Supporting Holocaust survivors is a core part of our mission at the Jewish Federations of North America. They are our guides and teachers, and they inspire our work.
 

Our nationally recognized Center on Aging, Trauma, and Holocaust Survivor Care (Center) funds and trains organizations across the US in providing person-centered, trauma-informed (PCTI) care.
 

The incredible success of our PCTI work with Holocaust survivors has allowed us to use the same approach to better serve all older adults with a history of trauma.

Today is Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this day, we remember the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. With approximately 220,000 Holocaust survivors alive today, this is also a day to lift up the stories of Holocaust survivors, to celebrate their legacies, and the many ways in which they have contributed to our communities.

Here are three such stories:
 

At 91, Hillel Himmel was a Holocaust Survivor who had never spoken about his Holocaust experience. He had survived multiple Nazi camps and had written about his last 48 hours before liberation but had never spoken publicly about it – until he was asked to participate in a program by the MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care worked with the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

 

With funding from the Center, the groups created a program to enhance healthcare professionals' understanding of the unique needs of Holocaust survivors at the end of life. It includes tours of exhibits about the Holocaust, as well as presentations by Holocaust survivors about their experiences.
 

After sharing his story, Hillel agreed that he would share his story more regularly to help educate healthcare professionals who care for Holocaust survivors. He also offered to contribute his insights to a newly established creative arts program.

 

Mr. B suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, but with help from an advocate at the Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland, he was able to start getting comprehensive services. As a result, Mr. B was able to stay engaged, involved and connected to his community.
 

Because of these connections,Mr. B began to work closely with medical and nursing students from Case Western Reserve University, sharing his personal stories, showing them his artwork, and encouraging them to ask questions about his life. It became a unique opportunity for the students to engage in meaningful dialogue and learn how to apply their skills outside of the classroom.

 

A grant from the Center has allowed JFCS Southern Arizona to provide direct services to Holocaust survivors. This includes a PCTI-supported space for them to reflect on their lives and contemplate the legacy they will leave by creating an individual Legacy Project.
 

These year-long projects culminate in bound books that reflect what each Holocaust survivor wants their family to know about them, specifically in terms of what they created after the Shoah.
 

Mr. Becker was a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor in a senior living facility in Tucson, AZ.Through the Legacy Project, he revealed that he had been a sculptor for much of his life. He was excited to think that anyone would be interested in his work and sculpted a very personal piece. It was powerful for Mr. Becker to share his gift of art.
 

He was also overjoyed that anyone would be interested, and that he could share the stories connected to this hobby with his community. It was empowering that he be known for his art and doing so allowed him to become more than his story of survival.

 

Since 2015, the Center has worked to help Holocaust survivors and all older adults with a history of trauma receive the care they need to thrive.

 

The Center was created to administer the Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program (HSAP) as the national resource hub for advancing PCTI care. It distributes grants to local organizations, provides training and technical assistance, and leads research to improve services for Holocaust survivors and other older adults with a history of trauma.
 

HSAP was established through a partnership between Jewish Federations and the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living (ACL) to better address the unique needs of the country’s aging Holocaust survivor population.