Holocaust resources merge

By Elizabeth Daley

July 21, 2007

Two San Francisco Holocaust education resources will become one, the organizations announced this month.

The Holocaust Center of Northern California and the Bay Area Holocaust Oral History Project will unify, creating a single unified Bay Area resource for Holocaust education and remembrance known as the Holocaust Center of Northern California.

"By combining our resources and efforts, we will be more effective in teaching the universal lessons of the Holocaust. We will reach more classrooms, students and the general public with educational and cultural programs that show the consequences of hate and indifference," said Dr. Steven H. Sloan, president of the new institution.

Both organizations operated side by side for almost 30-years in the Bay Area. With the Holocaust Center of Northern California recognizing the importance of bringing survivors into classrooms to tell their stories to students.

The Holocaust Center will house more than 1,700 oral testimonies of local residents who were eyewitnesses and survivors of the Holocaust. The video and audio testimonies will be available for viewing at the Holocaust Center.

"Merging our resources gives us the opportunity to integrate first-hand testimonies into extensive educational offerings. This is an important step in ensuring that our treasured collection of personal stories will have increased access, use and impact," said Miriam Zimmerman, former Oral History Project board president.

The new Holocaust Center will be an even larger organization with more resources that may be used to tech the consequences of racism, hatred and indifference while preserving and disseminating historical information, the center announced.

The Holocaust Center of Northern California is located at 121 Steuart St. in San Francisco and is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

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