Why Memory Matters More Than Ever: Limmud 2025’s Unmissable Voices on Holocaust and History

As Jewish communities across the world grapple with rising antisemitism, political instability, and the heartbreak of war, our need to understand our history has never been more pressing. It is at times like these that access to real intelligence, firsthand, and deeply informed, is not a just luxury, but a necessity. Limmud offers just that. It is a dynamic space to learn directly from those who have spent their lives preserving and telling the stories that have shaped who we are as a Jewish nation.

At the heart of this year’s programme is a powerhouse lineup of local and international presenters, each bringing a unique lens to the Holocaust and our history. These sessions are not just about our past but help guide our present-day choices, and the future we hope to build.

Yohai Cohen, Director of Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies, brings with him the weight of responsibility and the clarity of purpose that comes from standing at the epicentre of global Holocaust remembrance. His sessions will explore how Holocaust education is evolving in the face of denial, distortion, and generational distance. In a time when memory is under siege, Yohai reminds us that education is not just about facts — it’s about moral clarity and communal resilience.

Joining him is Tal Bruttmann, one of France’s foremost Holocaust historians, whose work challenges how we present and perceive the Shoah. Tal has been instrumental in reshaping museum narratives to centre not only the horror of Nazi crimes but also the lived experiences and agency of Jewish victims. His insights into the ethics of representation, what we show, what we omit, and why, are especially poignant as we mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz.

Karen Stern, a historian and archaeologist, offers a unique perspective on our Jewish history. Her groundbreaking research into Jewish graffiti and material culture in the ancient Mediterranean reveals how memory is etched not only in books and monuments, but in walls, stones, and everyday objects. At Limmud, she’ll explore how the echoes of Jewish life across centuries can inform how we carry those memories forward.

Tali Nates, founder and director of the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre (JHGC), brings a deeply personal and globally informed perspective to Holocaust education. The JHGC honours the memory of the victims of genocide in the 20th century, including the victims of the Holocaust, Nazi Germany, and the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Tali is a historian born to a family of Holocaust survivors. Her father and uncle were saved by Oskar Schindler. Tali has dedicated her life to exploring the intersections of memory, justice, and human rights. Her sessions at Limmud will draw on decades of work on genocide and reconciliation, offering powerful insights into how we remember atrocities. In a time of rising intolerance, her voice is both a warning and a beacon.

And then there’s Tamar Falkson, a dynamic educator whose work bridges the classroom and the community. With a background in Jewish history and a passion for making the past come alive for younger generations, Tamar’s sessions will focus on how we teach Jewish history in a way that is both historically rigorous and emotionally resonant. In a world of TikTok and short attention spans, her approach is a masterclass in relevance and reverence.

Together, these presenters are united by a shared mission: to ensure that the lessons of the past are neither forgotten nor silenced and to equip us with state-of-the-art knowledge that inspire us to make informed decision in these frightening and turbulent times.

For information or to register, visit www.limmud.org.za.

Limmud Johannesburg (15-17 August); Limmud Durban (20 August); and Limmud Cape Town (23-24 August).