Yad Vashem Launches “Who Is Your Holocaust Hero?” a Digital Project for Leaders, Influencers and Actors in time for Holocaust Remembrance Day 2024

[Jerusalem – 03 May 2024]  In time for Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, observed this year May 5-6th, Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, announces the launch of its “Who Is Your Holocaust Hero?” campaign. The initiative encourages the public to delve into and forge personal connections with Holocaust narratives through short video clips, sharing who their Holocaust Hero is on social media platforms.

This digital project encapsulates Yad Vashem’s core mission; its enduring commitment to preserving the memory of the Holocaust. At the heart of Yad Vashem’s vision, lies the unwavering dedication to ensuring that the profound lessons learned from this harrowing chapter of human history can transcend generations, fostering a collective remembrance that endures eternally.

“This unique campaign comes at a particularly critical juncture,” emphasized Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan. “As the eyewitness generation fades away, we are left with an irreplaceable void. By sharing their stories, we are ensuring that they will never be forgotten. By sharing and creating a community of remembrance on social media we can amplify their voices, garnering global attention.”

As part of the launch of this initiative, Yad Vashem has invited some distinguished individuals from various walks of life to become Ambassadors of Holocaust Memory and record their own 1-2-minute short video introducing their personal Holocaust hero. By sharing these stories and sharing them with a new audience, we can remember the Holocaust, one story at a time.

Teaming up with Hollywood liaison Lana Melman, author of “Artists Under Fire,” Yad Vashem has garnered support from influential figures from entertainment and international leaders alike. Notable participants include producer Ben Silverman, director Jeff Melman, actors Patricia Heaton, James Maslow, Mark Pellegrino,  and Gene Simmons, alongside political figures such as Lord Eric Pickles, Prof. Alan Dershowitz, President of the Claims Conference Gideon Taylor, Canadian MP Anthony Housefather, and British MP Bob Blackman. Furthermore, social media influencers like Montana Tucker, Dov Forman, BBC Broadcast Journalist John Ware and celebrity chef Eitan Bernath have lent their endorsement to this initiative.

“We are living in a time of anti-Jewish hate not seen since Nazi Germany” says author and CEO of Liberate Art, Lana Melman.  “The phrase ‘Never Again’ is not a slogan, it is a vow – a promise humankind made to G-d and each other after the inhumanity and horrors of the Holocaust. By sharing the stories of Holocaust Heros, we are reminded that none of us can be silent about where this road leads us. We have a right to be safe and Jewish.”

“The Claims Conference is proud to be part of Yad Vashem’s “Who Is Your Holocaust Hero?” social media campaign. Each survivor is a hero to us; we are grateful to Yad Vashem for inviting us and the global community to honor survivors for this campaign,” Gideon Taylor President, Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, shared his Holocaust Hero, Holocaust Survivor Sir Ben Helfgott.

“I’m very proud to be participating in this worthy program to help a new generation remember the horrors of the Holocaust. I will do everything in my power. Any moment I can remind the world and successive generations of the truth of our history, albeit painful and difficult, is critical. We must never forget.“ Ben Silverman, Chairman and Co-CEO of Propagate Content, Producer of The Office, Ugly Betty, and The Office, and former co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios.

For a promo video of the project, click here.