Holocaust Remembrance Day falls on the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. This date is marked or measured based on the Hebrew calendar, so the modern calendar date changes every year. In the United States, the Days of Remembrance take place for an entire week, from the Sunday before Holocaust Remembrance Day to the Sunday after it.
The U.S. Congress established the Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust in 1979, and chose the two dates April 28 & 29th, which corresponded to the dates in 1945 on which Dachau was liberated. Since then, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) was established and has expanded the annual commemoration to its current 8-day timeline. In 2021, the Days of Remembrance are from April 4-11; the USHMM will be hosting its official commemoration ceremony on April 8th.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which takes place on January 27th, was designated by the United Nations to mark the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Children of the Holocaust
A video presenting the stories of 4 people who survived the Holocaust as children. Only 7% of European Jewish children survived the Holocaust, compared to about 30% of adult European Jews.
But Some Survive
Narrated by the grandson of Polish Holocaust survivor Esther Latarus, this 15-minute video tells Esther's story. She moved to Minneapolis after WWII.
In the Shadow of the Acropolis
The Ackos family, a Jewish family from Greece, shares their stories of loss and life under German occupation.
Stolen Youth
David Fishel tells his story of Nazi slave labor in factories during WWII and his liberation.
Minnesota and the Holocaust: Survivor and Testimony Records
Read the biographies and view photos of several dozen survivors and witnesses to the Holocaust with Minnesota connections.
Minnesota Holocaust Films
Additional films from the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas share the stories of Holocaust surivors.
Voice to Vision Project
This project from University of Minnesota Libraries Digital Conservancy works to express the experiences of genocide survivors in visual art. Some of these, like Esther Wintrop, are Holocaust survivors.
Dora Zaidenweber written interview
Dora Eiger is a Polish Jew who survived the Holocaust in several concentration camps. She and her family settled in Minnesota after the war. Her father wrote a memoir called "Sky Tinged Red".
Book: Witnesses to the Holocaust
This compilation of stories from Minnesota survivors and liberators, including some photos, is available from other libraries in Minnesota. It is published by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.
Lessons from the Holocaust: History for Contemporary Learners
This course from the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and Dakotas can help you understand what led up to the Holocaust, as well as your role as a student of history. The course runs from April 12-30, 2021. These 75-minute classes are presented on Zoom (registration link is on the JCRC website linked above). You can also watch recordings of previous classes at the site linked above.
Words and Actions: Contexts and Consequences of Propaganda
This 48-minute video from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum presents a moderated seminar which "explores the role of propaganda in situations where genocide is threatened and examines how the use of propaganda during the Holocaust era informs public reaction to its dissemination today". The discussion also applies to other genocides worldwide.
Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Minnesota
Browse their collection and watch recordings of lectures to learn about many facets of genocide and Holocaust.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
This museum is a rich trove of information on the Holocaust. There are even options to contact museum staff to research relatives or friends who may have been impacted by the Holocaust.
The World Must Know
This book, available at the DCTC Library, tells the story of not just the victims of the Holocaust, but also of other parties who were integral to the Holocaust happening. It includes images of some of the artifacts held by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Naomi Johnston
- Circulation Manager
- Naomi.Johnston@dctc.edu
- (651) 423- 423-8345
Book: Maus
Art Spiegelman uses the familiar medium of a comic book to tell his father's story of surviving the Holocaust.Video: From Bitter Earth
This BBC film shows the creativity and courage of Jewish artists during the Holocaust in obtaining materials to document their stories through art.Recording of the April 8, 2021 Holocaust Remembrance Event at DCTC.
Blog post on the Holocaust Remembrance event