YIVO's Jonathan Brent Speaks at International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's Working Group Panel

(New York, NY) – On June 12, 2023, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research Executive Director and CEO Jonathan Brent participated in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) first plenary of the year which was held in Dubrovnik. Brent spoke at the Museums and Memorials Working Group panel: Distortion risk in the post survivor’s era.

“I am delighted that YIVO was able to share its history and the great resources of its archive—seven million primary source documents pertaining to the Shoah—with the members of IHRA. These materials tell us that it is not enough to remember, to educate, and to study. Governments, leaders, institutions, and ordinary people must act day in and day out to ensure that the conditions which led to such a horrific catastrophe for all humankind can never again arise,” said Jonathan.

“I think this is a wonderful opportunity to bring YIVO’s mass holdings to the attention of the international Holocaust community at a time when Holocaust distortion is growing. The amount of documentation YIVO holds is a vital resource that will help IHRA delegates and institutions meet this increasing challenge. YIVO is one of the most important archives covering Holocaust and pre-Holocaust material on the Jewish communities in Eastern Europe,” said Mark Weitzman long-time member of the US delegation to IHRA.

The IHRA unites governments and experts and was established to uphold the commitments to the 2000 Stockholm Declaration which commits its members to strengthening efforts toward education, remembrance, and research of the Holocaust.

“YIVO has played a deeply meaningful role in my intellectual and spiritual life for as many decades as I can remember being alive,” said Braun. “I’m honored to assume this new role with an institution that means so much to me.”

The IHRA has thirty-five member countries and ten observer countries. Each country has a delegation of government officials, leading educators, academics, and representatives of museums and memorials. Up to twice a year, delegates meet for plenary meetings where decisions and recommendations are adopted by IHRA for the purpose of furthering Holocaust education, research, and remembrance.

Croatia holds the Presidency of the IHRA from March 1, 2023–February 29, 2024, with Sweden holding the Presidency in 2022. Ambassador Terezija Gras and Sara Lustig are the current IHRA Co-Chairs. Ambassador Gras has served as State Secretary for European Affairs, International Relations, and EU Funds at the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia. Sara Lustig is the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia for Holocaust Issues, Combating Antisemitism, and Relations with Jewish Organizations and Communities.

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YIVO

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is dedicated to the preservation and study of the history and culture of East European Jewry worldwide. For nearly a century, YIVO has pioneered new forms of Jewish scholarship, research, education, and cultural expression. Our public programs and exhibitions, as well as online and on-site courses, extend our outreach to a global community. The YIVO Archives contains 24 million unique items and YIVO’s Library has over 400,000 volumes—the single largest resource for the study of East European Jewish life in the world. yivo.org / yivo.org/the-whole-story