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The Center for Holocaust Awareness and Information

The Jewish Federation's Center for Holocaust Awareness and Information (CHAI) works to ensure that the Holocaust and its lessons are not forgotten. Its acronym, CHAI, meaning "life" in Hebrew, reflects the mission of The Center, to keep alive the memory of the Holocaust through the life stories of local survivors and their families. 

The Center is located on site at the Jewish Federation, 441 East Avenue. CHAI can be reached by phone at (585) 461-0490.
 
Download a CHAI brochure.

Through our award winning "Survivors in the Classroom" program, these important witnesses address more than 13,000 students yearly, ranging from 6th graders through college students. Books, videos and archival materials based on survivors' experiences are also available. Three locally published books of survivor memoirs provide valuable resources for teachers to use in their classrooms.

Go to www.perilousjourneys.org to find our web version of the book, Perilous Journeys, comprising the personal stories of peril, sacrifice and rescue as told by ten Rochester area Holocaust survivors.

Learn more about Perilous Journeys.

CHAI is an indispensable resource for teachers in Monroe County and beyond.  New York State has mandated the teaching of the Holocaust; the Center trains teachers and provides them with the necessary resources to do that job effectively.

Components of CHAI include:

  • On-site library and media center including 1,200 books, 400 videos and 70 survivor testimonies
  • Go to www.perilousjourneys.org to find our web version of the book, Perilous Journeys, comprising the personal stories of peril, sacrifice and rescue as told by ten Rochester area Holocaust survivors.
  • Publications
  • Annual Teacher and Student Interschool Conferences
  • CHAI Update. To register to receive a copy of CHAI Update via email, contact soutlaw@jewishrochester.org.  Download your Spring 2013 CHAI Update to learn about upcoming Holocaust programming. 
  • Community programming on the Holocaust including annual Kristallnacht and Yom Hashoah commemorations.
  • Speakers' Bureau
  • Poster series available for loan
  • Curriculum and Resource Development
  • Internships
  • Photography exhibit for loan

For more information about CHAI, contact Director Bonnie Abrams, 461-0490, ext. 8648 or babrams@jewishrochester.org