The World Jewish Congress joined diplomatic, academic, and cultural partners in marking the inauguration of the powerful exhibition “The Last Swiss Holocaust Survivors” at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv, on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Co-hosted by the Embassy of Switzerland in Israel, Yad Vashem – World Holocaust Remembrance Center, and Bar-Ilan University, the exhibition is presented by the Gamaraal Foundation, led by Anita Winter, and documents the personal stories of Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives in Switzerland after the war.
In written remarks marking the opening, President of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog emphasized that the exhibition restores “names, faces, and life paths,” reminding audiences that Holocaust history is lived “one life at a time.” He warned that at a moment when hatred and antisemitism are again flaring openly, remembrance is not passive, but a moral stance that connects memory to responsibility.
The opening ceremony featured remarks by President Herzog, Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, Ambassador Colette Avital—WJC’s Co-Commissioner for Holocaust Legacy—and Winter. The event was hosted and moderated by Professor Zehavit Gross, Head of the Sal Van Gelder Center for Holocaust Literature and Holocaust Education at Bar-Ilan University and the UNESCO Chair for Values, Education, Tolerance and Peace.
Following the inauguration, a panel discussion with Yael Richler-Friedman, Professor Dina Porat, and Onn Shehory explored the evolving challenges of Holocaust remembrance in the digital age, including the role of artificial intelligence in preserving testimony and countering distortion.
“The Last Swiss Holocaust Survivors” has been exhibited internationally, including at United Nations offices, reaching global audiences with a deeply human portrait of survival, resilience, and dignity. By focusing on individual lives rather than abstraction, the exhibition underscores the enduring relevance of Holocaust education in confronting antisemitism and defending fundamental human values today.
