Cape Town Holocaust & Genocide Centre

28/08/2026

Upskilling teachers in Gqeberha 📚

The CTHGC Education Department recently ran a two-day Educator Training Workshop in Gqeberha, generously hosted at Theodor Herzl High School.

Twenty history educators came together to explore best practice in teaching methodologies, strategies and activities - with a focus on the role and choices of ordinary people, through primary sources and testimonies.

Each participant received resources created by the South African Holocaust & Genocide Foundation.

Thank you to Theodor Herzl High School for hosting us, and to all the dedicated educators who joined.

26/08/2026

Helene Joffe met with residents of Highlands House to share her story of surviving the Holocaust as a child.

Many remember Madame Joffe as a French teacher at Herzlia High School and later as a volunteer at Highlands House.

The CTHGC documentary on her life: “I Never Said Goodbye", can be found on our YouTube channel.

25/08/2026

When Holocaust survivors share their stories, their narratives understandably focus on the darkest years of World War II. Yet the rarely told chapters of the lives they built in the ensuing decades are no less profound.

Join us on 02 September at 7PM for a powerful webinar with Dr. Shay Pilnik as he explores this second story of survival - of adapting to new countries and cultures, and journeying from fear, guilt and silence toward the discovery of their own voices. From being stigmatized and labelled simply as “Holocaust survivors,” to being recognised for what they truly are: beacons of valor, pillars of morality, and bearers of a history that must never be forgotten.

To register for webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jbPt7D_rQNSLP14TLSU8sw

24/08/2026

On 13 August, the CTHGC held a public lecture titled "Unearthing the Past" with renowned archaeologist Dr. Yoram Haimi.

Dr. Haimi spoke about the decades of archaeological work he has undertaken to reveal the foundations and remains of the Sobibor death camp, which the N**is had attempted to destroy.

We were honoured to be joined by French survivor Helene Joffe, whose father Ruben Mindel was murdered at Sobibor, who attended the lecture with her daughter Rafaela.

21/08/2026

Celebrate the creativity and courage of young people at the CTHGC Annual Creative Project Awards Evening & Exhibition.

This year’s theme: Commemorating Freedom: Holocaust Memorials as a Lens for Remembrance in South Africa.

📅 Sunday 30 August | 5PM
📍 88 Hatfield St, Gardens
📩 RSVP by 24 Aug: [email protected]

14/08/2026

For decades, these stories were silenced.

The Cape Town Holocaust & Genocide Centre warmly invites you to the opening of Sybir. Prison of Nations— a powerful exhibition by the Sybir Memorial Museum, Białystok, Poland.

It traces the journey of Polish citizens from mass deportations and Soviet labour camps, to finding refuge in Southern and Eastern Africa during WWII.

Join us for the opening event:
📅 Wednesday 19 August
⏰ 6:00 PM
📧 [email protected]

We’ll also be joined live online by Viktoryja Kolchyna from the Sybir Memorial Museum to share more about the international Sybir - Prison of Nations project.

10/08/2026

We welcomed learners from Nomzamo High School to the CTHGC in partnership with the SAJM.

The group spent time in our permanent exhibition, reflecting on the stories and objects that bear witness to the past. They also took part in an educational programme exploring the history of the Holocaust and WWII — learning about how hatred, prejudice and indifference can have devastating consequences.

We’re grateful to host young people who are willing to listen, learn, and carry these lessons forward.

“As the guides explained the history, it felt like I was there in each and every part of this history it felt like I witnessed what people went through.” - Grade 11 learner

06/08/2026

What happens when we dig up the past to preserve memory?

For years, Sobibor lay hidden. Now, archaeology is bringing its story back to light.

We’re honored to host Dr. Yoram Haimi who co-directed the excavations at Sobibor from 2007–2020. He will speak on the discoveries that changed how we understand the camp — from gas chamber foundations to wedding rings and personal items of victims.

📆Thursday 13 August at 6PM
To attend in-person RSVP to [email protected]

05/08/2026

Behind the film that sparked a national debate.

After screening _Among Neighbors_, we’re sitting down with the man behind it.

Join us for a live online conversation with director Yoav Potash as he reflects on filming _Among Neighbors_ — a documentary about a Polish town, a post-WWII crime, and the complexity of memory.

He’ll speak with CTHGC Jakub Nowakowski about truth-telling, ethics, and what it means to document history in a time of rising denial.

Tuesday, 18 August 2026 | 19:00 SAST | Online
Register now:https://comms8.evlink8.net/servlet/link/1911/174098/32120792/2954143

04/08/2026