An Inspirational Volunteer

Amalia Miodownik was recognized recently at Yad Vashem for her inspirational volunteer work in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she served for two years as the community coordinator for Yad Vashem's Shoah Victims' Names Recovery Project in cooperation with a local organization - Generaciones de la Shoah.

Through her efforts, local volunteers were recruited and trained to assist Holocaust survivors and their families commemorated those they know who were killed in the Holocaust by filling out Pages of Testimony in their memory.  Her work was a natural fit for Miodownik who retired from a career of service as an expert in documentation and logistics for a large Israeli company; she says she meticulously checked the forms for accuracy before submitting them to Yad Vashem. "I reviewed each Page of Testimony; I checked every word, every comma, and every date."

Close to 700 Pages of Testimony were collected in the period in which Miodownik led the local names collection drive.  "I was very happy to be a part of this project, which I view as Avodat Kodesh (sacred work); it is a mission that filled up my life."

The effort continues through Generaciones de la Shoah and the local Hillel chapter.  

For help in filling out Pages of Testimony (in Israel) or to volunteer, contact: names.outreach@yadvashem.org.il

Alexander Avram (Left), director of the Hall of Names and Cynthia Wroclawski (Right), Manager of the Shoah Victims' Names Recovery Project receives Pages of Testimony from Amalia Miodownik (center) volunteer coordinator for Yad Vashem's Shoah Victims' Names Recovery Project in Buenos Aires, Argentina.