Survivor testimony, in presenting the story of the individual, stands at the core of Holocaust education. With the passage of time, the irreplaceable experience of hearing a survivor speak first-hand – the empathy and emotional connection created, the immediacy of the interaction – will no longer be possible. In this video Sheryl Silver-Ochayon presents the film “May Your Memory Be Love”, in which Ovadia Baruch tells his own story on location where the events occurred. The experiences of Baruch, a Greek Jew born in Salonika, allow a glimpse into the oft-overlooked Holocaust of Greek Jewry. The film is part of the “Witnesses and Testimony” series.
Sheryl Silver-Ochayon is a staff member at the International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem.
- Part 1: Using Testimony Films in the Classroom
- Part 2: Jewish Life in Salonika
- Part 3: Deportation of Greek Jewry to Auschwitz
- Part 4: The Dehumanization Process in Auschwitz
- Part 5: Daily Life in the Camps
- Part 6: Survival and the Return to Life
Pedagogical objectives
- Present the testimonial film “May Your Memory Be Love”, in which survivor Ovadia Baruch recounts his personal story on location.
- Learn the importance of Holocaust testimony in Holocaust education, and the challenges of replicating this experience in a world without survivors.
- Sample some of the intangibles inherent in experiencing first-person witness accounts.
