC6hNh

Each year, six Holocaust survivors are chosen to light torches in memory of the six million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust.

Do you know a Holocaust survivor who lives in Israel?
You can nominate them to light a torch at the State Opening Ceremony marking Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day 2025.

The six torchlighters will be chosen from among the nominees.

Nominations can be submitted in Hebrew until 30/9/2024 using this online form:
https://forms.yadvashem.org/he/torchlighter-form

OLYMPIC GYMNASTS MURDERED IN THE HOLOCAUST

"The gymnasts were the first female Olympic champions in the Netherlands. At a quarter past five, the Dutch flag fluttered above the Olympic Stadium and the National Anthem sounded over the central area."
- Press cutting from the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games

In 1928, the Netherlands hosted the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. This was the first time that women competed in gymnastics at the Olympics. Five women on the Dutch Olympic gymnastics team were Jewish: Helena-Lea Nordheim, Ans P***k, Estella-Stella Agsteribbe, Judikje-Judik Simons and Elka de Levie. Their coach, Gerrit Kleerekoper, was also Jewish. The team won the gold medal for women's gymnastics at the Amsterdam Olympics, and the women became national heroines.

In May 1940, the Germans occupied the Netherlands. In the summer of 1942, Dutch Jews began to be deported to the East under the ruse that they were being sent to labor camps; among them, four members of the gymnastics team and their coach.
In 1943 Judik Simons, her husband Bernard Solomon Themans, their children Sonja and Leon, and all the children in the orphanage they ran were deported to Sobibor and murdered there.

Helena Nordheim, her husband Abraham Kloot, and their daughter Rebecca, the coach Gerrit Kleerekoper, his wife Kaatje and their daughter Elizabeth, Anna-Ans P***k and her daughter Eva were also murdered in Sobibor.

Estella Agsteribbe, her husband Shmuel Blits, their children Nanny and Alfred, and Anna-Ans P***k's husband Barend Dresden was murdered in Auschwitz.

Elka de Levie managed to evade the tragic fate of her fellow Jewish teammates, and survived in the Netherlands. She passed away in Amsterdam in 1979.

Adolf Sklar, Table-Tennis Champion

Adolf Sklar was born in Brno, Czechslovakia in 1922. He was a table-tennis player and a graduate of the textile school. His sister Alice married and immigrated to Eretz Israel (Mandatory Palestine) in 1939, a decision that was to save her life.

Following the end of the war, Alice and her husband Erich could not find any information about the fate of their family members who had remained in Europe. In 1945 they departed for Czechoslovakia and Germany in search of any trace of their loved ones. They stayed and searched in Europe for four years and their eldest son Yigal was born at that time. In 1949, the young family returned to Israel without any answers.

In 1956 Eric's brother Leo learned that their brother Felix and their parents – Robert and Paula Steiner – had been murdered in the Holocaust. Alice's parents had also been murdered.

Adolf was murdered in Theresienstadt.

In 1957 Alice submitted Pages of Testimony to Yad Vashem in memory of her brother Adolf Sklar and 64 other family members who had been murdered. The photographs of Adolf and the rest of the family are part of a collection of 99 photographs that her son Yigal donated to Yad Vashem.

On 3 August 1944, approximately 2,500 Jews were deported from Athens on cattle cars, most of them from the island of Rhodes. After thirteen tortuous days, the deportees reached Auschwitz-Birkenau.

This transport was the last deportation of Greek Jews.

Sylvia Hasson (later Berro) and her family were among the deportees.
This is their story >> https://bit.ly/3DnA9eu

The cornerstone for Yad Vashem was laid 70 years ago today on 29 July 1954.

The cornerstone laying ceremony was opened by the Minister of Education Ben-Zion Dinur in the presence of the President, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, members of the Knesset, members of the Actions Committee and of the Zionist Executive, representatives of the "Claims Conference", survivors of the ghettos, former soldiers and partisans.

Dr. Nahum Goldman, Chairman of the World Jewish Congress and Member of the Yad Vashem Directorate remarked:
“What is most needed is to consolidate all the [documentation collection] operations throughout the world, to encourage cooperation among those engaged in the efforts, to establish a major center for this immense body of material, and to make it accessible not only to researchers and writers – but to all the Jewish people, and the entire world, as well”

Beyond the winning and medals, sportsmanship embodies the human spirit in all its vibrancy. In the DP camps, participating in sports represented the return to life and the Holocaust survivors in the DP camps organized competitions and established sports clubs.

We wish the best of luck to all the participants in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Yad Vashem mourns the loss of our dear colleague Alex Dancyg, Z"L, who was taken hostage on October 7th, a dedicated and loyal partner in the mission to support and spread meaningful Holocaust remembrance and education both here in Israel and around the world. Alex Dancyg was killed while being held in captivity in the Gaza Strip by Hamas terrorists.

Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan expressed:

"Today, we deeply grieve the loss of our cherished and esteemed colleague, Alex Dancyg. Just yesterday, we marked Alex's 76th birthday, filled with the hope that he would soon return to us alive and well. Alex's essence embodied both in spirit and substance, his love for the land and thirst for knowledge. His vast library at his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz reflected his deep connection between his cherished Israeli and Jewish identity and his Polish birthplace. Alex successfully integrated these perspectives into his teaching of the events of World War II in general, and of the Holocaust in particular. The news of his tragic death strengthens our commitment to ensure that Alex's legacy and the stories he passionately preserved are never forgotten."

