About Us
"If anything can, it is memory that will save humanity."
-Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize Lecture, 1986
A Short History
Connecticut Remembers the Holocaust is joint initiative of Voices of Hope and the University of Connecticut. This virtual exhibit and educational space is based on Hartford Remembers the Holocaust, created and formerly housed in the Museum of Jewish Civilization at the University of Hartford.
The original exhibit incorporated the survivor testimony found on this site, as well as biographies, photos, and archival documentation to support the historical narrative of the Holocaust.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, access to the Museum of Jewish Civilization was no longer possible.
Voices of Hope and the Maurice Greenberg Center of Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford collaborated to produce an initial virtual exhibit that would continue to provide students and educators with survivor testimony and additional activities for classroom or at-home use. Voices of Hope’s educational arm, The HERO Center, worked with master teachers to update existing lesson plans, assist in the transfer of content with designers, and explore opportunities for expansion.
Also in 2020, the University of Connecticut joined this collaboration and has led the effort in redesigning this ever-expanding virtual exhibit. With this partnership, great strides are being made to include survivor testimonies of various genocides as well as offer educators a space to share their reflections, ideas, and to collaborate on implementing this exhibit into their classrooms.
The goals of the original exhibit remain constant in its virtual form: to highlight the experience of survivors who made Connecticut their home in the aftermath of the war, and to encourage visitors to reflect on how we remember history and why. Furthermore, the exhibit is meant to teach visitors about the importance of preserving the past to build a better future, as well as consider our individual role in building a world dedicated to mutual understanding and respect.
Support of the Original and Current Exhibition
We are grateful to many individuals and groups who have helped us advance this important resource for students and educators. Above all, we extend our gratitude to Dr. Avinoam Patt, the Hartford Remembers the Holocaust exhibit curator and esteemed colleague who has supported the various iterations of this project. Without his expertise, as well as the assistance and support of the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies, this project would not be possible. We also acknowledge the following individuals who assisted in the creation of the original exhibit: Dreanna Hadash (design), Steve Shaw and Nild Sansone (videography and planning), and Susan Fishman and Whitey Jenkins (additional assistance in exhibit planning).
Our thanks also goes to those involved in the initial version of this virtual exhibit:
Elizabeth Devine and Tracey Wilson (curriculum design), Denise deMello (website design), and the following individuals and groups who furthered supported this effort; The Louis Joseloff Foundation Fund, JT Connect, Jewish Community Foundation, Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, Debbie and Steven Kleinman, and the Peter and Lisa Fishman Family Fund.
herocenter@ctvoicesofhope.org | 20 Waterside Drive, Suite 100, Farmington, CT 06032 | 860.470.5591