USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education

With antisemitic harassment and violence surging ferociously around the globe, the USC Shoah Foundation establishes a Countering Antisemitism Laboratory to research and combat one of the world's most virulent hatreds. The USC Shoah Foundation seeks an inaugural director for the Countering Antisemitism Laboratory, which will work with scholars, journalists, policymakers, and other leadership groups to address all forms of antisemitism. The Laboratory will house a major collection of testimonies from survivors of antisemitic violence, training programs centered on understanding and responding to antisemitism, an initiative focused on digital antisemitism and Holocaust denial, and other practical research efforts. Learn more about the position: https://ow.ly/C4X150TmjGE

LAST CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Applications for our inaugural Azrieli Research Fellowship are due on Sunday, September 15, 2024. We are seeking graduate students who are pursuing either a master’s degree or PhD. Although any person may apply, preference will be given to Canadian scholars, those at institutions located in Canada, or research related to Canada. One applicant will be chosen as a fellow for the spring or summer 2025 term. This fellowship provides the opportunity to pursue original research on the Holocaust and/or historical and contemporary antisemitism using our Visual History Archive both at our headquarters on the USC campus and remotely. For more information or to apply, visit https://ow.ly/2Tmj50T70Gt #researchopportunity #graduatestudents

The USC Shoah Foundation unequivocally denounces distortion and denial of the Holocaust. Tucker Carlson's recent interview with Darryl Cooper, who lacks qualifications as a historian, presented an inaccurate and dangerous account of World War II and the Holocaust. Sadly, this is yet another example in a long line of individuals given platforms to spread misinformation and disinformation focused on the Holocaust, content that can lead to more dangerous and violent forms of antisemitism if not brought to the attention of the general public.

It is with heartfelt condolences that we mourn the murders of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi. Their senseless deaths remind us that we must do everything in our power to bring the remaining hostages home. We pray for peace, and for the safe and unconditional release of the remaining hostages. We mourn with all the families that have lost loved ones since October 7. May their memories be a blessing.

We have reached our goal of recording 250 new testimonies of Jewish Holocaust survivors as part of a program generously supported by the Claims Conference. These testimonies are now available to watch on our Youtube channel. With Assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. Supported by the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future and by the German Federal Ministry of Finance. Watch the testimonies here: https://ow.ly/aClV50Tb0YP

Applications are open for our inaugural Azrieli Research Fellowship for graduate students who are pursuing either a master’s degree or PhD. Although any person may apply, preference will be given to Canadian scholars, those at institutions located in Canada, or research related to Canada. One applicant will be chosen as a fellow for the spring or summer 2025 term. This fellowship provides the opportunity to pursue original research on the Holocaust and/or historical and contemporary antisemitism using our Visual History Archive both at our headquarters on the USC campus and remotely. Applications are due on September 15, 2024. For more information or to apply, visit https://ow.ly/WLpV50SYTSQ

From June 23-26, we hosted the second annual Summer Institute of the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education. Organized by the JFCS Holocaust Center, the event brought 140 dedicated teachers from across California together to learn the tools and knowledge necessary to address antisemitism and hate in their classrooms and communities. The California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education is a first-of-its-kind statewide network that unites California’s 14 leading institutions for Holocaust and genocide education as well as community leaders from diverse ethnic groups across the state. Through standards-aligned lesson plans, expert-led trainings, and a wealth of educational resources, the Collaborative empowers and unifies educators in teaching the lessons of history and about what happens when bias goes unchecked. #californiateachers #teacherresources #education

One of the foundational elements of all Echoes & Reflections Units is the USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education's testimony and the aligned IWitness digital activities. Join our webinar on 8/12 with Sedda Antekelian, Senior Learning and Development Specialist and Raquel Diaz-Serralta, Learning and Development Specialist, who will present strategies for how to access and customize IWitness activities that support each of the Echoes & Reflections Units. Register here: https://hubs.li/Q02K2fTc0

August 2 marks Roma Genocide Memorial Day, a date to commemorate the liquidation of the Zigeunerlager (also known as the “Gypsy Camp”) at Auschwitz. On that day in 1944, the Nazis murdered some 3,000 Roma. While August 2, 1944, is perhaps the most well-known of the terrible crimes perpetrated against the Roma by the Nazis and their collaborators, it is certainly not the only one. Scholars remain uncertain about the approximate number of victims, with figures ranging from 250,000 to 500,000 murdered in the genocide of the Roma. Today, we honor the lives lost and remember the resilience of the Roma community. Let us #ProtectTheFacts and spread awareness of the historical truth of the genocide of the Roma.

In June, we partnered with German Historical Institute Washington to host "Archives in/of Transit: Historical Perspectives from the 1930s to the Present." Scholars from universities around the world gathered in Los Angeles for the two-day workshop on archives and other institutions of social memory as well as artifacts related to the histories of migrants in transit and the knowledge they possessed, produced, transmitted, or lost. Participants spent time at our headquarters on University of Southern California campus, USC's Feuchtwanger Memorial Library, and Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e.V.. Throughout the workshop, they each presented their research and discussed how the histories of conflict and displacement since 1930 have shaped conceptualizations of “the archive.”. Our Director of Academic Programs Dr. Jennifer Rodgers opened the workshop with Dr. Simone Lässig, Director of the German Historical Institute in Washington, DC. She further chaired a panel titled "Collections and Agency." Finally, along with her co-conveners Dr. Simone Lässig and Dr. Swen Steinberg of Queen’s University in Canada, she led the closing discussion on common themes and conclusions from the workshop. Thank you to Jane Freeland (Queen Mary, University of London); Wolf Gruner (USC Dornsife Center for Advanced Genocide Research); Christine Schmidt (Wiener Holocaust Library, London); Dan Stone (Royal Holloway; University of London), the Thomas Mann House, Los Angeles; Villa Aurora, Los Angeles; Feuchtwanger Memorial Library, University of Southern California, Los Angeles for supporting this engaging workshop.