by Elliot Nidam-Orvieto

Institute Awards New Scholarships
Since its establishment, Yad Vashem has recognized the need to develop a broad and deep knowledge and research base of Holocaust-related subjects. In a ceremony held on 29 May at Yad Vashem, the International Institute for Holocaust Research granted scholarships to 17 M.A. students and Ph.D. candidates studying in Israeli universities. The awards were distributed from endowments established primarily by Holocaust survivors, in order to perpetuate the memory of their loved ones, encourage Holocaust-era research, and preserve Holocaust remembrance for future generations.

Simon Weisblum, representative of the endowments, congratulated the laureates. Michal Ronen, one of the recipients, spoke on the subject of her research: “The Giado, Libya Concentration Camp: The Holocaust Survivor Life-Story Pattern.”

Academic Exchange with Serbian Researchers
From 15-20 June, a group of Serbian historians and museologists traveled to Yad Vashem to participate in an academic exchange workshop with Israeli scholars, part of the International Institute for Holocaust Research’s biannual seminar program with researchers from abroad. The lectures dealt with varied issues such as: “The Universality and Uniqueness of the Holocaust;” “The Holocaust in Yugoslavia;” “Jewish Art in Jasenovac;” “The Holocaust in Kosovo and Metohija and its Context;” “Jews Under the Italian Occupation in Yugoslavia;” and “The “History and Historiography of Jasenovac.” Participants included: Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate Avner Shalev; Yad Vashem’s Chief Historian Prof. Dan Michman; Academic Advisor to Yad Vashem Prof. Yehuda Bauer; Head of the International Institute for Holocaust Research Prof. David Bankier; Rev. Jovan Ćulibrk of the Jasenovac Committee of the Holy Assemby of Bishops for the Serbian Orthodox Church; Serbian Ambassador to Israel H.E. Mr. Miodrag Isakov; Former Ambassador of Serbia-Monenegro to Israel H.E. Ms. Krinka Vidaković; Minister Silvana Hadži-Đokić of the Ministry of Culture, Serbia; Dr. Srđa Trifković of the Rockford Institute, Chicago; Dr. Milan Ristović of the University of Belgrade; Milan Koljanin of the Institute for Contemporary History, Belgrade; Jovan Mirković, Dragan Cvetković and Nenad Antonijević of the Museum of Genocide Victims, Belgrade; Dr. Iael Nidam-Orvieto and Kiril Fefferman, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Yad Vashem; and Dr. Mirjam Rajner of Bar-Ilan University.

During their visit the Serbian scholars attended a series of presentations on Yad Vashem’s new Holocaust Museum and Visual Center, the activities of the International School for Holocaust Studies, and Holocaust documentation and material housed in the archives and library.

The author is Academic Assistant to the Head of the Research Institute.

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