2021 Season of Museum's "First Person: Conversations with Holocaust Survivors" Begins April 14

WASHINGTON, DC – The 2021 season of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s First Person: Conversations with Holocaust Survivors series launches Wednesday, April 14 at 1 pm.  Now in its 22nd season, First Person enables audiences to hear Holocaust survivors tell their life stories in their own words, uniting personal experience with history in a way that is extraordinary in its immediacy and power. Each hour-long program will feature a live interview between journalist Bill Benson and a survivor, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.  This year the program will be hosted monthly on YouTube Live(link)  beginning in April through December.  

The program will start on April 14 with a conversation with Peter Feigl.  In May 1944, Mr. Feigl, a Jewish teenager, waited for his chance to run to freedom after years spent hiding from the Nazis in France. When the dogs barked, signaling a Nazi guard change at the French border, he sprinted amid gunfire towards neutral Switzerland.  He will talk about this experience and how he survived in hiding without his parents or extended family.

“This program provides an opportunity to put a human face on the events of the Holocaust,” said Diane Saltzman, Director of Survivor Affairs at the Museum.  “Nothing can equal the power of meeting a survivor in person, hearing from them is more important than ever as we witness the rise in antisemitism and the number of survivors diminishes. While we cannot hold in-person events with them right now, virtually the survivors continue to share their stories with people, especially young people, worldwide.”

The program is free and a YouTube account is not required to view the program.  Educators can download a teaching guide and student interactive from the Museum’s web site.  

Media interested in speaking with survivors or program organizers should contact Kristy Buechner at kbuechner@ushmm.org or at 202.314.1754.

This year’s season of First Person is made possible by generous support from the Louis Franklin Smith Foundation with additional funding from the Arlene and Daniel Fisher Foundation

About the Museum

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. Its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. For more information, visit www.ushmm.org.