Ten countries in Europe and North America will join the 'Zikaron BaSalon' (Remembrance in the Living Room) project which brings together Holocaust survivors with students who gather to hear the survivor's stories in the days leading up to Holocaust Remembrance Day, Kan Reshet Bet reported.
The United States, Ireland, Slovakia, Latvia, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands will participate in the initiative, which will be held in cooperation with Israel's Holocaust Survivors Rights Authority.
The project began with a pilot program in the Czech Republic, in collaboration with Czech schools and teachers, who attended seminars on the subject of the Holocaust at Yad Vashem. Thousands of young Czech citizens were exposed to the stories of the Holocaust for the first time as part of the project. Uruguay has also participated in the project.
The goal of the project is to reach tens of thousands of students from around the world, and expose them to the events of the Holocaust.
A survey conducted in Europe showed that one in five young adults between the ages of 18-34 say that they have never heard of the Holocaust.
As part of the program, students will meet with Holocaust survivors who speak the local language.
Education Minister Meirav Cohen said that "the most effective way to fight the rising antisemitism in the world is through education. We wish to make available to the younger generation the right to hear, experience and learn first-hand about the personal and national stories of the survivors who are still with us. I thank the Zikaron BaSalon organization for its fruitful cooperation in this important cause."