By Elizabeth Johnson
As Holocaust survivors become fewer each year and antisemitism continues to rise, Fred Valfer believes preserving Holocaust memory now falls to the next generation.
For Valfer, “Never Again” is not simply something we say. It is a moral imperative that demands vigilance, historical understanding and the courage to confront dehumanization before it takes root. Driven by that conviction, he accepted the chairmanship of the North Carolina Holocaust Foundation (Holocaust Foundation), determined to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust remain central to classrooms across the state.
The Holocaust Foundation serves as the fundraising partner of the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust (Holocaust Council), a state agency established by the North Carolina General Assembly. Together, the two organizations were leading advocates for the Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act, which requires Holocaust education in public middle and high schools across North Carolina. Enacted in 2021, the law reflects the state’s commitment to ensuring future generations understand the causes, consequences and enduring lessons of the Holocaust.
Today, the Holocaust Foundation helps fund conferences, workshops and professional development opportunities that enable educators with the knowledge, classroom resources and confidence to teach the Holocaust with historical accuracy and sensitivity.
And for Valfer, this very mission is deeply personal.
Like many children of Holocaust survivors, he grew up knowing only fragments of his family’s story. His parents survived the Theresienstadt concentration camp but rarely spoke about what they had endured. Instead, they focused on raising two sons in Rochester, Minnesota with a strong Jewish identity while instilling in them a deep appreciation for the opportunities America had given their family.
Everything changed after “People” magazine published a story about Steven Spielberg’s film “Schindler’s List.” In it, readers learned Valfer’s uncle and his brother were among the Jews saved by Oskar Schindler. “After carrying their experiences quietly for decades, my parents began telling us what they had lived through,” Valfer recalled. “The starvation. The degradation. How they were stripped of their humanity and reduced to just a number.”
Soon afterward, his parents began speaking in classrooms, churches, museums and community centers, believing future generations needed to understand what happened during the Holocaust and the consequences of allowing hatred to go unchallenged.
Today, Valfer considers it his responsibility to carry their work forward. “I hope my parents know I’m continuing what they began,” he shared. “They believed what they had lived through could educate and inspire others. If we stop bearing witness to them, we risk forgetting not only what happened, but how it happened.”
As chairman, Valfer believes educators are the key to preserving Holocaust memory for future generations. “How do we get teachers involved?” he asked. “How do we motivate them to engage and teach with the passion this subject demands?”
For Valfer, that question lies at the heart of the fight against antisemitism. “When I speak to students, I talk about the similarities between today and Nazi Germany in the 1930s,” he said. “I also draw parallels to the era of American slavery. History, sadly, has a way of repeating itself. Until people understand its origins, they will remain susceptible to the same insidious propaganda that made the Holocaust possible.”
He also sees troubling parallels between the rapid spread of distorted narratives across social media today and the ease with which falsehoods shape public opinion. “Misinformation creates misinformed minds. When individuals accept information without questioning it, prejudice and hatred can and will take root. Education is how we combat antisemitism. It teaches students to think critically, ask important questions, and recognize where intolerance can lead.”
Looking ahead, Valfer envisions the Holocaust Foundation, in conjunction with the Holocaust Council, will continue to expand its reach by equipping every teacher in North Carolina with the training and support needed to teach Holocaust history with depth, accuracy and compassion.
“If every student leaves Holocaust classes understanding that genocide doesn’t begin with violence, but with the gradual acceptance of prejudice and dehumanization, and that each of us has a responsibility to challenge those forces early, we’ve accomplished something powerful.”
For Valfer, preserving Holocaust memory is not solely about honoring those who survived. It is about preparing the next generation. By giving every classroom teacher the tools to educate, encouraging students to think critically and preserving survivor testimony, he believes the North Carolina Holocaust Foundation will ensure the lessons of the Holocaust endure long after the last eyewitnesses are gone.
If you would like more information, or to donate to the North Carolina Holocaust Foundation, please reach out to Fred Valfer at NCHolocaustFoundation@gmail.com.
