Yesterday, in the context of researching some background on a potential client, I had the good fortune of being directed to a website produced by the Holocaust Education Committee of the Columbus Jewish Federation, http://www.holocausteducationvideo.com/. On this site one can access the testimonies, in the form of video interviews, of close to fifty Holocaust survivors in Central Ohio. Not only did I not know about the existence of this treasury of historical records, but in looking through the pictures on this site, I realized that many of the faces were familiar. These were the faces of people I often saw at the grocery store, at community events, or while exercising at our local Jewish Center. And yet, before I saw this site, I knew nothing of these people's backgrounds. I had no appreciation of what each of these individuals had to survive to be here today. Which brings me to my topic for today's blog. There are so many ways in which personal historians, both professional and amateur, can develop service projects that contribute and enhance their communities. When I was at the recent conference of the Association for Personal Historians in Victoria, B.C., Dan Curtis, a personal historian, spoke about a program he developed for his local hospice, in which he has trained volunteers to conduct oral histories with terminally ill patients. The model of having a professional train volunteers could be developed for all sorts of organizations, whether it be a Rotary Club wanting to document the lives of their older members, or a YWCA wanting to document the lives of women who have been successful thanks to the YWCA programming, or teenagers wanting to serve their communities by preserving the life stories and historical memories of their elders. Feel free to share any of your ideas for service projects, either on this blog, or you can always contact me personally. |
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CategoriesFamily history, creativity, creative options family histories, cousins sharing family storiesFamily stories Fun things to do on Thanksgiving hanukkah family traditions, hanukkah traditions, memories of hanukkah, hanukkah activities, Holocaust recipes, Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival by June Feiss Hirsch meaningful gifts, gifts that matter, do it yourself personal histories, life stories, oral history Passover memories, Easter memories, modern day exodus from Egypt personal history, oral history Personal history, oral history, holocaust testimonies, Columbus Jewish Federation, community service Pictures telling stories preserving memories for those with cognitive impairment, alzheimers reminiscence, life review, personal narratives in medicine,satisfaction in storytelling social service, hospice volunteers, Dan Curtis, Association of Personal Historians Thanksgiving activities Thanksgiving recipes, Heirloom Cookbooks, family history, recipes as family history Thanksgiving stories |
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