"Honoring our survivors symbolizes
our victory over forgetfulness."
~Elie Wiesel, acclaimed author, Holcaust survivor

DOCENT-LED TOURS
Group tours geared to all ages and backgrounds provide first-hand accounts from Holocaust survivors and refugees including docents of the second generation. Thank you for arranging a powerful and moving learning experience for my class..... We left the Jewish Federation with full hearts and, I believe, more open minds. Read more here: The Impact of Portraits of Survival in our Community

MULTI-MEDIA EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Film clips, survivors‘ in-person narratives, archival material, and professionally led discussions inspire participants to examine their interpersonal relationships and responsibility as members of the local and larger community.

HOLOCAUST RESOURCE CENTER
Includes historical books, journals, tapes and films. Holocaust teaching materials, DVDs of full-length interviews, and documentaries featuring local survivors and refugees are available for circulation or purchase.

Students
“I was awestruck. The purpose of Portraits is not only to understand the horrors of World War II, but to celebrate the people who survived and now thrive in our community.”
~High School 10th grader

“The subject matter is so powerful that it has challenged my entire thought process and has made me a better person. The strength of these survivors is contagious.”
~Department of Film Studies Student, University of California, Santa Barbara

Community Member
"We were profoundly moved by this event; personally, it changed my world view of what it means to live as a Jew, and brought power and depth to my Jewish commitments."

Educators
“We had read The Diary of Anne Frank and studied the Holocaust, but actually sitting and listening to a survivor tell her story is something my students will never forget. It’s an experience of living history.”
~Middle School Teacher

Interfaith Groups
“These stories remind us of the privilege and responsibility we have of caring for all persons. The future of the world depends on our acceptance of difference and responsibility for one another.”
~Father Virgil Cordano, Pastor Emeritus, Mission Santa Barbara

Museum Curators
“Highly professional installation—design and conceptwork seamlessly.”
~Norman Kleeblatt, Chief Curator, The Jewish Museum of New York

“A most moving exhibition which will surely touch the hearts of all who see it.”
~Aubrey Pomerance, MA, Head of Archives, Jewish Museum Berlin

“Telling the story of my relatives and the six million who perished only because they were Jews lends maning to the future. If I can only persuade a few people not to hate, I have accomplished my mission.”
~Stan Ostern, Survivor 

Please join us in our work
We have three committees that work to make our Portraits Exhibit more vital and meaningful. You are invited to join us.
* Education Committee
* Library Committee
* Outreach Committee
and Speakers Bureau

Helga Carden, Portraits of Survival docent, was interviewed on KCLU radio regarding her experience in Berlin during Kristallnacht. Also, Dr. Elizabeth Wolfson and Santa Barbara Museum of Art Curator Karen Sinsheimer spoke about the Kristallnacht Commemoration and the photographic exhibitions.