There is an organization in Jerusalem, Israel, called Yad VaShem. Yad VaShem is dedicated to preserving the memories of those who perished in the Holocaust. Its mission is Holocaust commemoration, documentation, research and education.
Yad VaShem, meaning ‘a memorial and a name’, takes its name from Isaiah, chapter 56, verse 5. “I will give them in My house and in My walls a “Yad VaShem” (memorial and a name), better than sons and daughters; an everlasting name I will give them, which will not be discontinued.” The idea presented in Isaiah is about the importance of having a good name that lives on eternally within a place of importance. Yad VaShem, like all Holocaust Centers around the world, creates a place of importance for those remembering and commemorating those whose lives were destroyed in the atrocities of the Holocaust and other acts of genocide. This is the underlying theme for all Holocaust survivors and is embodied in the Hebrew word Zachor (remember). It is the understanding that memorializing the Holocaust is to ‘remember and never forget’ the victims and their suffering.
In January 2011, Google partnered with Yad VaShem to further Yad VaShem’s efforts to preserve and share Holocaust archives. This is a very significant contribution by Google to allow the events of the Holocaust to be remembered in future generations especially since the generation of Holocaust survivors - those who can give a firsthand account and who have dedicated their lives since the Holocaust to uphold the ideals of Zachor (remember) - is nearing an end.
The archives maintained by Yad VaShem and shared through Google’s efforts contain information and stories of the atrocities that individuals went through. However, they also help share the human side of the atrocities. They help attach names to the pictures we often see. They bring those names to life by adding life events. The stories are not only about how individuals were dehumanized and murdered, but just as important, how they lived and what they were forced to give up.
Like Yad VaShem and the other Holocaust Centers, all recognition needs appropriate representation that goes beyond just a name. Further, it is not enough just to keep such recognition locked in our individual hearts and homes. To paraphrase what was said in Isaiah, we need to place in our organizations systems of recognition (…in My house and in My walls a memorial and a name). It has to be shared beyond the immediate household. It needs to be maintained in communal places of importance for others of a like mind to appreciate (…better than sons and daughters). In addition, the commemoration goes well beyond the moment. Such tributes need to live on for future generations to appreciate and learn from (An everlasting name…which will not be discontinued).
APIOH – A Place In our Hearts consults with organizations to determine how to best present recognition, providing a service to their patrons by which they can preserve and share their memories and stories within those organizations. Let us help your favorite organizations identify their recognition opportunities.