Shem Olam

Shem Olam (Hebrew: שם עולם, 'Everlasting Name') is an Israeli non-profit organization dedicated to Holocaust documentation, education, and research. Founded in 1998 in Kfar HaRoeh by Rabbi Avraham Krieger, it operates as the International Center for Holocaust Education, Documentation, and Research. The center is part of the community of Holocaust remembrance institutions and aims to present the Holocaust from a Jewish perspective, emphasizing spiritual strength and faith during the Holocaust. Its activities include collecting archival materials, developing educational programs for Israeli and international students, and conducting research. Shem Olam also publishes books and educational kits, and in 2019 released a musical project featuring prominent Israeli artists performing songs written in ghettos and hiding places during the Holocaust. The organization is led by a board chaired by Prof. Steve Brenner, with Rabbi Avraham Krieger as founder and central figure. It maintains friends' circles in Israel, New York, and Los Angeles.

Shem Olam was founded in 1998 in Kfar HaRoeh, Israel, by Rabbi Avraham Krieger. It was established as an international center for Holocaust documentation, education, and research. The organization was initially chaired by Rabbi Avraham Zuckerman, head of the Bnei Akiva yeshivas. After his passing, Prof. Steve Brenner took over as chairman. The center focuses on uncovering the spiritual strength of the Jewish people during the Holocaust, aiming to understand the Holocaust from a Jewish perspective and preserve its memory. It emphasizes transmitting Holocaust memory to future generations using innovative tools, with a focus on identity issues. Over the years, Shem Olam has conducted international conferences in Israel and abroad, and has participated in conferences on Holocaust research worldwide. Its documentation department collects materials and documents that demonstrate Jewish spiritual resistance, including items like a Passover Haggadah with a blood-written will, a knife used for circumcision, and tefillin hidden in the Warsaw Ghetto. In 2019–2020, during demolition work in the Warsaw Ghetto, ten pairs of tefillin were discovered and smuggled to Israel for preservation. In August 2021, the center revealed the discovery of a mass grave in the former Jewish town of Wislowice, Poland. The education department works to change perspectives on the Holocaust for students, young people, and adults in Israel and abroad, participating in preparations for delegations to Poland, seminars, and teacher training. The research department processes materials for studies and publishes books and educational kits. In 2019, Shem Olam released a musical project featuring ten songs written in ghettos and hiding places, performed by prominent Israeli artists such as Ninette Tayeb, Noa Kirel, and Aviv Geffen as artistic director. The center also has friends' circles in Israel, New York, and Los Angeles.

• 2021

  Mass grave discovered in Wislowice, Poland, revealed by Shem Olam.

• 2019

  Shem Olam 2019 musical project released, featuring songs from the Holocaust.

• 1998

  Shem Olam founded in Kfar HaRoeh by Rabbi Avraham Krieger.

A Holocaust education and research center that highlights Jewish spiritual resistance and faith during the Holocaust, aiming to shape identity and memory for future generations.

• Educational seminars and workshops

  Programs for students, teachers, and adults on Holocaust education.

• Teacher training programs

  Annual training for teachers in Kfar HaRoeh, Afula, and other locations.

• Publications

  Books, testimonies, and educational kits on Holocaust spirituality and faith.

• Shem Olam 2019 musical album

  Digital album of 10 songs written during the Holocaust, performed by Israeli artists.

• Shem Olam 2019 musical project

1. 1Official websiteshemolam.org.il
2. 2Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Hebrew Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org