Meta launched the sixth annual edition of Sharing Memories on Yom Hashoah on Monday, a project aimed at connecting younger generations with testimonies from Holocaust survivors.
The project was launched on Instagram in partnership with the non-profit organization Our 6 Million, and will be held under the theme “A Vanishing Generation.”
While in previous years Holocaust survivors were filmed in person, due to heightened security risks amid the Mideast war, this edition will be purely social-media-based.
Number of survivors steadily declining
In 2025, approximately 12,000 Holocaust survivors passed away in Israel. The goal of the initiative is to ensure that survivors' stories are passed on, as fewer survivors remain to share them firsthand.
For the first time, the project was presented at an event at the Office of the President in Israel, alongside project participant President Isaac Herzog. First Lady Mrs. Michal Herzog also attended, alongside participating content creators and representatives of the survivors’ families.
“Here at the Office of the President, I am hosting members of the founding generation of our nation who endured and survived all the hardships of our history,” said Herzog. “When I hear someone who was there, in the ashes and the crematoria, I understand our responsibility to share our story with the world and with our younger generation.”
“Especially now, at a time when Holocaust denial exists and when attempts are being made to reignite the deep,” he continued, “simmering hatred that led to the greatest disaster in human history. You are part of a national mission to carry our historical consciousness from generation to generation”.
Vice-President and General Manager of Israel and Southern Europe at Meta Adi Soffer Teeni, as well as founder of Our 6 Million Alisha Kaye Yaakobi participated in the event as well.
“For six years,” said Soffer, “we’ve been sitting one-on-one with Holocaust survivors, listening, documenting, and sharing their stories with a generation that grows up on screens. But this year, something changed. Some of the survivors we met are no longer with us. Our responsibility is clear: to ensure their voices continue to be heard, long after they are gone.”
Responsibility to share testimonies is growing
Sha’ar described the project as an “act of remembrance that continues to live from person to person, and from generation to generation,” particularly at a time when survivor numbers are steadily declining.
“The responsibility to pass on their memory to future generations is only growing,” she said.
Also for the first time, the project will be translated and dubbed into seven languages, including French, Spanish, and Dutch, enabling global distribution and expanding the reach of the testimonies to international audiences, “particularly at a time when the importance of preserving and sharing Holocaust memory globally is more critical than ever,” said project organizers.
The languages will be developed using artificial intelligence technology by Israeli startup Panjaya, which adapts the videos into multiple languages while preserving the speakers’ original voice and maintaining precise lip-sync and body synchronization.
Since its launch in 2021, 20 Holocaust survivors who participated in the project have passed away, making, for many, their participation their final recorded testimony.
“These testimonies,” said the project organizers, “serve not only as historical documentation, but also as a source of inspiration and a digital legacy for future generations.”
Israeli artists, media personalities, and influencers have joined the project, using their social media followings to connect the stories with millions of people. Since its launch, Sharing Memories has featured more than 100 content creators and generated over 43 million views.
This year, the project will also be featured at Ben Gurion Airport, with QR codes placed at boarding gates and check-in counters that will allow passengers to access the full videos. The videos are also available to watch on yesVOD and STING+.