Holocaust Documentation and Education Center, Inc.

The Holocaust Documentation & Education Center (HDEC) was created in 1980. Its Founders, the late Arnold Picker and Abe Halpern, envisioned the HDEC as “A Living Memorial through Education” – through the collecting and archiving of Holocaust eyewitness oral history testimonies (Oral History Collection). From its inception the mission of the HDEC was embraced in its name: to document and educate.

The Holocaust Documentation & Education Center mission is to document and present an enduring, historically accurate record of the Holocaust through eyewitness accounts by Survivors, Liberators, Rescuers, and others who survived terrifying experiences, overcame fear and grief, and triumphed to live meaningful, productive lives.

To teach people from all walks of life the unique and universal lessons of the Holocaust through insightful programming, illuminating the catastrophic ramifications of prejudice, hatred, and bullying which still occur today.

The HDEC has the largest self-produced standardized Oral History Collection (OHC) of eyewitness testimonies (Testimonies/Testimony) in the world. As a result, there are over 2,400 Testimonies available for scholars and educational purposes. Testimonies are conducted by interviewers who have been trained to complete a structured interview via a 54-hour course which is university accredited. The HDEC has achieved international acclaim and recognition for maintaining its Oral History Collection of Testimonies. The United Nations, Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Simon Wiesenthal Center are among the prestigious institutions that have sought the HDEC’s expertise over the years to develop their own oral history projects and programs.

The Testimonies are produced in the HDEC in-house studio. Each Testimony interview may be several hours in length. There are many steps involved towards completion. The structured interviews are conducted with the utmost sensitivity. Each interview is transcribed, audit-edited and a careful proof-reading process is done to ensure accuracy. When this process is completed, the transcription is bound on acid-free paper. The transcription and audit/editing process is supported by the work of volunteers. It is important to note that the HDEC is the only known institution to date that is transcribing verbatim each in-house interview.