Past Conferences
Dr Irit Felsen speaks at the 2024 World Federation of Jewish Holocaust Survivors & Descendants Conference
Dr. Irit Felsen joined the WFHS&D 2024 Conference in Toronto, CA to present a plenary talk on How has the Israel/Gaza War been impacting the various generations of the Shoah?
Dr. Irit Felsen joined the WFHS&D 2024 Conference in Toronto, CA to present a plenary talk on How has the Israel/Gaza War been impacting the various generations of the Shoah?
The 2024 Conference was a Great Success!
300 Holocaust Survivors and Descendants gathered in Markham, Canada for 3 days of community, making connections, learning from each other, talking, and dancing!
300 Holocaust Survivors and Descendants gathered in Markham, Canada for 3 days of community, making connections, learning from each other, talking, and dancing!
The 2022 WF Conference in St Louis was a great success!
After 2 long years, the community gathered together, 4 generations strong, for an in-person conference. Memories, tears, insights, joy, and dances were shared, longtime connections renewed and new made.
After 2 long years, the community gathered together, 4 generations strong, for an in-person conference. Memories, tears, insights, joy, and dances were shared, longtime connections renewed and new made. 
The Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine 7.24.2022
Jonathan Ornstein, executive director of the Jewish Community Centre of Krakow, and Rabbi Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland, speak with members of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. To watch the 80 minute video: https://vimeo.com/734445681
Jonathan Ornstein, executive director of the Jewish Community Centre of Krakow, and Rabbi Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland, speak with members of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
To watch the 80 minute video: https://vimeo.com/734445681
Helen Epstein: Drawing on the Past to Meet the Crises of the Present
Helen Epstein, author of the groundbreaking Children of the Holocaust speaks with the WF 4.10.2022. The topic is “Drawing on the past to meet the crises of our present.” She speaks about how her parents’ experiences during the Holocaust were role models for her as she faced Covid-19 and cancer and discusses how similar coping
Helen Epstein, author of the groundbreaking Children of the Holocaust speaks with the WF 4.10.2022. The topic is “Drawing on the past to meet the crises of our present.” She speaks about how her parents’ experiences during the Holocaust were role models for her as she faced Covid-19 and cancer and discusses how similar coping skills help us as we face current crises: Ukraine, censorship, rising antisemitism. After Helen’s 25 minute talk, participants broke out into small groups for discussions.
Helen Epstein, a 2g, is the author of the groundbreaking book Children of the Holocaust. She continued to delve into her mother’s life and the long lasting effects on the next generations in Where She Came From: A Daughter’s Search for Her Mother’s History and The Long Half-Lives of Love and Trauma. Her most recent book is Getting Through It: My Year of Cancer during Covid, out in May 2022. A former professor at New York University, Helen speaks internationally, and was scheduled to be a keynote speaker at the postponed 2020 World Federation conference. You can find Helen’s work at Plunkett Lake Press
To watch the 20 minute video, click here
Dr. Irit Felsen Speaks to the WF
Dr. Irit Felsen speaks on Generations of Holocaust Survivors and “How the Holocaust affects us and why our gatherings mean so much to us” The talk, 1.5 hours, followed by a discussion with participants, took place in the ether, on zoom on November 7, 2021. To watch, click here
Dr. Irit Felsen speaks on Generations of Holocaust Survivors and “How the Holocaust affects us and why our gatherings mean so much to us”
The talk, 1.5 hours, followed by a discussion with participants, took place in the ether, on zoom on November 7, 2021.
Michael Berenbaum "Making Sense of This Moment in Time"
In the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants’ first virtual event, Michael Berenbaum speaks on current events to World Federation members on January 17, 2021. This event may now be viewed online here
In the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants’ first virtual event, Michael Berenbaum speaks on current events to World Federation members on January 17, 2021.
This event may now be viewed online here
WFJCSH&D conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, 9- 12 November 2018
Again we have participated in a wonderful conference, this time at Florida’s east coast. The weather was great and we stayed in the nice Marriot West Palm Beach hotel, where we could sit and schmooze in a spacious lobby, a wonderful garden and relax and swim in the pool.
