“Jewish Identity in the Post - Holocaust World”

Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 11, 2004, the closing session of the International Conference for Educators, “Teaching the Holocaust to Future Generations” will be held at Yad Vashem. The closing session, in memory of Dr. Israel Asper, will take place at 6:00 p.m. in the Yad Vashem auditorium in the presence of Minister of Immigrant Absorption and Minister of Housing and Construction Tzipi Livni, and Dr. Motti Shalem, Director, International School for Holocaust Studies. Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau will address “Jewish Identity in the Post-Holocaust World.”

Israel Asper was one of the outstanding leaders of our times. An entrepreneur, visionary and philanthropist, through the Asper Foundation Inc, he generously supported major programs and initiatives in both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities in Canada, as well as in Israel. Deeply committed to furthering Holocaust Education and human rights, his legacy will live on through his wife and family both at Yad Vashem and through the construction of a human rights museum in Winnipeg, Canada.

The session will close the four-day International Conference for Educators. The Conference brought together close to 300 participants from 31 countries for discussions, debates, and workshops on all aspects of Holocaust education in the 21st Century. It was sponsored by the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem under the auspices of The Asper International Holocaust Studies Program and in cooperation with Oranim Educational Initiatives, Ltd.