Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe
2026-05-17 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
In this special Talking Memory book launch for Out of the Sky, author Matti Friedman will delve into the extraordinary story of the Jewish parachutists of 1944—young men and women who, having escaped Europe, made the fateful decision to return under a British mission into Nazi-occupied territory. Focusing on figures such as Hannah Senesh, Friedman will explore the gap between the mission’s tragic reality and its powerful afterlife in Israeli memory. Drawing on years of archival research, he will reflect on how these stories were shaped, what defines heroism in the face of failure, and the enduring role of narrative in constructing collective memory.
Following Friedman’s discussion of his book, Dr. Rochelle Saidel will focus on Haviva Reick (1914–1944), one of the three women among the Jewish parachutists sent from Mandatory Palestine to Europe during World War II. Operating in Slovakia during the Slovak National Uprising, Reick worked to aid Allied airmen and rescue Jews. Captured and murdered by Nazi collaborators, her story highlights the courage, moral commitment, and tragic fate of those who risked everything to save others.
The program will conclude with Shlomit Dagan, Director of the Hannah Senesh House, who will highlight the story of Hannah Senesh and reflect on the ongoing work of remembrance and education at the Hannah Senesh House.

Memory and Meaning: Teaching the Holocaust in Today’s Classroom
2026-05-18 09:00 - 15:00 | Intermediate Unit 1 1 Intermediate Unit Drive Coal Center, PA 15423, 1 Intermediate Unit Drive Coal Center, PA 15423, Coal Center, PA, 15243, United States
In recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, this session provides updated resources, reflective practices, and age-appropriate strategies for teaching Holocaust history in modern classrooms.

The 80th Anniversary of the “Zivia Conference” at Kibbutz Yagur: Testimony, Resistance, and Remembrance
2026-06-07 14:00 | PA
This special Talking Memory program marks the 80th anniversary of the “Zivia Conference,” held at Kibbutz Yagur in June 1946, and explores the enduring power of first-person testimony in shaping our understanding of rescue, resistance, and moral responsibility after the Holocaust.
At the heart of the program is Zivia Lubetkin — a leader of the Jewish underground in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, a central figure in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and later a prominent voice in the postwar Yishuv. At the United Kibbutz Movement committee gathering at Yagur, Lubetkin delivered her searing testimony about the destruction of Polish Jewry, the struggle for resistance, and the human realities behind a history that was only beginning to be understood.
Our first speaker, Lori Weintrob, will present insights drawn from three decades of scholarship on women and the Holocaust. Her talk will explore ways of teaching about Zivia Lubetkin and other “heroines of the Holocaust,” whose words and actions continue to inspire new generations. Focusing on Lubetkin’s testimony as both a historical document and a moral legacy, the presentation will encourage educators, historians, and the broader public to reconsider approaches to Holocaust and genocide education, as well as contemporary efforts to confront global antisemitism.
Batya Brutin will examine how Zivia Lubetkin has been commemorated visually and culturally over the decades. Despite Lubetkin’s central role in the youth movements in Poland, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the founding of Kibbutz Lohamei HaGeta’ot, and her testimony at the Eichmann trial, her visual representation remains surprisingly limited. Her image appears in paintings, murals, stamps, and memorial works in both Israel and Poland — sometimes alongside her husband, Yitzhak (“Antek”) Zuckerman, sometimes as part of a collective of fighters, and at times as an individual figure. Across these depictions, artists consistently emphasize her determination, resilience, and inner strength.
Ruth Kupperberg will read selections from the words and testimony of Zivia Lubetkin, highlighting her resistance and heroism. The excerpts shared will illuminate the bravery of a young woman during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the enduring lessons of courage we can draw from her story today.
Register at the Zoom link below.

From Slavery to Freedom Film Series: “American Dignity"
2026-06-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222, United States
Presented as part of the From Slavery to Freedom Film Series, “American Dignity” follows voting rights organizer Charles Douglas III as he seeks guidance and clarity from civil rights veteran Charles Mauldin, who at just 17 years old was sixth in line during the historic 1965 march across Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge.
This film captures Douglas’s conversations with Mauldin and other civil rights activists as they reflect on the lessons learned over 60 years ago and how organizers today can carry those lessons to make lasting, democratic change.
Following the screening, Mauldin will discuss the film with Samuel W. Black, director of the African American Program.
This program is presented in partnership with Classrooms Without Borders.
The program is free for all to attend.

