Celebrating Twenty Years of Giving Life to Stories

This year, we’re celebrating 20 years of the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program — two decades of giving life to stories. To mark this milestone, we’re launching a special series: 20 short videos that tell the story behind the stories.

Follow along as we look back, reflect and celebrate the survivors who entrusted us with their histories — and the readers, educators and communities who carry them forward.

In the very first video, Naomi Azrieli, chair and CEO of the Azrieli Foundation and publisher of the Memoirs Program, considers her father’s vision — and how one idea grew into two decades of impact.

Watch Naomi share how it all began.

“The survivor stories are at the heart of our program. But how we get those stories out into the world continues to change.” — Jody Spiegel, director, Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program

From memoirs and audiobooks to films and classroom resources, Jody shares how the program has grown over 20 years — and why ensuring accessibility for every student and teacher matters so deeply.

Watch Jody share how the program gives life to stories.

“The stories resonate with everybody… sometimes they even make you think about your own life.” — Elin Beaumont, who led our community initiatives for 15 years

Watch Elin explain why survivor stories matter.