I would like to show that people who survived the Holocaust live among us

Elie Wiesel dissemination projects in Hungary

Five Hungarian students together with their Romanian and Moldovan peers, have been participating in the Elie Wiesel Study Tour: Explore the Past. Shape the Future! project since August 2020. During the first phase of the project, all students participated in an online course led by professor Alexis Herr, an expert on Holocaust studies from San Francisco Univeristy. Inspired by the new knowledge acquired and several guest speakers, Hungarian students started working with their Project Coordinator, Sara Szilagyi to design their own dissemination projects and implement them between October 2020 and January 2021. Here is a summary of what they have accomplished and how they reflected on the work in their communities:

Eszter, International Studies student organized and held an interactive Holocaust awarness-raising class on October 8 at the Újpest Roma Self Government's afternoon school for 12-15 year old pupils.

"My purpose was to open their eyes, to tell them about the Holocaust because I think they are the most receptive age group who can make change - good ones - in the world. Some of them were shocked, but interested at the same time, some knew almost everything about it. A boy even told me these kind of conversations should be held more in the future. Everybody agreed."

On November 1, 2020 Andor, Liberal Arts student organized and led two walking tours in the Jewish cemetery of Lovasberény, a village in Fejér county, for about 60 interested participants of all ages.

"Going through the tombs we were able to see how the community thrived and flourished up until 1840 when Jewish residents started to leave Lovasberény to move into bigger cities. By the dawn of the Second World War the number of the Jewish people declined to a couple of dozens, all of whom were later transported to Auschwitz. After the Soah no one came back to Lovasberény, ending the history of the village's Jewish community. The most rewarding part of the project for me was that some participants were local Christians who were interested in their village's Jewish history. They have never heard anything about the Jewish culture or history, probably never even met a Jewish person before. They thanked me for bringing them closer to something they have never known before.”

On November 15, 2020 Lili, Psychology student  held a virtual walk in Budapest for 22 people to show the Holocaust through personal life stories.

"I would like to show that people who survived the Holocaust live among us, and the places where it happened are not distant, they are right in front of us. We walk the streets that once were in the ghetto. We live in buildings that were marked with stars. We should honor this memory and try to keep it alive for generations to come."

Dorina, Jewish Studies student held an online history lesson and a discussion with a Holocaust survivor for a group of 20 high school students on December 9, 2020.

"Through my lesson on the Holocaust and the outstanding role of Raoul Wallenberg's work in saving Jews, students understood the importance and tragic of this historic period. They brought up many interesting topics and questions in the discussion with a Holocaust survivor, a Hungarian living in Sweden who was saved by Wallenberg. The students really appreciated that a real Holocaust survivor told them her story."

Kristóf, History and English Studies student organized a self-paced tour along the memories of the Holocaust in Szeged. The tour is available for anyone in a PDF format from AC Hungary's website and can be accomplished alone or with a friend. The first 11 people who submitted their answers to Kristóf's questionnaire and sent supporting photos received a book. The gift was a recent novel, entitled Dunapest, related to the Hungarian Holocaust by Miklós Vámos. There was quite an interest in the walk and Kristóf received a lot of positive feedback. The Univeristy of Szeged, his alma mater, made an interview with Kristóf and featured him on their website and social media. He was also invited for a live interview to Karc FM radio’s program entitled Spajz.

"The project I created is a self-walking study tour. The purpose of the tour is to familiarize oneself with the places of the Holocaust in Szeged. The reason behind the creation is that this part of the city’s history is not well known. Of course, the Holocaust is a black mark on the pages of History books, but it is important that we remember. "

Participants are looking forward to the continuation of the project, which will include regular onine activities, exploration of in-country sites related to Holocaust and contemporary Jewish life, as well as a Study Tour later in the year to Krakow and Auschwitz.

We are thankful for the funding received from the United States Government and the continuous support from the US Embassy in Budapest.