The Blavatnik Archive Honors Jewish Soldiers and Fighters of WWII Through International Conference

On November 14, 2021, the Blavatnik Archive presented a 2-day international virtual conference to honor and celebrate the contributions of nearly 1.5 million Jewish men and women who aided the Allied war effort against Hitler and the Axis powers.

Produced by jMuse with the generous support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the David Berg Foundation, and the Genesis Philanthropy Group, historians and leading experts from prestigious institutions spanning 9 countries gathered online to discuss the role and legacy of WWII’s Jewish fighters. Free and open to the public, the conference was also joined by veterans and their families and Holocaust survivors and their descendants.

At the heart of the event was the Blavatnik Archive’s Veteran Memories Project, an ongoing initiative to collect and preserve video testimonies and personal documents from veterans, survivors, and family members. Submissions can be submitted online and can include video recordings and photos. The goal of these remembrances is to keep a historical record, build educational programs, and ensure that the memories of those who lived through the devastation of WWII are not forgotten. Len Blavatnik, the Archive’s founder and head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation, emphasized these objectives in a quote to the Jewish News, “We must learn from history and commit to research, education and conversation, as well as honour those who fought and remember those who tragically perished.”