In a short while, there will be no survivors of the worst atrocity in Jewish history – the Holocaust, where the Nazis and their allies exterminated around six million Jews. The average age of the approximately 119,000 living Holocaust survivors in Israel, who make up just less than half of the survivors worldwide, is already above 85. The majority of these individuals were younger than 10 years old during the period of World War II.
At the heart of Jerusalem is Yad Vashem, the world’s holocaust memorial center, which welcomes close to one million people every year including almost all foreign dignitaries who visit Israel. It has been planning for the inevitable time when there won’t be any survivors left among us.
The main project is gathering the names of six million victims of the Holocaust (around 4.9 million names have been collected so far). This database encompasses details about Shoah victims: those whose lives were taken, many whose destinies are still unknown, as well as some who managed to survive.
Approximately one million victims remain nameless, and time is of the essence. Efforts persist to uncover their names and reclaim their identities. Members from the public persistently volunteer with new names, to contribute to a new Page of Testimony that is thoroughly researched and cross-referenced by Yad Vashem experts.
Testimonies of tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors have been filmed, resulting in 2.8 million pages of documented proof. Concurrently, Yad Vashem collects artifacts, records, photos, and artwork related to the Holocaust intending to narrate the victims’ stories and also illustrate Jewish life in the ruined communities of pre-war Europe.
The collection consists of Auschwitz death camp blueprints, postcards penned by Anne Frank, and the striped clothes worn by camp survivors, amongst other items. In 2011, Yad Vashem commenced its “Gathering the Fragments” campaign to amass Holocaust-related items, aiming to link each exhibit to a corresponding victim or survivor. The public has donated tens of thousands of artifacts.
For several survivors, certain relics like a stuffed teddy, a musical tool, prayer shawl or the compulsory yellow star for the Jews in Nazi-controlled Europe were the only remaining keepsakes from the war times. One family made a contribution of a tiny shoe belonging to a small child who was apprehended during the Lithuanian ghetto congregation, at a time when the child’s parents were on work assignment.
Yad Vashem recently unveiled an innovative five-level underground structure designed with advanced technology to accommodate its enormous collection. The collection comprises over 227 million pages of documents, around 40,000 objects, 14,000 pieces of artwork, and 541,000 archive photographs and videos.
Before the inauguration of the new David and Fela Shapell Family Collections Centre, these exhibits were securely stored away from public view, stated Yad Vashem chair Dani Dayan. To enhance public engagement, the building designers of the new storage came up with a way to enable visitors to observe how Yad Vashem manages its collection. Visitors are permitted to peer into the four preservation labs via special windows. Additionally, a vertically located Tree of Life column enveloped with glass pierces multiple subterranean levels, supplying natural light to the entire edifice.
Speaking at the centre’s opening ceremony, Dayan underlined the significance of recollecting the Holocaust. These collections symbolise the highest valuables of the Jewish community, akin to our unique DNA, he asserted. These sparingly saved items stand as invaluable, embodying individual stories, each occupying an indispensable part in recounting our past. Regardless of an 80-year span, the Holocaust events remain inexplicit to our understanding. Personal tales and properties assist in reconstructing the enigmatic tapestry of memories resembling six-million puzzle pieces. They provide an insight into the lives of Jewish communities and individuals in Europe and north Africa.
The new centre is the proud holder of the world’s most technologically advanced labs catering to paper, photographs, objects, textiles, and art. A significant number of received pieces were either starting to break or crumble upon touch. Experts envision restoring the items to their original condition, a task that sometimes could take up to six months.
Numerous artworks or sketches were produced within the confines of ghettos or camps under extremely challenging conditions, employing unconventional materials. This presents a unique set of difficulties for preservation and restoration teams at Yad Vashem, with many artworks being overlaid.
During the opening ceremony, President Yitzhak Herzog underscored the critical role of maintaining the memory of the Holocaust, ensuring its preservation and dissemination to succeeding generations. He stated, “United, we will continue to illuminate the truth and conserve this memory, for those who have been, those who are to come, and all mankind.”