Interviewing Methods

Oral testimonies allow survivors of the Holocaust to speak for themselves. These personal narratives are unique in their capacity to display a vision that actively engages the listener in its emotions and content.

We´re committed to giving every survivor, witness, liberator and rescuer of the Holocaust the opportunity to leave a permanent record of his or her experiences for future generations. In order to locate those who have stories to tell, we do community outreach, follow up on referrals, and respond to requests.

We screen and train all volunteer interviewers to be sensitive to the unique qualities of Holocaust testimonies. If it´s possible, we conduct interviews in the language requested, or with the assistance of an interpreter. Initial contact with the interviewee helps us to prepare him or her for the interview. We also gather background information about the interviewee, which helps the interviewer to prepare appropriate questions for the interview.

We gather the complete life story of the interviewee, paying special attention to details before, during, and after the Holocaust. The interview protocol includes questions that vary according to the specific experiences of each individual. We follow up to each interview by thanking each interviewee for their participation. We also provide each interviewee with a videotaped copy of their interview.

Interviews take place in a community location or in the interviewee´s home. We use a professional quality SVHS video camera and tape in an informal setting. Interviews range from one and a half hours to four hours. We store all master tapes in a temperature controlled media vault until we transfer them to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. All of our tapes are available to the public for borrowing.