HRA18 Blogs & Statements
Holocaust Remembrance Association Statements
Children in Many Roles: We Tell Their Stories
October 22, 2025 - Dr. Susanna Kokkonen At the beginning of WWII, children everywhere were still...
Joy Has Returned to the Land
October 13, 2025 - HRA18 Joy Has Returned to the Land We cried. We prayed. We mobilized—together...
Remembering October 7
October 7, 2025 - HRA18 Last night, our community gathered at the Holocaust Garden of Hope to mark...
Charlie Kirk, Israel, and the Call to Be an Upstander
September 18, 2025 - HRA18 The recent loss of Charlie Kirk has left many reflecting on his life...
Holocaust Remembrance Association – Expanding the Reach of Remembrance, Healing, and Hope
September 15, 2025 - HRA18 Why Our Work Matters The Holocaust Remembrance Association (HRA18) is...
Statement on The Assassination of Charlie Kirk
September 11, 2025 - HRA18 We mourn the violent killing of Charlie Kirk. While the full facts and...
Holocaust Remembrance Association Blogs
Bloggers (Click to read each author’s contributions):
Blogs by Dr. Susanna Kokkonen
Dr. Susanna Kokkonen is an accomplished author and international speaker, addressing Christian, Jewish, and civic audiences worldwide on topics including the Holocaust, genocide, antisemitism, and contemporary Israel. She has presented her lectures in the parliaments of Canada, Finland, and Sweden, as well as at the European Parliament. Most recently, Dr. Kokkonen served as the Director of Christian Friends of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. In this role, she guided Christian dignitaries, spoke to numerous Christian groups, and organized over 10 Christian Leadership Seminars with participants from more than 50 countries. Dr. Kokkonen’s work continues to foster education and dialogue on vital historical and current issues.
Stories that Shine – Faith, Hospitality, and Hope
October 31, 2025 - Dr. Susanna Kokkonen Vayeira 5786 (2025) Genesis 18:1-22:24; 2. Kings 4:1-37 Vayeira, the name of this Torah portion means that “He appeared”. The person this refers to is God Himself appearing at Abraham’s tent. Hospitality At the beginning...
Stories that Shine – The Journey of Faith, Blessing, and Repentance
October 31, 2025 - Dr. Susanna Kokkonen Lech Lecha 5786 (2025) Genesis 12:1-17:27; Isaiah 40:27-41:16 Lech Lecha, the name of this Torah portion contains a powerful lesson. It refers to Abram’s call. This is a familiar story to many of us. We know about blessings...
October 2025 Statement by Holocaust Remembrance Association
October 22, 2025 - Dr. Susanna Kokkonen The end of fighting in Gaza, the subsequent executions of Palestinians by Hamas and the Rafah attack against Israeli troops -despite ceasefire- dominated media in recent days. As two Israeli soldiers lost their lives, President...
Stories that Shine – Lessons from the Days of Noah and the Righteous Who Chose to Act
October 24, 2025 - Dr. Susanna Kokkonen Noach 5786 (2025) Genesis 6:9-11:32; Isaiah 54:1-10 Noach, the name of this Torah portion refers to a righteous man called Noah. This is a very familiar story to many of us. We may feel that it needs no explanation. But...
Blogs by Hao Nguyen
Originally from Vietnam, I migrated to Texas in August 2020 and have been living with my stepfather, biological mother, and stepsister. My journey in higher education began as a recipient of the prestigious Chancellor Scholarship at an honors college, where I am majoring in International Business with plans to major in Marketing if finance allow possibly. My academic foundation is supported by full tuition coverage, which enables me to focus on my studies and career development.
Bridges of Compassion – The Untold Stories of Asian Rescuers During the Holocaust: Pt2, Ho Feng Shan: One Man’s Kindness Saves Thousands
When I moved to the United States four years ago as a Vietnamese-American student, it felt overwhelming, like trying to find my way in a vast, unfamiliar world. Adapting to a new culture taught me a lot about identity and the importance of empathy. Along the way, stories like that of Ho Feng Shan became a source of inspiration. Ho was a Chinese diplomat in Vienna during the late 1930s who defied orders to issue thousands of visas to Jewish families. His actions gave them a chance to escape the Nazis. Risking his career and safety, Ho proved how much one person’s courage can matter.
Perverted Perfection – The Nazi Obsession with Beauty and Power: Pt 2, Division, Racial Superiority and Purity
December 4, 2024 by Hao Nguyen As I think back to my early childhood, I always reflect on an afternoon in my grandfather's garden. It was a vibrant place, bursting with colors and scents that represented the fullness of life. We sat together on a wooden bench beneath...
Bridges of Compassion – The Untold Stories of Asian Rescuers During the Holocaust: Pt 1, Chiune (Sempo) Sugihara
November 22, 2024, by Hao Nguyen I recently stumbled upon an article titled "Chiune (Sempo) Sugihara" on the Holocaust Encyclopedia, and it really left an impression on me. Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat stationed in Lithuania during World War II, and he made the...
Perverted Perfection – The Nazi Obsession with Beauty and Power: Pt 1, Cultural Heritage
November 20, 2024, by Hao Nguyen Growing up as a Vietnamese-American, I've always been drawn to the vibrant stories interwoven into my cultural roots and how they shape my understanding of beauty. I remember a time as a kid when I usually watched a traditional...
Blogs by Christine Ege
Christine’s early experiences with travel and diverse cultures sparked a lifelong passion for connecting across backgrounds. By age 14, she had lived in various parts of the U.S., forming friendships with people from many cultural communities. This led her to earn degrees in Russian, German, and French Languages and Literatures, including post-graduate studies in interpreting and translation at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. After several years in Norway, Christine and her husband, Steve, settled in Texas, where they have dedicated themselves to numerous volunteer roles. Since 2013, Christine has been a leader with March of Remembrance Texas, passionately advocating against modern-day antisemitism, and she also serves as executive director for a local anti-trafficking organization, where she shares thousands of homemade cookies with the community each year.
The Final Solution: Industrialized Killing
by Christine Ege As schoolchildren, we all learned about the Industrial Revolution and the benefits resulting from new technology, mechanization of production processes, and maximization of profit. Productivity and efficiency grew at a historically unprecedented...
The Snare of Superiority
by Christine Ege Many concur that hindsight is always 20/20, as it is relatively easy to recognize mistakes after they have been made and identify sins after they have been committed. However, it is not always such a simple matter to discern truth in the face of...
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