Americans and the Holocaust: Online Resources

The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its allies and collaborators. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum teaches millions of people each year about the dangers of unchecked hatred and the need to prevent genocide.

The rise of Nazi Germany, the genocide of European Jews, and the outbreak of World War II provoked a variety of responses from the American public. Sources in this section highlight how Americans responded to the crises gripping Europe. Would the United States play a role in defending democracy and human rights abroad? How would Americans grapple with racism and segregation at home?

Explore approximately 600 ID cards to learn more about the personal experiences of those who experienced the Holocaust.

Learn more about the exhibition's background and key messages.

Indiana's Only Holocaust Museum: In 1995, Eva Mozes Kor opened the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, with a mission to prevent prejudice and hatred through education about the Holocaust. Thousands of people, including many school groups, have visited CANDLES since it opened. In 2003, the museum was destroyed by a hate-filled arsonist. Eva vowed to rebuild, and with the help of a generous public outpouring of support, the museum was rebuilt and reopened in 2005. CANDLES is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Maintained at Brigham Young University, links to primary historical documents from Europe.

In 1963 Yad Vashem embarked upon a worldwide project to pay tribute to the Righteous Among the Nations who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. This represents a unique and unprecedented attempt by the victims to honor individuals from within the nations of perpetrators, collaborators and bystanders, who stood by the victims' side and acted in stark contrast to the mainstream of indifference and hostility that prevailed in the darkest time of history.

An invaluable resource for humanity, the USC Shoah Foundation's Visual History Archive (VHA) contains more than 55,000 video testimonies of survivors and witnesses of genocide, crimes against humanity, and related persecution.

In this 39-minute tour, Dr. Daniel Greene, US Holocaust Memorial Museum historian and exhibition curator, provides a tour of the exhibition and an overview of the history, themes, and artifacts presented throughout.

Explore the online exhibition, critically analyzing various factors that shaped attitudes and actions taken by the government, the media, other organizations, and individual citizens in response to the Holocaust.