Meet Yara Lugo, our 2026 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow of the Week. When asked why she applied for the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, Yara said, "As survivors of the Holocaust are passing away, we are left without those who were there to witness it first-hand. ABMF's Fellowship is an incredible opportunity for American educators, who are so geographically removed from the sites of the Holocaust, to learn about teaching the Holocaust where it occurred and become a witness so they may share their experience with students." Yara learned about the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship thanks to ABMF's partnership with @FLHolocaustMus. #Auschwitz #TeachingHistory #Educators #HolocaustEducation #Holocaust

Two sisters. One resistance network. Two very different fates. In 1941, sisters Marie and Simone Alizon, aged 20 and 16, were living in Rennes, France, where their family operated a small hotel near the railway station. The hotel became a refuge for members of the French Resistance's Johnny network. Marie helped shelter its members, while her younger sister Simone, affectionately known as Poupette, served as a courier. In March 1942, both sisters were arrested by the Gestapo. Imprisoned separately, they were reunited months later at the Romainville internment camp. On January 24, 1943, Marie and Simone were deported to #Auschwitz alongside 228 other women in what became known as the “31,000 convoy,” named for the prisoner numbers assigned to them upon arrival. By early August, only 57 of the 230 women remained alive. Marie was not among them. She died of typhus at Auschwitz-Birkenau on June 3, 1943. Simone survived Auschwitz and subsequent imprisonment in other Nazi camps. Liberated on May 3, 1945, she returned to France, where she eventually found refuge in poetry and writing. In 1966, she was awarded the Légion d'honneur for her service to the Resistance. She died in 2013, having carried the memory of Auschwitz for nearly seven decades. Two sisters who resisted Nazi occupation. Two lives forever marked by Auschwitz. Only one returned home. We remember Marie and Simone Alizon.

Meet Kelli Parramore, our 2026 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow of the Week. When asked why she applied for the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, Kelli said, “The opportunity to hear survivor stories on-site, see actual artifacts, and stand in the same spaces where these horrific events destroyed innocent people makes it personal. A fellowship such as this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that most educators can only dream about or access through pictures or videos online. By developing an emotional and physical connection through this fellowship, I will become a more effective storyteller/educator, enhancing the classroom dynamic when teaching sensitive topics, such as the Holocaust, to teenagers.” Kelli learned of the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship through ABMF's partnership with the Alabama Holocaust Education Center. #Auschwitz #TeachingHistory #Educators #HolocaustEducation #Holocaust

October 8, 1931 | Elisabeth Citrom was born in Târgu Mureș, Romania. Today, we celebrate her 95th birthday.❤️ Elisabeth grew up in a traditional Jewish home with her parents, Leopold and Malvina, and her brother, Isador. Her beloved grandmother, Bluma, was an especially important presence in her childhood. By 1940, antisemitism had transformed the family's life. Her father was forbidden from practicing law, their home was seized, and Elisabeth experienced discrimination even in her classroom. In May 1944, Elisabeth and her family were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. She never saw her mother or grandmother again. Elisabeth survived Auschwitz, where she was held in the children's barracks, and later the Hamburg-Altona and Lenzing labor camps. She was liberated on May 9, 1945. Her father and brother also survived, but it would take five years for the family to find one another again. After the war, Elisabeth built a new life in Israel. She served in the army, helped establish a kibbutz, became a nurse, and married George, a fellow Holocaust survivor. Together, they raised two children and welcomed six grandchildren. Today, Elisabeth lives in Israel. Her son, Joel, serves as Vice-Chairman of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation, carrying forward his family's commitment to remembrance. Today, we celebrate Elisabeth—not only for what she survived, but for the extraordinary life she built afterward. Please join us in wishing Elisabeth a very happy 95th birthday! ❤️

Today, we honor the memory of those murdered in the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. We remember the families torn apart, the communities devastated, and the lives forever changed. We remember those taken hostage, the suffering they endured, and the families who waited for their return. For the Jewish people, October 7 reopened profound wounds and brought renewed fear, grief, and insecurity. In the years since, rising antisemitism around the world has made clear how urgently we must confront hatred and stand against the dehumanization of others. At the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation, our work is rooted in the conviction that remembrance carries responsibility. History must be taught truthfully. Antisemitism must be recognized and challenged. And the dignity of every human life must be defended. Today, we remember the victims. We stand with their families and all those still carrying the trauma of that day. May their memories be a blessing.