Alex was born in 1948 in Warsaw, Poland, to Holocaust survivor parents. In 1957, he immigrated to Israel with his family and later made his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

After returning to Poland for the first time in three decades, Alex's passion for Holocaust history and education grew. In 1990, Alex began working with Yad Vashem, where he continued his dedication to Holocaust education.

Alex worked together with Yad Vashem as a true partner in creating and leading training courses for guides of Israeli youth trips to Poland and in Holocaust education in Poland for educators and clergy, including many Jewish participants. Alex was a remarkably multifaceted individual, well versed in Polish culture and Judaism, and the complex historical relationship between the Polish and Jewish people. He was a model family man and a proud tiller of our land.

Alex's passion and contributions to Holocaust education left an indelible mark on our collective understanding of this dark chapter in history.

Yad Vashem has been in contact with the Dancyg family during this difficult time and shares in their profound grief.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to Alex’s family, including his beloved elder sister, four children and many grandchildren," concludes Dayan.

Today our dear colleague Alex Dancyg marks his 76th birthday in Hamas captivity in Gaza.
Alex, we pray for your speedy and safe return in good health.

This weekend is

Preserved in the Artifacts Collection of Yad Vashem's Museum are approximately twenty chess sets that were used by Jews during the Holocaust. Some were crafted during the war, others were made before the war and taken with Jews who were deported from their homes. Playing chess helped to alleviate the suffering of Jews and allowed them a few brief moments of relief from the hunger, the cold and the fear, temporarily easing their loneliness and sense of isolation.

Discover the stories behind the chess sets here >> https://bit.ly/3Y7YAbx

The first stage of the conservation of the Pillar of Heroism (Buki Schwartz, 1970) has been completed.

The Pillar of Heroism is one of the most important monuments that are viewed by visitors to Yad Vashem. It is an installation composed of two parts; a stainless-steel pillar with an inscription stands in the center flanked by wavy black plaster walls at the sides.

Exposure to the elements in the decades since its installation have led to the deterioration of the monument. There is rust damage and there are gaps between the steel panels. The letters of the inscription have weakened and disintegrated; some have even fallen.

A comprehensive conservation program was prepared by Yad Vashem’s Conservation Department in cooperation with the Art and On-Site Projects Department of La-V Projects.

Comprehensive internal and external structural surveys were conducted, damage caused by rust was repaired, cracks were sealed, the stainless-steel pillar was cleaned and the letters were removed for repair. In order to maintain the authenticity of the monument, the facade of the letters was removed and a new, stronger backing was built for each letter. Missing letters were fabricated in accordance with the original font.

Many thanks to Amir lavi and Yanai Rom for the professional and precise conservation work.

The second stage of the project will involve conservation of the wavy black plaster walls and restoration of the original appearance of the installation. The walls contain many cracks and missing sections.

This stage will also include treatment of structural issues followed by reconstruction of the plaster with volcanic basalt grains that covers the walls and restoration of the original appearance. The lighting in the floor channels surrounding the monument will be restored, lighting the walls and the pillar from below and giving an impressive appearance even after dark.

The restoration of the Pillar of Heroism was made possible by the remarkable generosity of Dr. German Zakharyayev.

On 13 July 1944, the Red Army reached Vilna. Among the town's liberators were Jewish fighters.

The community of Vilna, which had flourished for centuries, was decimated during World War II.

On the eve of the Holocaust, the Jewish community of Vilna was the spiritual hub of Eastern European Jewry. A center of Jewish learning, political life, creativity and tradition, the community bustled with cultural and religious activity, including movements and parties, educational institutions, libraries and theaters. Known in the Jewish world as "the Jerusalem of Vilna", it was a community of rabbis and gifted Talmudic scholars, intellectuals, poets, authors, artists, craftspeople and educators - a spiritual center of the first order.

Discover the story of the Jewish community of Vilna.
>> https://www.yadvashem.org/vilna.html

Pictured: Partisan Rachel Rudnitzki together with other armed partisans in the streets of Vilna during the liberation of the city.

On the 7-8th of July, Yad Vashem held a special commemorative concert and a ceremony to formally inaugurate the Moshal Shoah Legacy Campus.

The Moshal Shoah Legacy Campus with The David and Fela Shapell Family Collections Center at its heart, was built to house the world's largest repository of Holocaust-related art, artifacts and archival materials, preserving the voices and stories of Shoah victims and survivors for posterity.

We'd like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the many donors who made this possible.

Today was the final day of the 11th International Conference for Educators at Yad Vashem, "Holocaust Education in a Global Context".
We wish to thank all participants who came from from over 40 countries around the world and greatly contributed to the success of this event.

The conference included fascinating lectures, plenary and breakout sessions, practical workshops, and engaging discussions.
A special thank you to all the speakers who dedicated their time and enriched us with their extensive knowledge and experience.

Thank you to all the participants for their active participation and involvement in every discussion and workshop. Your presence is what made the conference such a special and meaningful event.

We look forward to staying connected and working together in the future. Together, we will continue to teach about the Holocaust and its lessons.