The opportunity to hear the first-person account of a Holocaust survivor is often a once in a lifetime experience. On December 3, 2015, Holocaust survivor George Rishfeld, who was saved by a Christian family, will share his story at the University of North Georgia (Gainesville campus).

This event is free and open to the public. 

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George Rishfeld, originally named Jureck, was born on April 26, 1939, in Warsaw, Poland. After the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939, life for the Rishfeld family changed dramatically. With the defeat of Polish forces, German authorities began enforcing their racial policies in the occupied territories. They required Jews to identify themselves by wearing white armbands with a blue Star of David and conscripted them for forced-labor. They expelled hundreds of thousands of Poles from their homes and settled more than 500,000 ethnic Germans in their place.

The ability to bring speakers to audiences in Georgia is an important aspect of the Commission’s support of Holocaust education. By replacing the statistics with personal stories, the survivors and victims are given a voice and it also ensures that the Holocaust is never forgotten. For more information about Holocaust speakers, please click here.

This program is part of the "Teaching About the Holocaust: Lessons for Today" educator workshop series. The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, in cooperation with the University of North Georgia College of Education, presents a free two-day professional development workshop for educators.

In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this educator training program. Through recovering the assets of the victims of the Holocaust, the Claims Conference enables organizations around the world to provide education about the Shoah and to preserve the memory of those who perished. This workshop has also been made possible with support from  The Marcus Foundation, Inc.