Meet Arin DuVall, our 2026 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow of the Week. When asked why she applied for the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, Arin said, “I decided to apply for this Fellowship to deepen my knowledge and strengthen my ability to teach the Holocaust with accuracy, care, and relevance. I saw the benefits of having access to expert guidance and an immersive, site-based learning experience that would provide me with a unique perspective that would strengthen my instruction. This experience will help me bridge the gap for students by making clearer connections between this history and their own lives, and why it matters to them today.” Arin learned of the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship through ABMF's outreach and social media. #Auschwitz #TeachingHistory #Educators #HolocaustEducation #Holocaust

Meet Angela Lea, our 2026 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow of the Week. When asked why she applied for the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, Angela said, “I decided to apply for this Fellowship because it will equip me with deeper historical knowledge, innovative teaching strategies, and personal experiences that will make Holocaust lessons more meaningful and impactful in my classroom. By learning at the sites where these atrocities occurred and engaging with experts and peers, I can bring authenticity and urgency to my teaching that textbooks alone cannot provide. This Fellowship will allow me to create a classroom environment where history becomes a call to action—a reminder that the choices we make today matter.” Angela learned of the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship through ABMF's partnership with the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. #Auschwitz #TeachingHistory #Educators #HolocaustEducation #Holocaust

As Sukkot is here, we’re remembering Holocaust survivors Irene Buchman and Olga Jaeger through their family’s beloved kreplach recipe. Inspired by the kreplach their mother made before the war, Irene and Olga recreated the recipe from memory after the original was lost. Together, they perfected it over the years, sharing this special dish with their children and grandchildren. Today, their recipe lives on in our bestselling cookbook, “Honey Cake & Latkes: Recipes from the Old World by Auschwitz-Birkenau Survivors,” carrying a taste of home and warmth from one generation to the next. Available in all of your favorite bookstores online❤️ a.co/d/04aXh4rp #HoneyCakeAndLatkes #Kreplach #HolocaustSurvivors #RecipesAndRemembrance

Arkansas and West Virginia educators... we’re looking for you. This year, the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship is expanding its reach, and we are especially eager to connect with highly motivated, thoughtful, and engaged high school teachers in Arkansas and West Virginia. The Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship is a year-long professional development program that brings American educators together for intensive study of the Holocaust, Jewish history, antisemitism, and the responsibility of teaching this history to the next generation, including an educational journey to Poland and Auschwitz-Birkenau. And we need your help finding exceptional teachers. If you are an educator in Arkansas or West Virginia, we encourage you to apply. If you know a teacher who should be part of this experience, please send them this post. Share it with a teacher. Forward it to a school or district. Send it to your professional networks. And if one particular educator immediately comes to mind, reach out to them personally. Sometimes an extraordinary educational journey begins because someone simply says: I thought of you. Help us find the next Auschwitz Legacy Fellows. For application information or any questions, please contact [email protected]

This week, Jewish communities around the world are doing something rather unusual: leaving the security of their homes to eat (and sometimes sleep!) inside temporary outdoor structures.  It is Sukkot, one of the oldest Jewish holidays. 🌿 There is something deeply moving about its central contradiction: we build something intentionally impermanent, and then we are commanded to rejoice inside it. Sukkot remembers wandering and celebrates harvest. It holds vulnerability and abundance at the same time. It asks us to be grateful for what shelters us while remembering that very little in life is truly permanent. For those of us who work with Jewish history and #oHolocaust memory, there is another reason traditions like this matter. Jewish history cannot be understood only through the history of antisemitism and destruction. Before Jewish communities were destroyed, they lived. They celebrated holidays. Built sukkot. Prepared meals. Sang songs. Raised children. Argued, prayed, laughed, learned, and passed traditions from one generation to the next. And after catastrophe, they built again. Understanding that life, and its extraordinary continuity, is part of understanding what we work to preserve. To everyone celebrating: Chag Sameach. May your sukkah be filled with joy, good food, meaningful conversation, and people you love. 🌿

Meet Matthew Simpson, our 2026 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow of the Week. When asked why he applied for the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, Matt said, “It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I know I might have other chances to visit #Auschwitz, but not with experts. My colleague described the Fellowship as "transformative," and I have no doubt that it will be.” Matthew learned of the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship through ABMF's partnership with the Virginia Holocaust Museum. #Auschwitz #TeachingHistory #Educators #HolocaustEducation #Holocaust

Meet Kate Adams, our 2026 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow of the Week. When asked why she applied for the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, Kate said, “This fellowship will significantly deepen my content knowledge through firsthand engagement with Holocaust sites in Poland, strengthening how I interpret and teach this history as a museum educator. Working closely with classroom teachers throughout the year will allow me to better understand their challenges and needs, which will help me when developing programs and resources for educators throughout my region. Ultimately, this fellowship will create meaningful opportunities for collaboration and reflection, enriching my existing knowledge and supporting my work as a Holocaust education professional.” Kate learned of the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship through ABMF's partnership with @VaHolocaust. #Auschwitz #TeachingHistory #Educators #HolocaustEducation #Holocaust

Meet Renee Obrien, our 2026 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow of the Week. When asked why she applied for the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, Renee said, “While working on my degree in Genocide and Human Rights, I learned about this fellowship and applied. At that time, I was not accepted, and I was disappointed. I received an email about this year's fellowship. I knew that I wanted to reapply. Over the last few years, I have spent a lot of time making sure to include Holocaust literature in every English class I teach to make sure students are learning about the Holocaust and all of the impacts it had on modern history, and to make sure they learn so that we, as a society, don't repeat that history.” Renee learned of the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship through ABMF's partnership with @FLHolocaustMus. #Auschwitz #TeachingHistory #Educators #HolocaustEducation #Holocaust

