Holocaust Witnessed
Bearing Witness. Honoring Memory. Educating Generations.
Welcome
“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.” — Elie Wiesel
Holocaust Witnessed is a digital archive and educational portal dedicated to preserving the memory of the six million Jews and millions of other victims who perished during the Holocaust. Through carefully curated artifacts, survivor testimonies, historic documents, and scholarly resources, we seek to illuminate the horrors of genocide, the resilience of those who survived, and the imperative of remembrance.
This site exists not only as a memorial to the past but as a call to conscience for the future.
Explore the Exhibit
🕍 The Weight of Words: Discover our featured digital exhibit showcasing original Holocaust-era documents, propaganda, identification papers, and personal narratives. Witness how the bureaucracy of hate unfolded through ink, paper, and silence.
Words have power. In the Holocaust, words were used to legislate hatred, to incite violence, to justify silence, and to record complicity. They also voiced courage, defiance, and even hope. This exhibit presents original documents – letters from Himmler and Einstein, pieces of propaganda, first editions of Anne Frank’s diary, and even a menu – that tell a story not only of how the Jewish people of Europe were marginalized and murdered but also of resistance, resilience, and memory.
Each document in this exhibit serves as a silent witness to the lives affected, the voices silenced, and the humanity both lost and preserved. From a guest book signed by members of a Nazi battalion notorious for carrying out “the Holocaust by bullets” to coerced letters by prisoners in Auschwitz, these artifacts confront us with a painful truth: genocide is not only carried out with weapons, but also with ink, stamps, and signatures. The Weight of Words invites us to reflect on the moral choices made by individuals, institutions, and nations. It challenges us to consider our responsibility in the face of injustice, antisemitism, and all forms of hatred – and to recognize the enduring impact of every word written, spoken, or left unsaid.
This exhibit, which draws on documents in the Yavneh Klos Collection, was curated by students in two seminars (“Women and Holocaust Memory”), taught by Professor Yavneh Klos at Loyola University New Orleans in Spring 2025. Each student selected one document to explore in depth, researching its context and its implications for our understanding of the weight of words.
Naomi Yavneh Klos, Ph.D.
Rev. Emmett M. Bienvenu, SJ Distinguished Chair of Humanities
Professor, Languages and Cultures, Loyola University New Orleans
Curators: Evs Alexander ’26 - Jonah Bassinger ’25 - Virginia Clark ’27 - Jarriel Dahon ’27 -Taylor Falgout ‘25 - Krystal Fernandes ’28 Aidan Lebouef ’26 - Maria Eduarda Leite ’28 - Emma Lucas ’26 -Victoria Marino ’27 - Gabriella Pavon ’28 -- Sam Perkins ’28 - Rachel Tusia ’28 - Kai Wittke ’26 John Zwiers ’28 - August Bay ’26 - William Bertles ’27 - Chelsea Bishop ’28 - Caitlin Coffman ’27 - Kaleb Garb ’27 - David Israel ’25 Roland Mollere ’28 - Ashley Parr ’27 -Marcela Pereira ’27 - Sydney Piglia ’26 - Stephanie Ruiz ’26 -Ashley Scher ’27 - Mariana Solano Davila ’27
📜 Featured Artifact
🗂️ Document Archive
A searchable repository of scanned primary sources: deportation lists, Nazi decrees, camp postcards, and personal letters.
The Weight of Words
The Holocaust Witnessed Through Historic Documents
A searchable repository of scanned primary sources: deportation lists, Nazi decrees, camp postcards, and personal letters.
The Holocaust Witnessed Through Historic Documents
Franklin D. Roosevelt - Art Harry S. Truman - Neutrality Act Irving Berlin - God Bless America
🎙️ Voices of SurvivalListen to firsthand testimonies from Holocaust survivors, rescuers, and liberators. Their words endure as a living record of truth.
Educational Resources
📚 For Educators
Lesson plans, classroom guides, and age-appropriate content for teaching Holocaust history with sensitivity and depth.
🗂️ Document Archive
A searchable repository of scanned primary sources: deportation lists, Nazi decrees, camp postcards, and personal letters.
📖 Recommended Readings
Curated selections from survivors, historians, and ethicists, including Night, Survival in Auschwitz, and Het Achterhuis (Anne Frank’s diary).
Why It Matters
At a time when antisemitism and Holocaust denial persist, Holocaust Witnessed reaffirms the commitment to historical truth and human dignity. Our mission is to empower individuals, especially students, to recognize the warning signs of hate and to speak out against injustice—wherever it appears.
Visit. Learn. Remember. Never Forget.
📍 Partner Institutions: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum | Yad Vashem | USC Shoah Foundation
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