Episode Details

Four grandparents survived the Holocaust, but growing up, Leslie Benitah was forbidden to ask about the numbers on their arms or the trauma they carried. At night, she heard what silence concealed. Today, the journalist and filmmaker behind The Last Ones Foundation is racing against time to preserve Holocaust survivor testimonies before they disappear. With more than 100 interviews filmed across multiple continents, she is transforming Holocaust education through digital storytelling, classroom curriculum, social media, and a geolocated app that connects testimony to the places where history happened. She reveals why reaching young people means meeting them on their platforms, how survivor stories can build empathy, and why the next generation must learn to become upstanders instead of bystanders.

Key Takeaways

• Survivor testimony becomes more powerful when it reaches young people through the platforms and formats they already use.
• Preserving Holocaust memory is increasingly urgent as the remaining survivors reach advanced ages.
• The Last Ones Foundation turns filmed testimonies into free educational curriculum and lesson plans for classrooms.
• Digital storytelling and geolocation can connect historical testimony directly to the physical places where events unfolded.
• Leslie believes Holocaust education should teach young people to recognize hatred, reject indifference, and become “upstanders, not bystanders.”

Notable Quotes

• “My four grandparents were Holocaust survivors.”
• “At night, I would hear them scream.”
• “I’m running against time.”
• “All of these testimonies are a small treasure.”
• “I want this generation to be a generation of upstanders, not bystanders.”