ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Holocaust survivors, educators, leaders, and historians from around the world gathered on May 4th to kickstart the new #ItStartedWithWords digital campaign at Liberation75.

The campaign, created by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) and Holocaust survivors, is a digital Holocaust education campaign posting weekly videos from Holocaust survivors from around the world. The videos, which feature survivors telling their stories in the lead-up to the Holocaust when words of hate turned into acts of violence, have garnered close to 4 million views on Facebook. 
 
Liberation75 is the world's largest international event, created to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, virtually bringing together thousands of people from around the world who are dedicated to the fight against antisemitism and racism while continuing to preserve the memory of the Holocaust. 

Nearly 50 museums and institutions from around the world are participating in the #ItStartedWithWords campaign including the United Nations, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Yad Vashem, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), the Anne Frank House, Holocaust Educational Trust of the UK, The Museum of the History of Polish Jews, and more.

“The survivors we work with are excited and gratified by the extraordinary attention their #ItStartedWithWords videos have been receiving. Their dedication to this work is an inspiration to all of us. We are thrilled to be a part of the kick-off of Liberation75, where the voices of Holocaust survivors will be elevated further during a global moment of simultaneous sharing of their videos over social media platforms,” said Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference.

The Claims Conference is a non profit organization working to secure material compensation for Holocaust survivors worldwide. As a result of negotiations with the Claims Conference since 1952, the German government has paid more than $80 billion in indemnification to individuals for suffering and losses resulting from persecution by the Nazis.

The video testimonies created for the campaign can be viewed at itstartedwithwords.org