Memorial Without Witness

Join the Virginia Holocaust Museum and Centropa for a day of professional development focused on the experience of Sephardic Jews.   In 1492, Sephardic Jews—Jews whose ancestors were originally from Spain—came to the Ottoman Empire (including today’s Balkan region), when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain expelled them. Eighty percent of the Jews of Yugoslavia were murdered during the Holocaust, and the same in Greece. In this workshop, you will learn about Sephardic Jews in the Balkans, the Holocaust, and two remarkable stories of when civil society stood up in times of war—once during the Holocaust, and another time during the Bosnian war of the 1990s. You will return to your students with resources in Spanish and English for teaching this history.   In this workshop, you will spend time with Centropa's interviews, photographs, short multimedia films, thematic websites, and podcasts. This workshop is free for educators and includes: Breakfast, Coffee, and Lunch English and Spanish Language Resources for Educators A Certificate of Attendance About Centropa:  Centropa is a non-profit, Jewish historical institute dedicated to preserving 20th century Jewish family stories and photos from Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and disseminating these stories and photos through films, books, and exhibitions.  Centropa offices are in Budapest, Hamburg, Austria, Vienna and Washington, DC. About Lauren Granite, Workshop Facilitator:  Dr. Lauren Granite, US Education Director for Centropa—a historical institute based in Vienna—has a Ph.D. from Drew University, and master’s degree from the University of Chicago. Before joining Centropa in 2010, she spent more than a dozen years teaching Jewish history to adults, college students, and teens.  She builds Centropa’s network of Jewish, public, parochial and charter schools in North America, and designs workshops, seminars, webinars, and Centropa’s annual Summer Academy, where 70 educators from 15 countries come together to study history in the great cities of Central Europe. Dr. Granite also mentors teachers, designs online and in-person activities, and establishes teacher advisory teams for Centropa programs. Her latest project is creating a network of museum educators in the US and Europe to discover ways that Centropa can support their work with museum visitors, particularly visiting school classes. A limited number of scholarships are available for teachers 120+ miles from Richmond. Scholarships are to help cover travel, housing, and meals. Please contact Megan Ferenczy mferenczy@vaholocaust.org for more information about travel scholarships or for workshop questions.   To Register Click HERE! Deadline for Registration is March 1, 2024.    

The National D-Day Memorial and the Virginia Holocaust Museum present “The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Teaching About Women Who Changed the Course of WWII.” Join us as author Major General Mari K. Eder shares the courageous and overlooked stories of women from World War II that she highlights in her book. You will also hear the untold stories of Virginia women from Virginia World War II Heritage Alliance member archives. Learn the history, best practices, and resources to use in the classroom. This workshop is in partnership with the MacArthur Memorial and the Military Aviation Museum. This workshop is free for educators and includes: Breakfast, coffee, and lunch Copy of The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of Women Who Changed the Course of World War II. Certificate of Attendance Registration deadline is March 31, 2024. Space is limited. Please register by clicking here:  https://www.dday.org/events/the-girls-who-stepped-out-of-line-teaching-about-women-who-changed-the-course-of-wwii/  Registration deadline is March 31, 2024.

Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorates the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust and honors the lives of those who survived. We invite you to join us as we reflect upon the tragedy of the Holocaust, remember those who perished, and honor our Virginia area survivors during this meaningful and inspirational service. The commemoration is FREE to attend, but registration is suggested. Click HERE to Register!   Keynote Speaker Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat has served in senior leadership positions in three U.S. administrations, including as Chief Domestic Policy Advisor in the Carter Administration, and Under Secretary of State, as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury and as U.S. Ambassador to the European Union in the Clinton Administration. He has played a leadership role in the Jewish Community, most recently as the co-chairman of the Jewish People Policy Institute in Jerusalem. He successfully negotiated major agreements totalling $8 billion with Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, France and other European countries on behalf of victims of the Holocaust and Nazi regime during World War II. His book on those events, Justice: Looted Assets, Slave Labor and the Unfinished Business of World War II, was translated into four languages. He has received seven honorary doctorate degrees and more than 100 awards from organizations and from the United States, French, German, Austrian, Belgium, and Israeli governments. He is the author of the recently published book President Carter: The White House Years. His other previous book is The Future of the Jews: How Global Forces are Impacting the Jewish People, Isreal and Its Relationship with the United States. Ambassador Eizenstat currently serves as the Board Chair of The Defiant Requiem Foundation and is the Council Chair at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He is a partner in the Washinton, DC law firm of Covington & Burling. Click HERE to Register!