Elie Wiesel: Witness, Writer, Moral Voice Marking the 10th Anniversary of His Passing
2026-06-28 14:00 | PA
Ten years after the passing of Elie Wiesel (1928–2016), one of the most influential Holocaust survivors and moral voices of the twentieth century, the Talking Memory International Lecture Series invites you to a special program exploring his life, legacy, and enduring impact on Holocaust memory and contemporary moral discourse.
Dr. Yoel Rappel
The program will open with remarks by Dr. Yoel Rappel, who knew Elie Wiesel for more than thirty years, worked with the Elie Wiesel Archive at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center from 2008 to 2015, and has written extensively about Wiesel’s life and legacy.
Drawing on both personal acquaintance and scholarly engagement, Dr. Rappel will address the question, “Who Was Elie Wiesel?” Exploring the many dimensions of a man who became a witness to history, a celebrated author, a public intellectual, and a global advocate for human dignity, he will offer unique insights into Wiesel’s remarkable life and influence.
Prof. Michael Berenbaum
Prof. Michael Berenbaum will discuss Wiesel’s significance as a writer, the vocation that established his reputation and anchored his existence.
He will also examine Wiesel’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning career as a public intellectual, his role as a voice for Holocaust survivors, and his unique place as a moral laureate of the Jewish people.
Prof. Dina Porat
Prof. Dina Porat will explore the profound questions that accompanied Elie Wiesel throughout his life after liberation:
Was he primarily a witness or a writer? What mission did he see for himself, and what legacy did he hope to leave to future generations?
Through a comparative examination of the reflections of Primo Levi, Aharon Appelfeld, and Abba Kovner—who grappled with similar questions—Prof. Porat will illuminate the distinctive nature of Wiesel’s self-understanding and literary vision.
Dr. Ana Bărbulescu
Dr. Ana Bărbulescu will explore how the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania embodies Elie Wiesel’s conviction that historical memory must serve as an active ethical safeguard rather than a passive archive.
Drawing on Wiesel’s belief that “the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference,” she will examine the Institute’s role in transforming Holocaust remembrance into a living commitment to historical justice.
With an archive of more than one million official state documents, the Institute serves as a unique bridge between scholarly research, public policy, and educational initiatives, ensuring that the memory of the victims continues to inform contemporary understanding and responsibility.
Join the Conversation
Join us for a thoughtful and timely conversation honoring the life, work, and legacy of Elie Wiesel, whose voice continues to challenge, inspire, and guide us in confronting the moral questions of our time.

The Ravine of Memory: Babyn Yar Between the Holocaust and the Great Patriotic War
2026-07-12 14:00 | PA
The Ghetto Fighters’ House invites you to a special Talking Memory program marking the launch of Dr. Shay Pilnik’s book, The Ravine of Memory: Babyn Yar Between the Holocaust and the Great Patriotic War.
Prof. Elissa Bemporad
Our first speaker is Prof. Elissa Bemporad. Drawing on the long history of Jewish life in the lands of present-day Ukraine, she invites us to look beyond familiar narratives of persecution and to consider a more complex historical reality.
In her presentation, she argues that any examination of Jewish life in the lands of present-day Ukraine must begin with an important caveat: it would be a mistake to impose a teleology of violence on a long and rich history that generated remarkable religious, political, and cultural contributions to Jewish civilization. While episodes of violence undeniably formed part of this history, relations between Jews and non-Jews were shaped far more often by coexistence, interaction, and mutual entanglement.
This caution is particularly relevant in the context of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, which has relied in part on historical distortions. More broadly, it serves as a reminder against reading the Jewish experience in the region retrospectively, as though it were destined from the outset to culminate in persecution and catastrophe.
Dr. Shay Pilnik
Our next speaker, Dr. Shay Pilnik, joins us on the occasion of the publication of his new book, The Ravine of Memory, which examines the place of Babyn Yar in Soviet literary and cultural memory.
In his talk, he explores how Babyn Yar—where more than 100,000 people, the vast majority Jews, were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators—has been remembered and forgotten in Soviet literature and culture, in both Russian and Yiddish. Revisiting well-known works alongside lesser-known texts, he reveals how Babyn Yar became a powerful symbolic site that illuminates both the fragility and the courage of those who bear witness to atrocity.
Inna Kalenska
Our final speaker, Inna Kalenska, will bring us from the historical and cultural landscape explored in The Ravine of Memory to the ongoing work of preserving and reconstructing the history of Babyn Yar today.
Her presentation examines the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center’s approach to memory work through archival research, digitization, and public engagement. It will focus on the “Names” Project and the role of archives in reconstructing the individual histories of Holocaust victims.
The talk will also reflect on how the ongoing war shapes contemporary memorial practices and influences the ways historical memory is preserved and communicated.

Gatekeeping America: Immigration Policy & the Limits of Refuge
2026-10-01 08:30 - 14:30 | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 E Waterfront Drive, Homestead, Pennsylvania, 15120
