USC Shoah Foundation and National Library of Israel Announce Hebrew Translation of Testimony Archive
The Visual History Archive Interface and 275 Survivor Testimonies Now Available in Hebrew
JERUSALEM and LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The USC Shoah Foundation’s Archive, featuring 59,000 video testimonies of survivors of the Holocaust, the October 7 attacks and other historical events of persecution, is now accessible in Hebrew worldwide through a partnership with the National Library of Israel (NLI). The USC Shoah Foundation archive now features Hebrew translations of the platform’s navigation, interface, and closed-caption testimonies of 275 select Holocaust survivors who live in Israel.
In March, the USC Shoah Foundation and NLI teamed up to provide Israelis with the first nationwide access to this extensive library of audiovisual testimonies, including hundreds of testimonies from survivors and witnesses of the October 7 terror attacks. As the one-year anniversary of those attacks approaches, Israelis can now access the USC Shoah Foundation’s testimonies in their native language on the partnership landing page.
Users worldwide can also access the archive in either English or Hebrew by clicking the globe icon on the USC Shoah Foundation’s main archive page.
“The translation of our archive into Hebrew marks a significant milestone in our mission to thoroughly document the history of the Holocaust, as well as contemporary antisemitism, and ensure that these crucial survivor experiences are accessible to Hebrew-speaking audiences,” said Dr. Robert Williams, USC Shoah Foundation Finci-Viterbi Executive Director Chair. Williams serves as UNESCO Chair on Antisemitism and Holocaust Research and Advisor to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. “As we expand access to our extensive video testimony collection, we are positioned to deepen our collective understanding of the horrors perpetrated against Jewish people, as well as their resilience throughout history and during this moment of resurgent antisemitism.”
Over the last year, the National Library of Israel has led a national and international Bearing Witness project to create a massive archive documenting October 7 attacks and their aftermath. To date, NLI has identified more than 300 documentation initiatives, grassroots and institutional. As a partner in this Bearing Witness project, Williams has offered his expertise in managing the formation of a vast database.
“In March, we were heartened to welcome the Israel Solidarity Mission and Dr. Williams at the signing ceremony of the partnership to provide Israelis with the first countrywide access to the Institute’s entire archive,” said Dr. Raquel Ukeles, Head of Collections at the National Library of Israel. “Now, with the Hebrew interface, Israelis will have easier access to archive content, to help learn about the persistence and destructiveness of antisemitism, and the genocides, crimes against humanity, and related persecutions that have occurred throughout history, and, sadly, in our own time as well.”
About the USC Shoah Foundation:
The USC Shoah Foundation preserves and amplifies the voices of the past to build a future that remembers. The Archive is home to more than 59,000 testimonies of survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust, contemporary antisemitism, the Armenian Genocide, and other historical events of genocide. It is the largest such collection in the world. Established in 1994, the USC Shoah Foundation found a permanent home at the University of Southern California in 2006. With survivor testimony at the center, the USC Shoah Foundation’s innovative programming, global-impact strategies, and forward-looking research initiatives help foster insights and practical solutions to preserve Holocaust memory and history, confront antisemitism and strengthen democratic values.
About the National Library of Israel:
The National Library of Israel (NLI) is the dynamic institution of national memory for the Jewish people worldwide and Israelis of all backgrounds and faiths. As Israel’s preeminent research library, NLI collections include the world’s largest collection of textual Judaica, as well as world-class collections of Jewish and Islamic manuscripts, ancient maps, rare books, photographs, communal and personal archives and more. NLI encourages diverse audiences in Israel and around the globe to engage with its treasures via innovative educational, cultural and digital initiatives, as well through a new landmark building that reflects NLI’s core values of democratizing knowledge, and opening its resources to the broadest audience possible. For more information, please visit: www.nli.org.il/en.
CONTACT: Media Contacts USC Shoah Foundation: Jenny Hontz jenny@miller-ink.com National Library of Israel: Rachel Neiman, International Media Relations rachel.neiman@nli.org.il
