Questions for Holocaust Survivors - Sensitive Questions for Documenting Personal Testimony
Documenting Holocaust survivor testimony is a historical responsibility. These questions are designed with sensitivity - to create space for sharing, without pressure.
Why do these questions work?
Documenting survivor testimony is sacred work. The questions are divided into three periods: before, during, and after. It's essential to let the survivor choose what to share and what not to.
Tell me about your childhood - where did you grow up and what do you remember?
Why this is a great question: A vanished world - life before the Holocaust.
What did a regular day look like in your home before the war?
Why this is a great question: Daily life of a community that was destroyed.
Is there a food that reminds you of home?
Why this is a great question: A sensory memory that opens further stories.
Tell me about your family - who were they?
Why this is a great question: Documenting names and people who may be forgotten.
When did you first feel that something was changing?
Why this is a great question: The beginning of change from a personal perspective.
Is there a specific moment that is etched in your memory?
Why this is a great question: Allows them to share what they choose.
Who helped you survive?
Why this is a great question: Stories of survival and human heroism.
How did you arrive in your new country?
Why this is a great question: The story of liberation and a new beginning.
What's the first thing you remember about starting over?
Why this is a great question: First impression of a new life.
How did you begin building a new life?
Why this is a great question: Astonishing human resilience.
What gave you the strength to keep going?
Why this is a great question: Personal sources of strength.
Tell me about starting your family - how did you meet your partner?
Why this is a great question: Love after destruction.
What did you feel when your children were born?
Why this is a great question: The triumph of life.
Is there a tradition or food you preserved from your old home?
Why this is a great question: Heritage that survived.
What's the most important thing you wanted to pass on to the next generation?
Why this is a great question: A message for the future.
Did you tell your children? What was hard about it?
Why this is a great question: The dilemma of telling the story.
Is there a story you've wanted to tell but nobody asked?
Why this is a great question: Freedom to share.
Tips for a Great Conversation
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but we recommend a family member accompany the process. SipoorAI sends questions via SMS, the survivor answers by voice, and the answers become a printed book that stays in the family for generations.
The questions are designed with care and sensitivity. Most survivors actually want to tell their stories - they're waiting for someone to ask. The responsibility to document is ours.
Yad Vashem and Holocaust museums document testimonies. SipoorAI is a complementary tool - a personal book for the family, in their own voice, that stays at home.
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Every testimony recorded is a victory over forgetting
A personal book from a survivor's testimony - in their voice, for future generations.