Again we have participated in a wonderful conference, this time at Florida’s east coast.
The weather was great and we stayed in the nice Marriot West Palm Beach hotel, where we could sit and schmooze in a spacious lobby, a wonderful garden and relax and swim in the pool.
The organisers had selected for us many interesting workshops and panel discussions so that sometimes it was very difficult to choose where to go.
The opening evening started with the commemoration of Kristallnacht; now 80 years ago. Melissa Hacker , President of the Kindertransport Association, referred in her speech to the connection between the pogrom of November 9, 1938 and the Kindertransport, and Max Arpels Lezer, Vice-President of the WF, spoke about Kristallnacht from a very personal point of view. Two moving speeches that brought tears to people's eyes.
After the breakfasts and after lunches we had the opportunity to listen to very interesting key-note speakers.
The speech of Dr. Robert Krell was so moving that your reporter noticed that several people had tears in their eyes.
But also the speeches of Dr. Anna Rosner, Ira Forman and Dr. Alan Berger were very interesting. We heard their opinions about anti-Semitism, where it comes from and how to fight this. How this touches our day to day life and how much we worry about it.
Dr. Berger talked about “Proximity and distance”: the third generation. For the next generations a very interesting topic.
The World Federation should be proud that almost 400 people attended this conference.
When looking at the statistics we noted that out of the nearly 400 attendees 366 persons had a USA passport, 15 persons came from Canada, 3 from Australia, 2 from Ecuador and 2 from France. 4 people came from Israel and 4 from The Netherlands, and we spoke with 1 attendee who came from Poland.
bFor years we now we have noticed a decline in Survivors coming to these conferences, that is of course for obvious reasons. However the conference does not see a decline in the total number of attendees.
That is because the 2nd and 3rd generations also take a great interest in coming to the conferences, they are interested in interaction between the survivors and themselves. There are also workshops and panels especially focussed on their issues.
We have seen 117 attendees of the 1st generation and 216 of the 2nd plus 3rd generation.
Beside the survivors and their descendants we have seen 40 spouses and 24 Kindertransport survivors and descendants.
Your reporter attended a very nice and open conference, with a wonderful and friendly atmosphere, well organised and much room for interaction between survivors and descendants.
The conference committee including theconference coordinator Susan Dubin of the WFJCSH&D deserves a big and well deserved compliment.
When writing this small report it is unknown where next years conference will be held but wherever we will meet again, hopefully the food will be better.
by: Max Arpels Lezer
2017 Conference, Jerusalem
With an attendance of 370 (including 135 survivors and spouses!) and coverage from multiple news outlets, this year’s conference can safely be called a huge success! The Israel location was especially nice for those with Israeli relatives.
Thank you, everyone, for attending our 2017 conference in the DAN Jerusalem hotel. With an attendance of many hundreds, we are proud to call this conference a great success.In total, we welcomed around 370 participants:
- 125 Survivors
- 150 Second generation
- 35 Third Generation
- 20 Kindertransport Survivors and Descendants
- 40 spouses and non specified participants
Of the 370 participants, approximately 125 of them were Israeli’s, most of them 2nd generation.Some of the highlights of the conference:
- Prof. Yehuda Bauer, who reflected on the lessons to be learned from the holocaust, as well as the topic of how the holocaust will be remembered in the 21st century: How we can educate the world around us? (Unfortunately, there is no transcript of this speech available.)
- Amb. Collette Avital gave a clear look and overview of the positive changes the State of Israel has implemented for the Survivors of the Holocaust in Israel.
- Exec. Vice president of the Claims Conference Greg Schneider informed the audience about the important role that the Claims Conference is playing in the Survivor Community worldwide.
- Rabbi Benny Lau reflected on the past and expressed his hope for the future that the Shoah will still be remembered by future generations.
- Chairman of the Knesset, Yuri Edelstein made an appearance by video in order to greet everyone.
- The visit to the Knesset, which occurred during the last afternoon, was a worthwhile part of this conference for many of our participants.
