VIRTUAL & IN-PERSON EXHIBITION Witness to History, Keepers of Memory
January 12th through May 10th, 2023! This exhibit from the Montreal Holocaust Museum is available for in-person and virtual tours. Through images and testimonies, the exhibition offers a sensitive and multi-faceted look at the extraordinary life trajectories of Holocaust Survivors living in Canada. According to survivors, vestiges of life before the Holocaust are hard to find. The few carefully guarded objects, documents, and photographs smuggled out or narrowly escaped destruction represent some of the most personal memories: their origins. Family, particularly parents who were lost, occupy a special place among those memories. Their homelands, houses, and villages are also at the heart of cherished recollections. This exhibit highlights 30 survivors and the objects of significance they held on to, join us for a personal look at their lives. Contact Michelle Edgar, Program Specialist, at michelle.edgar@raritanval.edu to schedule a visit.
The Role of a Museum Curator—Marie-Blanche Fourcade Shares an Insider View from the Montreal Holocaust Museum Friday, January 13th, 10 - 11 am (Online) Have you ever wondered what museum curators do in their role at a museum? What questions must a museum curator consider as they create an exhibition? What is the life of an object that is added to a museum collection? We will get answers to these questions and hear more about the importance of museums in our world today. Join us as we speak with Marie-Blanche Fourcade, head of collections and exhibitions for The Montreal Holocaust Museum, and our partner for the Witness to History, Keepers of Memory exhibition on display at Raritan Valley Community College. Registration link: https://raritanval-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_E1tESXQVRjeF2dKXwaWJQw
Educator Workshop: Teaching Difficult Subjects Creatively Through Art Wednesday, January 18th, 4 - 5:30 pm (In-person) The workshop is designed to teach middle and high school students about the Holocaust using imagery and text to evoke a personal response to the lessons of the Holocaust. Evelyn Rauch will instruct the teachers step by step on how to teach this workshop to their own students. Teachers will each create artwork and participate in a discussion about its meaning. Materials will be provided. This professional development program is free and recommended for Middle and High School Teachers, Grades 7-12.
To register, email michelle.edgar@raritanval.edu
This workshop is part of the outreach program of the Holocaust Memorial and Education Center at the Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center in Bridgewater.
Join Us Online for the Opening of a NEW Exhibition, Witness to History, Keepers of Memory. Friday, January 20th, 10 - 11 am (Online) We are pleased to present Witness to History, Keepers of Memory, currently on display at Raritan Valley Community College. During this virtual event, we are honored to hear from Eva Kuper, a Canadian Holocaust survivor featured in the exhibition. Eva will share her story and discuss her part in the exhibition. We will also hear from Marie-Blanche Fourcade, head of collections and exhibitions for The Montreal Holocaust Museum. To join us for this virtual event, register here: https://raritanval-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Wn4ro_5oRWubDHBPeWDKVg
Holocaust Remembrance in the Digital-Age with Tova Friedman, Holocaust Survivor, her Daughter, Taya, and Her Grandson, Aron
Thursday, January 26th, 7 - 8 pm (In-person) at the Shimon & Sara Birnbaum JCC Join us for this special in-person event as we hear from Aron Goodman, about the Tova-Tok that he created on Tik Tok in order to share his grandmother’s story of survival in Auschwitz. We will hear from three generations about remembrance and the ways we can reach more people. This event is free, in-person, and open to the public. Registration is required: online at ssbjcc.org, at the JCC welcome Center, or call 908.443.9018.
Learning Through Experience with Nadja Halilbegovich, Her Compelling Journey Through the Bosnian Genocide & Its Tragic Parallels to Ukraine
Friday, February 10th, 10 am - 11 am (Online) We are pleased to present our Online Learning Through Experience Program with Nadja Halilbegovich. Nadja was twelve years old when war broke out in Bosnia, her native country. Throughout the next three and a half years, she and all the citizens of the capital Sarajevo suffered from continuous shelling and the deprivation of basic needs. During the war, Nadja began sharing her poetry and diary entries on National Radio. At fourteen, Nadja’s diary was published in Bosnia. She became known as the “Bosnian Anne Frank” and has spoken widely about her experiences. Please join us to hear Nadja talk about her journey and the parallels to Ukraine today. To register: https://raritanval-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T0cLBUlPTgOkaRTI-lkqGw
Refugee High: Coming of Age in America:
Book Discussion with author Elly Fishman! Friday, February 17th, 10 am - 11 am (Online) We are thrilled to have Ms. Fishman join us to discuss her book Refugee High: Coming of Age in America. For a century, Chicago’s Roger C. Sullivan High School has been home to immigrant and refugee students. In 2017 these young students came from thirty-five different countries, speaking among themselves more than thirty-eight different languages. For these refugee teens, life in Chicago is hardly easy. They have experienced the world at its worst and carry the trauma of the horrific violence they fled. In America, they face poverty, racism, and xenophobia, but they are still teenagers—flirting, dreaming, and working as they navigate their new life in America. Equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring. To register for our book discussion, email michelle.edgar@raritanval.edu
Once We Were Home: Online Book Launch with author, Jennifer Rosner! Friday, March 24th, at 10 am (Online) Please join us as we are thrilled to have the author of The Yellow Bird Sings, Jennifer Rosner, returning as we discuss her NEW book, Once We Were Home. Once We Were Home is hitting bookstores’ shelves on March 14th, and we are fortunate to have Jennifer discuss her new book with us! This story reveals a little-known history. Based on the true accounts of children stolen during wartime, this heart-wrenching novel raises questions of complicity and responsibility, belonging and identity, good intentions, and unforeseen consequences as it confronts what it really means to find home. To register: https://raritanval-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_K-FzsJXNRvKd4vNzrHmvYg Genocide Has No Boundaries: Today’s Crises in Ukraine, Syria, China, & Ethiopia Friday, April 14th, 21st, 28th, and May 5th, from 10 am - 11 am, (Online) Join us for a timely and informative Online series addressing current-day genocides during Genocide Awareness Month. Dr. Ellen Kennedy, Executive Director of World Without Genocide, is facilitating this program. This series will focus on current-day genocides taking place. We will address the differences between war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocides. Students and community members will learn about the geography and events that unfolded to lead to the situations being confronted today. Europe, the Middle East, Asia & Africa, genocide has no boundaries. To register: https://raritanval-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yF9T7hP2SLq5xCJbJhnxhg If you have any questions about the Winter/Spring programs: Email Program Specialist Michelle Edgar at michelle.edgar@raritanval.edu. These programs are free, run on Eastern Standard Time, and require registration. Further details can be found on our website https://www.raritanval.edu/community-resources/holocaust-institute These programs are being co-sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon, & Warren Counties, The New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education, and the JCC Holocaust Memorial and Education Center. | 
