Celina, 91, is a longtime friend of the USC Shoah Foundation. Both Celina and her mother recorded a testimony for the USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive in 1996. For many years after the war, Celina was hesitant to share her story because she feared no one would be able to understand what she had experienced. That changed in 1994, when Steven Spielberg brought Oskar Schindler's story to the screen with Schindler's List and created the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, which later became the USC Shoah Foundation.
Celina often says: “Oskar Schindler gave me life, but Steven Spielberg gave me a voice.” Part of Celina's testimony was included as an extra on a DVD of Schindler's List, to help combat Holocaust denial.
At a gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of the USC Shoah Foundation, where President Barack Obama was honored, Spielberg recognized Celina as a "living symbol" of why he created the Visual History Archive.
In April 2023, Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot, whose grandfather was sent to Auschwitz when she was 13 and was the only member of her family to survive the Holocaust, opened her Los Angeles to friends and family to host an intimate conversation with Celina. . Among the 50 guests at Gadot's house were many children, as well as actors Sacha Baron Cohen, Isla Fisher and Harvey Keitel, as well as Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins. The notable program was a Zikaron BaSalon event. Zikaron BaSalon is a grassroots initiative based in Israel that brings the experiences of Holocaust survivors into homes and common spaces around the world. Learn how to host your own Zikaron BaSalon event at https://sfi.usc.edu/zikaron-basalon.
May is American Jewish Heritage Month, an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the countless contributions of the Jewish people to American life for more than 350 years.
The idea of an annual commemoration of American Jews originated with President Jimmy Carter, who in 1979 created Jewish Heritage Week. In 2006, Congress unanimously passed a resolution expanding the tribute to the entire month of May.
The celebration of American Jewish Heritage Month coincides with the anniversary of the arrival of the first Jewish immigrants to North America in 1654.
Since 23 Sephardic Jews landed in New Amsterdam (now New York), American Jews have contributed to American society in every way imaginable, whether as Supreme Court justices, members of Congress, in the army or as business leaders. academia and the arts.
The USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive contains more than 52,000 testimonies from Holocaust survivors and witnesses. In this first of three installments, we celebrate American Jewish Heritage Month by sharing the stories of American Jews who embody the vibrant and diverse culture that has immeasurably enriched us all.
Learn more about the USC Shoah Foundation: https://sfi.usc.edu/
SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/USCShoahFoundation/?sub_confirmation1
Connect with the USC Shoah Foundation:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USCSFI
Twitter: https://twitter.com/USCShoahFdn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uscshoahfoundation/
I am a witness: http://iwitness.usc.edu/SFI/
Website: https://sfi.usc.edu/
About the USC Shoah Foundation:
USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education develops
empathy, understanding and respect through testimony, using its visual history archive of more than 55,000 video testimonies, its academic programs and partnerships across USC and 170 universities, and its educational program award-winning IWitness. The USC Shoah Foundation's interactive programming, research, and materials are accessible in museums and universities, cited by government leaders and NGOs, and taught in classrooms around the world. Now in its third decade, the USC Shoah Foundation reaches millions of people on six continents from its headquarters at the University of Southern California.
Copyright USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education
#Holocaustsurvivor #CelinaBiniaz #survivoreducation #religion #CelinaBiniazTestimony
Please take the opportunity to connect and share this video with your friends and family if you find it useful.