- For others, the pinnacle of the event was to finally have the opportunity to celebrate his/her Bar/Batmitsva at the KOTEL. (This part of the event was covered in detail by the Cleveland Jewish News.)
The closing of the conference began with an international 2G panel discussion about how to promote Holocaust Education and Remembrance in our homelands. After which, one of the 2G participants sang the Ghetto Fighters Song.
“This conference has become sort of a family reunion, a bond of friendship and community for people of like and common bonds,” said survivor Fred Ferber of Orchard Lake.
“The conference location in Israel was important, and we agreed with our dad that it was a good idea for my brother and me to become more involved with this organization,” said Jeff Kahan. The family owns a Troy-based company.
“This conference was extra special, being that it was held in Israel,” said Sandra Silver of Southfield. She’s attended five conferences. “I was able to visit family members, some of whom I haven’t seen in 20 years.” The daughter of survivors, Silver belongs to the second generation — referred to as 2Gs. They were 154 strong at the conference, while 3Gs numbered 36. Silver is active with CHAIM, a Metro Detroit-based second-generation organization. Founding President Dr. Charles Silow of Huntington Woods, a psychologist, also directs Jewish Senior Life’s Program for Holocaust Survivors and Families in West Bloomfield. At the conference, Silow led a panel of 2Gs from Israel, Mexico, Sweden and Croatia, and another session on the effects of aging on survivors.
Excerpts copied, with permission, from "Survivors Gathering" by Esther Allweiss Ingber, a 2G and a reporter from Detroit who attended the conference. Click here to see the original article from The Detroit Jewish News. A more detailed write-up from Clevland Jewish News about the Bnai Mitzvah at the Kotel can be found here. Photographer Melissa Taub took many pictures at the Jerusalem Conference, her email is mtaub6@gmail.com.
2015 Conference, Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas 2015 Conference a Great Success! World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants and Generations of the Shoah International (GSI), with Houston Holocaust Museum – 2015 Joint Conference Houston Texas, USA, October 9-12, 2015. The feedback has been very positive. Speakers, workshops, panels, entertainment, all excellent. Were you there?
Houston, Texas 2015 Conference a Great Success!
World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants and Generations of the Shoah International (GSI), with Houston Holocaust Museum – 2015 Joint Conference
Houston Texas, USA, October 9-12, 2015.
The feedback has been very positive. Speakers, workshops, panels, entertainment, all excellent. Were you there? If yes, send us your opinion of the conference, send us your photos. We need them for our Mishpocha! Newsletter. Thank you!
2014 Conference, Berlin
Following are links to important articles that, because of space limitations, could not be included in our latest newsletter Mishpocha! The articles deal with topics discussed at our Berlin 2014 Conference or are personal descriptions of the conference. ****** A critique of Holocaust education in Germany, by Anna Rosmus. In this article Ms. Rosmus tells the…
Following are links to important articles that, because of space limitations, could not be included in our latest newsletter Mishpocha! The articles deal with topics discussed at our Berlin 2014 Conference or are personal descriptions of the conference.
******
A critique of Holocaust education in Germany, by Anna Rosmus. In this article Ms. Rosmus tells the story of Flora Altbair, Holocaust survivor but one of many “countless missing links” who might have been lost to history. Click on Flora Anna Rosmus
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Report from Berlin Conference by Kindertransport 2G, Anita Grosz. Click on Anita Grosz
*****
The day following our Berlin 2014 Conference, the World Federation organized an important meeting with the Claims Conference and German officials. The goal was reparations for our “Lost Childhoods”. Following the meeting, a German newspaper “Die Welt” published the following article, here translated by the Berlin Child Survivors Group. Click on They Survived the Holocaust
****
Correction: below incorrectly attributes the Child Survivor panel articles Dr. Krell submitted – to the Claims Conference Symposium.
Below is a copy of Dr. Krell’s speech given at the Claims Conference Symposium, August 27th, 2014.
