This program was created in 1998 by Holocaust Survivor, Irving Roth. He stated that the following are the objectives of the experience:

The objective of this program is to transfer the life experience of a Holocaust Survivor to a student by taking a joint journey through the life of the survivor. Through this personal journey, the student becomes one with the survivor absorbing his life, spirit, and soul. The students will be able to represent the survivors and tell their stories with accuracy and feeling to any audience for at least another half-century. 

The Adopt A Survivor project was developed in many areas of the state and has paired up hundreds of survivors with students who promise to tell the survivor's stories in the year 2045 - 100 years after the liberation of the camps. This activity provides an opportunity for a student or a group of students to get to know a survivor on a personal level. The program is designed to preserve and perpetuate the incredible and inspirational stories of Holocaust survivors. Through this program, a class, with the guidance of their teacher, will become familiar with a Holocaust survivor’s life before, during, and after the Holocaust to create a project that tells the survivor’s story. 

Each class participating will be assigned one survivor. We suggest meeting during three to five class periods to successfully hear the survivor’s story. After hearing the story completely, the class will complete a project on the survivor’s experience. This project should be developed and created as a collaborative effort by all those in the class and should be shared with the survivor as well as with Raab/Goodwin upon completion.

During the class meetings, the conversation should be interactive with the survivor and the students. We have some prepared questions that teachers can use as a starting point.

Adopt - A - Survivor Project Overview

Resources for Speaker Visits

If you are interested in participating in this program, please contact the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education at holocaust@doe.nj.gov