Speakers Bureau

One of our most powerful and compelling teaching resources, HHREC's Speakers Bureau is a group of 29 Holocaust survivors and rescuers, including those featured in the film Testimony of the Human Spirit.

These courageous men and women bring their personal experiences into the classroom, putting a human face on the lessons of the Holocaust. To date they have reached an audience of more than 100,000 students, teachers, and community members.

To book speakers contact:
Susan Rothschild
Director of Speakers Bureau
914.696.0738
Email: info@hhrecny.org

Briana Hilfer, a Junior at The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, gave this introduction speech to her classmates for Holocaust Survivor Ruth Bachner.

           Every April, on the day of remembrance, Yom Hashoah, Jews all around the world remember the 6 million who died during the Holocaust.  They were tortured, treated like animals and slaughtered.  Many people ask why they should care.  The Holocaust ended 65 years ago, right?  Why are Jews still dwelling on the past?

            It is essential to talk about the Holocaust.  It is not just the story of 6 million Jews who died brutally.  It is the story of gay people, gypsies, and communists, all slaughtered because they were different from the Nazis.  It is the story of a world that turned away with indifference as people suffered.  Most importantly, it is the story of brave people who helped save lives while putting themselves at risk, those who refused to be apathetic, those who chose love over hate.

            The reality is, though, most young people today know little about the Holocaust.  There are even some, like the President of Iran, who deny that it happened.   But holocausts and human rights violations are still going on: Ukraine, Armenia, Rwanda, Sudan, the list goes on.  It is our responsibility to end these genocides by learning from history and remembering.  Hearing about the Holocaust every year can teach us not only about evil and how people suffered, but also what the slaughtered people stood for, education, freedom, and tolerance.

            It is our responsibility to discuss the Holocaust.  We, as a generation, must learn never to be silent when human rights are ignored and evil occurs.  We must learn to speak out against what we think is wrong.  We must be involved.  We must teach tolerance and eliminate indifference.  These are the lessons of the Holocaust, and they are still relevant today.