The World Jewish Congress (WJC) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), established aboutholocaust.org with the goal of providing young people with essential information about the history of the Holocaust and its legacy.
This online tool includes easy to read facts about the Holocaust and survivor testimonies, reviewed by leading academics and experts in the field of Holocaust studies--including those from The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme--designed to address gaps in knowledge and to counter the misinformation that circulates across social media and other internet forums.
WJC President Ronald S. Lauder explains:
“The WJC has partnered with UNESCO in this critical Holocaust education project to pass the baton on to the young people of today, the future leaders of tomorrow. It is our duty to ensure that the six million Jews killed just for being Jewish will be remembered by all, and that the circumstances of their deaths will constantly remind us what can happen when we let hatred prevail.
It is saddening and disconcerting that 75 years after the end of World War II, roughly 50 percent of the world does not even know that the Holocaust occurred, or that Jews were targeted for genocide in Europe. We have seen a frightening rise in antisemitism and xenophobia in recent years, a reality that should sound alarm bells regarding the horrific potential consequences of such sentiments and actions.
We must never forget our past if we wish to create a better future. We are grateful and pleased to have UNESCO as our partner as we lead together on this important task.”
We must also acknowledge the contributions made by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, which served as an invaluable resource in the creation of this site, and whose archives are the source for much of visual content the contained within this website, as well as Dr. Jaime Ashworth who was instrumental in the development and drafting of much of the factual content contained within the site.