Sam Weinreb (z”l).mp4
On January 27, 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army. In 2005, the United Nations designated January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in memory of all victims of the Holocaust. Today we take special care to remember ever victim and every victim group persecuted during the Holocaust.
The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh was created as a living memorial to honor Holocaust survivors who came to Pittsburgh to rebuild their lives. Today and every day, we work to continue their mission of helping people learn about the Holocaust and countering intolerance and hate in all its forms. Now more than ever, it's vital that we keep the memories of survivors alive.
This video features the testimony of local Holocaust survivor Sam Weinreb (z"l). Sam grew up in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia and was a teenager during World War II. One day he came back from a Bar Mitzvah lesson to find his home locked and his entire family gone. They had been taken away by the Nazis; he never saw his family again. Sam spent the next two years living on the streets and begging for work and food. As a last resort he turned himself over to the authorities who immediately placed him under arrest and sent him to prison, where he suffered greatly.
Eventually he was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. Sam was able to escape during the infamous death marches out of Auschwitz where so many others could not. Soon after, he was rescued by the Russians who found him unconscious in the forest.
Sam came to the United States after the war and started a new life in McKeesport, PA living
with distant cousins. There he worked in the family businesses, as a jeweler and a watchmaker. He married a young woman, Goldie, who he knew as a child. Sam passed away in 2021.
10 years of (Facebook Video) (4).mp4
2024 marks a major milestone for the Holocaust Center — 10 years since the first edition of CHUTZ-POW! SUPERHEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST was released!
CHUTZ-POW! is far more than a comic-book: it’s a living testimony of perseverance and bravery created to directly connect contemporary audiences with some of the most important moral lessons of history. Over the past decade, CHUTZ-POW! has reached thousands of individuals both in and out of classrooms, encouraging readers of all ages to be upstanders as they learn about real life heroes.
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CHUTZ-POW! SUPERHEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST is an acclaimed and ongoing comic-book series created and published by The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. Its mission is to place up-stander's stories of courage, resilience, and sacrifice at the forefront of Holocaust awareness.
Each volume is an anthology by award-winning creative collaborators, telling true-life stories of heroic survivors who brought light into some of the darkest recesses of WWII. Created for audiences ages 12 and up, CHUTZ-POW! unravels the larger narrative of the Holocaust through the use of comics.
Stephen Chbosky (Instagram Post).mp4
We are thrilled to share that registration for the 40th Annual Waldman Arts and Writing Competition is now open! We're kicking things off with a message from Stephen Chbosky, author of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and Waldman Award Winner, 1986.
This competition invites middle and high school students in Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and West Virginia to create artwork and writing around a designated theme in Holocaust remembrance. This year’s theme is “Local Legacies: Holocaust Survivors of the Pittsburgh Region.”
We are continuing the three-round format, in which each participating school has one “Teacher Sponsor” who oversees the school’s first round competition, submits the school’s finalists, and communicates with the Holocaust Center. Any time between now and December 20, teachers and administrators can sign up as a sponsor to have their school participate for free.
Learn more and sign up: www.hcofpgh.org/waldman-40th
Gertrude Sandman (Instagram Post (Square)) (1).mp4
Gertrude Sandmann was an artist and activist.
Frieda (1).mp4
Frieda Belinfante was a Dutch cellist, conductor, and anti-Nazi resistance fighter.
Copy of Copy of Gertrude Sandman (Instagram Post (Square)) (2).mp4
Willem Arondéus was a Dutch artist, author, and member of the anti-Nazi resistance.
We’re wishing a joyful Purim to everyone celebrating this weekend!
This footage from 1946 shows a Post-War Purim celebration in Children’s Home of Yehoshua and Hennie Birenbaum in Amsterdam, Holland.
Source: Yad Vashem
Mary.mp4
Happy St. Patricks Day! In honor of today's celebration of Ireland and Irish heritage—as well as Women's History Month—we'd like to spotlight Mary Elmes, who was born in Cork, Ireland on May 9, 1908 and is the only Irish person that has received the honor of Righteous Among the Nations.
Credit for the information in this video goes to Holocaust Education Ireland—make sure to check out their page for more valuable information and give them a follow while you're there!
5.mp4
As we get ready for 2024, we're reflecting on some of our favorite moments from 2023! Sharing last but certainly not least is Marcel Walker, CHUTZ-POW! Project Coordinator.
We're wishing everyone a safe and joyful New Year's Eve!
juliamem.mp4
As we get ready for 2024, we're reflecting on some of our favorite moments from 2023! With only a few days left until the new year, we're hearing from Julia Gaetano, Marketing & Education Associate. Check back on Sunday for the final installment!
If you have a memory you'd like to share, make sure to comment below!
3.mp4
As we get ready for 2024, we're reflecting on some of our favorite moments from 2023! Today we're hearing from Christina Sahovey, HCP's Operations Manager.
Check back through Sunday as we countdown to the new year with more of our staff's best memories!
If you have a memory you'd like to share, make sure to comment below!
2.mp4
As we get ready for 2024, we're reflecting on some of our favorite moments from 2023! Today's pick is from Noah Schoen, Community Outreach Associate.
Check back through Sunday as we countdown to the new year with more of our staff's best memories!
If you have a memory you'd like to share, make sure to comment below!
Inspiring engagement with Holocaust history and connecting it to today.
