We are grateful that all the hostages held in the Colleyville, Texas synagogue were released unharmed, with appreciation to first responders. The event, following the deadly attacks on the synagogues in Pittsburgh, 2018, and Poway, CA, 2019 is a painful reminder of the fact that Jewish institutions in America are at risk for terrorist attacks. [...continue]

            Renowned Historian Sees Lessons from Holocaust as important in era of rising Authoritarianism Holocaust education can provide an important test of democracy, said the renowned historian, Timothy Snyder. “Democracy is about self-correction. It’s about reflection, and Holocaust history is an opportunity to reflect, and to correct,” he said, speaking [...continue]

By John Battiston Last week, Loudoun County Public Schools partnered with The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Education (TOLI) to conduct a seminar exploring the Holocaust and Virginia’s history of racial injustice. Seventeen educators from Virginia and Maryland participated in the weeklong program, which was organized by Nicole Korsen and Jennifer Rodgers, teachers at Sterling’s [...continue]

The recent fighting between Israel and Hamas has been accompanied by a shocking surge of anti-Semitism in the US and abroad. Jews have been physically attacked in streets and public places across the US and in Europe.  A wave of anti-Jewish hate has proliferated in social media. We deplore these attacks and urge civic and religious [...continue]

We welcome the passage of the anti-Asian hate crimes legislation by the House yesterday. It is a strong bipartisan demonstration that Congress and the American people stand united against the proliferation of attacks against Asian Americans, much of it resulting from vile conspiracy theories during the pandemic. The bill, which follows a similar measure that [...continue]

Is it possible that a Holocaust memoir could be written too early? That was a question hovering  over a panel on April 6, commemorating Olga Lengyel, author of the 1946 memoir Five Chimneys: A Woman Survivor’s True Story of Auschwitz. The book, one of the first published accounts of Auschwitz, did not receive much recognition [...continue]