Today, Lilli Keller-Rosenberg turns 94 ❤️ On September 15, 1932, Lilli was born in Croix, France and she was still a child when the world around her changed. Until 1943, Lilli and her siblings were hidden with different families in France, protected by people who chose to help when doing so was dangerous. Then, on October 27, 1943, everything changed again. Lilli and her family were arrested and taken to Loos Prison, then to Saint-Gilles Prison in Brussels. From there, they were deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp and ultimately to Bergen-Belsen. Through unimaginable circumstances, Lilli survived alongside her mother and her two little brothers.  Today, we celebrate not only Lilli's birthday, but the life she built after surviving a world that tried to take everything from her. Her story reminds us that behind every number, every name, and every statistic is a child, a family, a life - and a future that mattered. Happy 94th birthday, Lilli. ❤️ May we continue to listen to your story, learn from it, and carry it forward. #NeverForget #HolocaustSurvivor #HolocaustEducation #JewishHistory #LilliKellerRosenberg #BergenBelsen #Ravensbrück

Shana Tova🍯🍎 Rosh Hashanah reminds us that memory is something we choose to preserve, transmit, and renew. At a time of rising antisemitism and growing distortion of history, may the new year bring security to Jewish communities everywhere, and renewed commitment to truth, education, and hope. Shana Tova u'Metukah!

Meet Jackie Congedo, our 2026 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow of the Week. When asked why she applied for the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, Jackie said, “ I have never been to Poland and feel it is long overdue for me to visit Auschwitz as a leader in the field of Holocaust education in the region. I am also grateful for the opportunity to experience this alongside educators, as one of our primary roles as an organization is to support educators with the tools and training they need to effectively teach this history.” Jackie learned of the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship through ABMF's partnership with @cincyhhc. #Auschwitz #TeachingHistory #Educators #HolocaustEducation #Holocaust

Meet Ronald Bravo, our 2026 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow of the Week. When asked why he applied for the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, Ronald said, “I thought about the impact my experience could have on my students and colleagues. I believe we learn better through experience than from a book. This fellowship is granting me the opportunity to experience history and return home to pass on my experience to the next generation of lifelong learners. This fellowship allows me to experience History, disseminate it, and shape the perspectives of the next generation.” Ronald learned of the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship through ABMF's partnership with @hmla1961 . #Auschwitz #TeachingHistory #Educators #HolocaustEducation #Holocaust

Our Auschwitz Legacy Fellows are strengthening Holocaust education for future generations across the United States. You can help make it possible. Through the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation fully funds a year-long experience for high school educators—providing rigorous training, classroom resources, and an immersive study trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Fellows return not only with knowledge, but with the responsibility and confidence to teach it forward, reaching hundreds of students each year. Since launching in 2022, the Fellowship has expanded to 22 states as we work toward our goal of reaching all 50 states by 2030. To maximize our impact and ensure broad reach in Washington, D.C., ABMF leveraged its network and social media presence to recruit an outstanding cohort of high school educators. The future of Holocaust remembrance depends on education and on all of us working together to support it. At a time when 48% of Americans cannot name a single concentration camp or ghetto, and Holocaust denial continues to rise online, meaningful Holocaust education has never been more important. 👉 Go to our website to learn more.

Meet Kennedy Williams, our 2026 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow of the Week. When asked why she applied for the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, Kennedy said, “My generic answer is that I've always been interested in Holocaust studies, and this has been reflected in my history of literature, films, and museum visits. However, my interest sparked during my Junior year of college as an intern at the Gulf Coast Holocaust Education Center in Mobile, AL. Having this opportunity opened my eyes to the depth and complexity of the Holocaust, and I believe on-site learning is one of the best ways to learn and understand. For ABMF to offer such an opportunity was something I wouldn't dream of passing up!” Kennedy learned of the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship through ABMF's partnership with the Alabama Holocaust Education Center. #Auschwitz #TeachingHistory #Educators #HolocaustEducation #Holocaust

Our Auschwitz Legacy Fellows are strengthening Holocaust education for future generations across the United States. You can help make it possible. Through the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation fully funds a year-long experience for high school educators—providing rigorous training, classroom resources, and an immersive study trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Fellows return not only with knowledge, but with the responsibility and confidence to teach it forward, reaching hundreds of students each year. Since launching in 2022, the Fellowship has expanded to 22 states as we work toward our goal of reaching all 50 states by 2030. To maximize our impact and ensure broad reach in Maryland, ABMF leveraged its network and social media presence to recruit an outstanding cohort of high school educators. The future of Holocaust remembrance depends on education and on all of us working together to support it. At a time when 48% of Americans cannot name a single concentration camp or ghetto, and Holocaust denial continues to rise online, meaningful Holocaust education has never been more important. 👉 Go to our website to learn more.