News and Events

On November 17, 2024 the Charleston community held a rededication of its Holocaust memorial located in Marion Square. As SCCH council member Eileen Chepenik, who also was chair of the memorial's rededication committee, stated "We're remembering the past, enjoying the present, and rededicating ourselves to the future. In this precarious time we're living in, with antisemitism on the rise all over the world, it is more important than ever to stand up and be proud." Please read more about this event here: Charleston Memorial Article

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum strongly condemns the vicious attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam and the outrageous celebrations of those attacks, which are warning signs for any society. We commend the Dutch authorities for their rapid denunciation of these antisemitic attacks. Governments and citizens must always hold perpetrators accountable and work to prevent hatred of Jews.

"This event is especially chilling, coming just as we mark the 86th anniversary of the November pogrom (Kristallnacht), when Jews throughout Nazi Germany were systematically attacked by Nazis as fellow citizens looked on," said Museum Chairman Stuart E. Eizenstat. "Holocaust history is an urgent reminder about the dangers of silence and complicity and the need for all societies to aggressively confront antisemitism."

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation (ABMF) is grateful to the South Carolina Council on the Holocaust for their help in bringing Auschwitz Legacy lessons to schools in South Carolina by partnering with us on the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship.

Dr. Lilly Filler, the SC Council on the Holocaust's chairperson, was the keynote speaker at Queens University's Remembering Kristallnacht: The Night of Broken Glass ceremony on November 12, 2023. Dr. Filler is the daughter of Ben and Jadzia Stern, both of whom were survivors of the Holocaust. She spoke to an audience of over 350 people about her parents' experiences and their survival.

WASHINGTON, DC - The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is gravely concerned about the unprecedented antisemitism erupting-sometimes violently-on college campuses; city streets in the United States, Europe and beyond; all over the internet; and even in an airport, creating an environment of intimidation and threat to Jews all over the world.

Museum Chair Stuart E. Eizenstat said, "In the wake of Hamas' terror attack on Israel, the largest killing of Jewish civilians since the Holocaust, we are witnessing a horrific rise in antisemitism. College students, leaders, and the broader public need to learn the history and lessons of the Holocaust - the dangers of unchecked antisemitism, the power of propaganda, and the potential for complicity in group-targeted violence. All of us need to understand the lessons of the past and take responsibility for the future."

A nonpartisan federal, educational institution, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America's national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, dedicated to ensuring the permanence of Holocaust memory, understanding, and relevance. Through the power of Holocaust history, the Museum challenges leaders and individuals worldwide to think critically about their role in society and to confront antisemitism and other forms of hate, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is outraged by Hamas's unconscionable attack on Israel, killing hundreds, and targeting Israeli citizens for kidnapping, including a Holocaust survivor, according to the U.S. Department of State.

Museum Chair Stuart E. Eizenstat said, "These vile acts by this terrorist organization must be universally condemned and all hostages immediately released. Our prayers are with all Israelis, including the many Holocaust survivors who helped build the State of Israel, where they could finally live in the freedom and security they deserved after centuries of persecution, and ultimately genocide."

A nonpartisan federal, educational institution, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America's national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, dedicated to ensuring the permanence of Holocaust memory, understanding, and relevance. Through the power of Holocaust history, the Museum challenges leaders and individuals worldwide to think critically about their role in society and to confront antisemitism and other forms of hate, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity.

Richland Library welcomes items from the personal Holocaust collection of Dr. Selden K. Smith. Housed primarily at Richland Library Main, the collection features over 250 items including biographies, histories, religious texts, and even cookbooks.

Along with the Association of Holocaust Organizations, the South Carolina Council on the Holocaust joins the world in strongly condemning the missile attack damaging the Babyn Yar memorial site built to honor the memory of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust who were murdered at Babyn Yar.

We have new video resources regarding the importance of Holocaust education. The videos can be found under "Education" and by clicking on the link titled "Importance of Holocaust Education". The videos include interviews with Robert Caslen (President of USC), Senator Katrina Shealy, Molly Spearman (Superintendent of Education), and Mayor Steve Benjamin.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day was designated by The United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. On this day, we honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and recommit ourselves to developing educational programs that help prevent future genocides.