Holocaust Resource Foundation
Remembering the Past, Honoring the Present, Shaping the Future
Leader in the Field of Holocaust Education
In 1982, a group of Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives in Union County, New Jersey, formed the Holocaust Resource Foundation (HRF) to advance a groundbreaking vision for Holocaust education.
Their goal was to form an inclusive organization to serve New Jersey’s students, educators, and public, regardless of religious, ethnic, or national background. Together with Kean University, they established the Holocaust Resource Center (HRC), one of the earliest of its kind in the United States.
Since this time, the HRC, with the support of Kean and the HRF, has established itself as a leader in the field of Holocaust education. Today, our mission has three pillars: collections, commemoration, and education.
HRF and HRC Founded
Founding Families
Students reached since HRC Inception
Dual Credit Districts
New Jersey School Districts Reached
People Reached in 2021-2022
Statement from HRF
The Holocaust Resource Foundation joins all civilized people in condemning the atrocious terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel and unequivocally rejects antisemitism in all forms. The HRF’s mission to remember the past, honor the present, and shape the future makes us truly committed to upholding the legacy of Jewish Holocaust survivors and their descendants. We are continuously working on learning and teaching the dark lessons that hatred and intolerance ferment, as we witness the outcome in Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israelis and the unnecessary suffering Palestinians are facing in Gaza. Hate and intolerance must be replaced with enlightenment and respect. The HRF is praying for a cessation of war and the safe return of loved ones to their families. We encourage everyone to check in on each other, to show loving kindness and give grace. This is the first step toward becoming a more peaceful and just society.
What is the HRC?
The Holocaust Resource Center began as a leader in the field of Holocaust education, and remains so today. When Governor Thomas Kean established the first Council on Holocaust Education in the US, he did so at the HRC. Today, the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous recognizes the HRC as one of only 13 Holocaust Centers of Excellence in the United States.
The Holocaust Resource Center’s continued work is made possible by the leadership, vision, and generosity of the Holocaust Resource Foundation and Kean University. In order to remain a leader in the field of Holocaust Education, it is vital that the HRF continues to grow with the scope of—and the glaring need for—the HRC’s work. The center is more imperative than ever as we continue to honor and propel the HRF’s mission far beyond the lifespan of its visionary founders to reach the next generation of students and educators.
What Does the HRC Do?
The HRC maintains a fully digitized, public archive featuring one of the largest collections in New Jersey of unique survivor, liberator, and rescuer testimonies. In addition, the HRC library boasts more than 7,500 books in its print collection, 350 films, and hundreds of educational materials and curricula designed by NJ educators, HRC staff, and partner organizations. In fall 2021, the HRC acquired a unique collection of World War II-era documents from Josiah DuBois, Jr., a native New Jerseyite and prosecutor at the I.G. Farben Trial (Nuremberg Trials), 1947-1948.
True to our original mission, the main focus remains teacher training. The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Teaching the Holocaust and Prejudice Reduction has provided more than 3,416 K-12 New Jersey educators with tuition-free graduate courses from 2020-2021. The dual-credit course ID 1800 Holocaust, Genocide and Modern Humanity is patrially subsidized by the HRF for students at more than 40 high schools around the state each year. Through these two programs, the HRC’s work reaches more than 130 school districts and organizations annually.