Symposium_ Berlin_Dr_Robert_Krell_August_27_2014
Below is Dr. Robert Krell evaluation of World Federation presentations, not Claims Conference, during the Berlin Conference 2014. Apologies for the erroneous title:
Claims Conference PresentationsMishpocha submission February 2015 – Berlin – Robert Krell
2014 Berlin Conference News
Berlin Conference 2014 Huge Success. Over 375 attend, Child Survivors, 2G, 3G, entire families, from 16 countries. Below is link to article by Dr. Charles Silow, 2G from Detroit on the 2014 Berlin Conference http://chaim2g.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/DetroitJewishNews-3.pdf Charley’s article appeared in the Detroit Jewish News. Charley has also written about his visit to the Lodz Commemoration, after…
Berlin Conference 2014 Huge Success.
Over 375 attend, Child Survivors, 2G, 3G, entire families, from 16 countries.
Below is link to article by Dr. Charles Silow, 2G from Detroit
on the 2014 Berlin Conference
http://chaim2g.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/DetroitJewishNews-3.pdf
Charley’s article appeared in the Detroit Jewish News. Charley has also written about his visit to the Lodz Commemoration, after our Berlin Conference. Thank you Charley.
* * * * * * *
Below is our own brief evaluation of Berlin 2014.
The Berlin 2014 conference has been a great success. We had great speakers, on timely subjects, our usual important workshops, for Child Survivor, for 2G and 3G, lead by dedicated professionals, and important panels discussing issues of the day.
The hotel was beautiful, staff extremely helpful, attentive, and good food.
We are in process of getting speeches from the conference and photos as well. So please stay tuned.
Special thanks to our team in Berlin, who did so much with so few.
Our next conference is Houston, Texas, in 2015. Details to come.
We welcome all articles, photos, comments….please send us your views of the Berlin conference, and photos….
2014 Conference, Berlin, Photos
We cry during the day and dance at night – photos by Melissa Traub, Charles Silow, Uri Ophir, Rene Lichtman, Mel Boas.
We cry during the day and dance at night – photos by Melissa Traub, Charles Silow, Uri Ophir, Rene Lichtman, Mel Boas.
2014 Conference Berlin, World Federation Newsletter Reports
Dear Friends, The September edition of the WFNU includes information about the successful Berlin conference. We also announce the 2015 host city will be Houston TX. There is update information about the Claims Conference, and a Resolution by the Wold Federation on Anti-Semitism, intended for media distribution. Click here to read: WFNU Sept 2014
Dear Friends,
The September edition of the WFNU includes information about the successful Berlin conference. We also announce the 2015 host city will be Houston TX. There is update information about the Claims Conference, and a Resolution by the Wold Federation on Anti-Semitism, intended for media distribution.
Click here to read: WFNU Sept 2014
2014 Conference, Berlin, Closing Ceremony
Once again we must say goodbye… until next time… HOUSTON, TEXAS, 2015 We miss our dear friend “the fat lady” as she called herself, who always closed our conferences, dear Sofia Shulman, from Poland/New York.
Once again we must say goodbye… until next time… HOUSTON, TEXAS, 2015
We miss our dear friend “the fat lady” as she called herself, who always closed our conferences, dear Sofia Shulman, from Poland/New York.
2013 Las Vegas, Nevada, Kristallnacht Service
The entire Las Vegas community was invited to attend our joint Kristallnacht program, co-hosted by ourselves and the local Jewish Federation. Candles were lit in a moving ceremony and Dr. Berenbaum spoke.
The entire Las Vegas community was invited to attend our joint Kristallnacht program, co-hosted by ourselves and the local Jewish Federation.
Candles were lit in a moving ceremony and Dr. Berenbaum spoke.
2013 Las Vegas, Nevada, Speakers
Many excellent speakers presented at our plenaries and on panels.
Many excellent speakers presented at our plenaries and on panels.
2013 Las Vegas, Second and Third Generations
Generations of the Shoah International worked hard to bring out 2G’s and 3G’s.
Generations of the Shoah International worked hard to bring out 2G’s and 3G’s.
2013 Las Vegas, Schmoozing
There were many very animated discussions… “two Jews, three opinions…” so when you have over 400 Jews, by the end of our conference we have many opinions.
There were many very animated discussions… “two Jews, three opinions…” so when you have over 400 Jews, by the end of our conference we have many opinions.
