Union of Jewish Students

HOW IS THE HOLOCAUST IMPACTING ON YOUR LIFE?

The Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust Studies at the University of Leicester is seeking to find Jewish participants to take part in a project that seeks to study how the Holocaust is still impacting on Jewish lives in Britain.

The Impact and Representation of the Holocaust Amongst British Jewry in Three Generations


The Holocaust continues to occupy a central place in our society at the beginning of the 21st Century, over sixty years since the end of the Second World War. Reference to it in the media and political spheres are commonplace and there has been a Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK every January since 2000. Whilst the Holocaust has various connotations for groups and individuals in society however, it has inevitably played a significant role for Jewish history and Jewish people.

This project seeks to interview Jewish families over three generations about the impact of the Holocaust on their lives. We wish for each participant to have an individual interview and then a family interview where all three generations will get an opportunity to discuss the subject together in a session led by an interviewer. We estimate that each interview, including the family discussion, will be an hour in length, although some may run over slightly whilst others may be more concise and finish earlier. Therefore, each participant will partake in two interviews lasting approximately two hours overall. At the end of the interview you will be asked to sign a form that will grant the project the legarights to use your interview responsibly for their studies. If you feel uncomfortable at any time during the interview the interviewer can pause the recording and you can take a break. You can withdraw your participation from the interview or the project at any point, including withdrawing your consent for us to use the interview after it has been made if, for whatever reason, you do not feel comfortable taking part any further. All interviewers have undergone special oral history training by EMOHA.

This project aims to contribute towards the important process of remembering, recording, attempting to understand, learning lessons from and furthering our knowledge of the Holocaust and its implications. Furthermore, it seeks to explore the various meanings of the Holocaust for different people, with a particular focus on Jewish people. How has the Jewish community reacted, memorised and come to terms with an unimaginable trauma, and what impact has it had on their lives?

The History of Jews in Britain deserves more attention. The project aims to address this deficit and to further scholarly knowledge on the key issues it addresses. The collection will serve teaching and research purposes and will be used to enhance public knowledge and awareness of the subject. Please use the contact details below to get in touch if your family is able to participate in this important area of research.


Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust Studies (SBC):Dr Olaf Jensen (SBC)
University of Leicester,
University Road, Leicester,
LE1 7RH
Tel: (0116) 252 2802
Fax: (0116) 252 3986
Email: oj6@le.ac.uk