On March 12-13, the Israeli Embassy in Riga hosted an event and conference to mark the handover of the IHRA presidency from the United Kingdom to Israel. In line with the Israeli presidency's annual theme, "Crossroads of Generations," the focus was on innovative technologies and their role in preserving Holocaust memory.
The event, initiated by the Israeli Embassy in partnership with the British Embassy in Riga, the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, the Ministry of Education, and the Jewish community of Latvia, brought together a wide range of stakeholders.
At the opening event, speeches were delivered by Israeli Ambassador Simovitch, British Ambassador Brummel, and the outgoing IHRA chair and UK’s Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, Lord Eric Pickles. The event was attended by government representatives, diplomatic staff, members of the Jewish community, and education professionals. On behalf of Israel, Dr. Yael Richler Friedman, the pedagogical director of the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, addressed the challenges of Holocaust education.
The following day was dedicated to a seminar for teachers from across Latvia, who gathered to discuss existing projects, planned initiatives, and field ideas on how to commemorate the Holocaust, its victims, and survivors, eighty years after the end of the war. The seminar was attended by over 65 teachers, who were awarded academic credit points in coordination with the local Ministry of Education.
This event provided an important opportunity to explore ways to address the reality of a world without Holocaust survivors, in collaboration with local partners who clearly recognize the importance of this issue and are committed to taking action to meet the challenge.
