''The Holocaust Center of Northern California'' (HCNC) is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

formed to ensure that the lessons of the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

never be forgotten. HCNC provides services and programs to fulfill its mission of education, research and remembrance.Holocaust Center of Northern California
In 2010, the Holocaust Center of Northern California's collections and programs were relocated to Jewish Family and Children's Services of

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, the

Peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

Marin Marin (French) or Marín (Spanish "sailor") may refer to: People * Marin (name), including a list of persons with the given name or surname * MaRin, in-game name of professional South Korean ''League of Legends'' player Jang Gyeong-hwan (born 19 ...

, and Sonoma Counties to form the "JFCS Holocaust Center"."What’s old is new: Holocaust Center now part of JFCS"
J Weekly, January 27, 2011

History

The Holocaust Center of Northern California, formerly known as The Holocaust Library and Research Center of San Francisco, was established in 1977 in reaction to the opening of a

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

bookstore in a neighborhood in San Francisco where a large population of

Holocaust survivors Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and Axis powers, its allies before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no unive ...

lived. Enraged, several Holocaust survivors broke into the bookstore and set fire to its inventory. Two individuals – Mr. Morris Weiss and his son Allan Weiss – were arrested."Holocaust Center to open in new space"
San Francisco Chronicle, March 11, 2005. The

Jewish Community Relations Council A Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is a locally based Jewish organization that carries out "action agendas on behalf of and in the name of the local Jewish communities." Councils may aim "to represent the consensus of the organized Jewish ...

intervened on behalf of the Weisses who were released. A Committee of Remembrance was formed, composed of Holocaust survivors and refugees, who decided to initiate three projects: *An annual day of remembrance for Holocaust victims: The first Yom HaShoah commemoration was held in April 1978 *Establishment of a research library: The Holocaust Library and Research Center of San Francisco, opened in 1979. *A lasting memorial in San Francisco: "Holocaust," dedicated in November 1984 in Lincoln Park, was created by the sculptor George Segal. The Holocaust Center of Northern California is in collaboration with the

Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service Gedenkdienst is the concept of facing and taking responsibility for the darkest chapters of one's own country's history while ideally being financially supported by one's own country's government to do so. Founded in Austria in 1992 by Andreas Ma ...

. The

Bay Area Holocaust Oral History Project The mission of the Bay Area Holocaust Oral History Project (BAHOHP) is to gather oral life histories of Holocaust survivors, liberators, rescuers, and eyewitnesses. The project is developing and maintaining a catalogue database for public use. The ...

merged with the HCNC.

HCNC Programs and Services

Education

HCNC provides educational opportunities to students and educators through its various programs: *Survivors Speakers Bureau *Manovill Holocaust History Fellowship *Day of Learning (annual day-long program of workshops on the Holocaust and genocide) *Shalhevet (an annual trip to Poland and Israel) *Morris Weiss scholarship *Educator workshops *Educator resource center HCNC also provides adult education opportunities by sponsoring lectures and film series, and collaborating with other cultural institutions to co-sponsor community performances, exhibits, films, conferences and seminars. HCNC is a primary sponsor of annual community Yom HaShoah commemorations throughout the Bay Area.

Tauber Holocaust Library

HCNC's Laszlo N. Tauber Library and Research includes over 12,000 volumes on the Holocaust and genocide, as well as an archives which features personal papers, government records, rare books, photographs, artifacts and special collections. Special collections include a Historical Pamphlet collection, Periodicals collection, Survivor Testimony collection, and oral history transcripts."Holocaust Center's vast library finds breathing room in new home"
J Weekly, October 29, 2004. HCNC has one of the largest

Yizkor Hazkarat Neshamot (), commonly known by its opening word Yizkor (), is an Ashkenazi Jewish memorial prayer service for the dead. It is important occasion for many Jews, even those who do not attend synagogue regularly. In most Ashkenazi communitie ...

(memorial) book collections in the world, with over 500 rare Yizkor books.Yizkor Books in the Tauber Holocaust Library
(formerly the Center of Northern California), accessed 2013-05-21.

Oral History Project

HCNC's Oral History Project records interviews with Holocaust survivors, including refugees, hidden children, children sent on the

Kindertransport The ''Kindertransport'' (German for "children's transport") was an organised rescue effort of children (but not their parents) from Nazi-controlled territory that took place during the nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World ...

, as well as interviews with liberators of concentration camps and witnesses to the events of the Holocaust. OHP has over 2000 recorded video and audio oral testimonies, which are available for research, as well as 800 transcripts.

References

External links

Holocaust Center of Northern CaliforniaJFCS Holocaust CenterTauber Holocaust Library
{{Authority control Holocaust commemoration Organizations based in San Francisco