THE ISRAEL ORAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION
Tell, preserve, pass it on history through the human voice.
צילום: פלג לוי
From exile to immigrants – 80 years since the release of the prisoners in Mauritius
On Friday, May 16, a special event will be held at the Ghetto Fighters' House Museum to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Jewish detainees in Mauritius. The event, which will be held in collaboration with institutions in Israel and abroad, will include a guided tour of the museum, a display of selected items from the Mauritius Prisoners' Collection, and a screening of a documentary documenting the commemorative events that took place in September 2023.
Listening against the Grain: Oral Testimonies on Intimate Violence during the Holocaust
Lecturer: Prof. Natalia Alexion, Harry Rich Professor of Holocaust Studies, University of Florida
Chair: Prof. Dalia Ofer, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
This lecture is part of a joint online workshop organized by the Israeli Oral History Association (ILOHA), the Leo Beck Institute Jerusalem, and the Oral History Division at the Abraham Herman Institute for Contemporary Judaism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Thursday, April 24, 2025 (Holocaust Day)
18:00 (Israeli time)
Zoom Event | Registration Required
To register, please scan the QR code on the attached invitation
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Adolph Gottlieb 1972
Living Memory of the Shoah
01
The project "Transmission of the Living Memory of the Shoah: 2nd & 3rd Generation" documents experiences of descendants of German-speaking Jews, exploring how family histories, values, language, and cultural identities were transmitted. Led by Leo Baeck Institute Jerusalem, Central European Immigrants Association, and Israeli Oral History Association, it emphasizes intergenerational Holocaust memory. Interviews are preserved publicly, forming a diverse corpus of testimonies that reveal the Holocaust's lasting impact and provide valuable insights and educational resources for Jewish communities worldwide, modeling effective practices for memory preservation.
Voices of Migrants and Asylum Seekers
02
A project documenting the life stories of non-Jewish migrant workers, refugees, and asylum seekers living in Israel. Initiated by Attorney Jean-Marc Liling in collaboration with the Oral History Division at the Hebrew University, it includes in-depth interviews about migration journeys, integration, and daily life. It also features voices of activists and government officials to present a wide range of perspectives. The project aims to deepen public understanding and preserve the memory of these communities within Israeli society
Documenting Bulgarian Jewry and Collective Memory of the Holocaust
03
A joint project by the Heritage Center of Bulgarian Jewry and the Israeli Oral History Association, featuring 20 filmed interviews with members of the community born in the 1930s. The interviews focus on the Holocaust in Bulgaria, especially the 1943 deportation of Sofia’s Jews, while also exploring life before and after the war. These testimonies offer insight into personal and communal memory, evolving historical awareness, and the cultural and societal contributions of Bulgarian Jews.
Online Oral History Workshop
The Online Oral History Workshop has been held regularly since 2020, as a joint initiative of the Israeli Association for Oral History, the Leo Baeck Institute Jerusalem, and the Oral History Division at the Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The workshop takes place once a month on Thursday evenings and serves as a recurring platform for conversations with researchers from Israel and around the world who engage with memory, testimony, and oral history in diverse contexts—from the Holocaust to migration, from queer activism to political displacement.
The workshop is intended not only for academics but also for oral history practitioners, archivists, documentarians, and anyone interested in the rich and complex world of oral history. Each session offers a public dialogue on the methodological, ethical, and political challenges involved in documenting human voices, while listening to scholarly, personal, and cultural perspectives.
Oral History Training Program
The Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry
In collaboration with the Israeli Oral History Association
What You Will Gain from the Course
In this course, you will acquire professional tools for conducting, processing, and preserving interviews. You will be introduced to up-to-date research theories and approaches and gain a deeper understanding of how the digital era impacts oral history. In addition, you will gain hands-on experience with video, audio, and digital interviews, as well as enjoy workshops and visits to leading archives.
Who Is It For
The course is open to the general public and is designed for students, researchers, archivists, teachers, and educators. It is also suitable for community activists, filmmakers, independent documentarians, social workers, and other professionals seeking to integrate oral history as a meaningful tool in their work.
Issue No. 1
Testimony and Identity
This issue explores the role of personal testimony in history through articles on the Holocaust, war, ethnic identity, and aging, authored by prominent Israeli and international scholars.
Issue No. 2
Jewish Voices Worldwide
Features German-Jewish migration stories, Sephardi identity in Latin America, and reflections on Israeli Prime Ministers alongside educational projects and book reviews.
Issue No. 3
Memory Through Performance
Explores oral histories of Holocaust laborers, theatre artists, community education, and radio practices. Highlights ethical, gendered, and technological dimensions of memory.
Issue No. 4
Oral History in Transition
Focuses on technological and environmental challenges affecting interviews. Articles examine interview methods, silence as meaning, Holocaust testimonies, and archival access.
The Online Oral History Workshop
The Online Oral History Workshop has been held regularly since 2020, as a joint initiative of the Israeli Association for Oral History, the Leo Baeck Institute Jerusalem, and the Oral History Division at the Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The workshop takes place once a month on Thursday evenings and serves as a recurring platform for conversations with researchers from Israel and around the world who engage with memory, testimony, and oral history in diverse contexts—from the Holocaust to migration, from queer activism to political displacement.
The workshop is intended not only for academics but also for oral history practitioners, archivists, documentarians, and anyone interested in the rich and complex world of oral history. Each session offers a public dialogue on the methodological, ethical, and political challenges involved in documenting human voices, while listening to scholarly, personal, and cultural perspectives.