Opportunities
Descendants of Holocaust Survivors Group
Our Descendants group consists of children (second generation) and grandchildren (third generation) descendants of Holocaust survivors. We meet monthly to share our family Holocaust stories, articles, books, films and discussions pertaining to our shared Holocaust experiences and family legacies. If you would like to join our Descendant group, please contact [email protected].
Student to Student
Modeled after a national program initiated in St. Louis nearly 20 years ago, Student to Student® uses peer-to-peer dialogue that strives to foster understanding, empathy and connection by educating others about what it’s like being Jewish. The program trains Jewish students to talk about their lives as Jewish teens, facilitates discussions that dismantle antisemitism and puts a human face to Judaism. We offer engaging talks from Jewish teens who bring their authentic stories to life with passion as well as props and visual aids. Questions and interaction are encouraged.
Contact Rachel Beerman at [email protected] to schedule a Student to Student® presentation for your classroom or community group.
A Conference
for
Educators
This year’s professional development conference will give teachers the tools to facilitate classroom discussions on the role and impact of Nazi propaganda during the Holocaust and support their students to critically analyze media in today’s world.
Conference will take place on
Thursday, March 19, 2026
Arts and Writing Contest for 7-12 Graders
The Holocaust Education Resource Organization of Buffalo sponsors an annual Arts and Writing Contest, which asks 7 – 12 grade students to contemplate a Holocaust-related topic and respond to it either in writing or in art.
Deadline to apply is
Friday, April 24, 2026
Abek Student Upstander Award
The Abek Student Upstander Award is awarded to a middle school student (grades 6-8) and a high school student (grades 9-12) who recognizes when something is wrong and stands up for what is right. This award is named in memory of Abek Feigenblatt, friend of Holocaust Survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein.
Nominations are due by
Friday, April 24, 2026
Sophia Veffer Upstander Award
The Sophia Veffer Upstander Award is named in honor of local Holocaust survivor, Sophia Veffer. Sophia has dedicated her life to creating a more just world by encouraging individuals to act as global citizens, assisting those in need and standing up in the face of adversity.
The recipient of this award is an individual who has strongly impacted the Buffalo region by focusing on standing up for others while promoting equality, social justice and human rights. The recipient can be of any background, and does not need to be connected in any way with the Holocaust Education Resource Organization.
Washington, DC Trip for Teachers
The Holocaust Education Resource Organization’s premier teacher training trip to Washington D.C. provides educators with the opportunity to tour and receive teaching materials from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National African American Museum of History and Culture and the United States Institute of Peace. The trip runs every other year.
This trip was founded by Richard and Roberta Handel.
Joe Diamond Speakers
Training Program
Every other year, the HRC facilitates the Joe Diamond Speakers Training Program that allows 2nd and 3rd Generation Descendants to attend a formal training with the Director of Education at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, IL. The attendees are trained to learn how to tell their parent/grandparent’s story of survival from their perspective in a meaningful and relevant way, creating a specialized Power Point with the goal of joining the HERO’s Speakers Bureau to share their family legacy with students, teachers and community members.