Leading experts in Holocaust commemoration, documentation and education will be presenting at the conference, with one session dedicated to the memory of the late Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Laureate Prof. Elie Wiesel.

As the conference is taking place during the holiday of Chanukah, each evening a celebratory Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony will be held, using authentic menorahs that survived the Holocaust and are part of the Yad Vashem Artifacts Collections. World-renowned Holocaust survivor and Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council Rabbi Israel Meir Lau lit the Chanukah candles at the opening session of the conference which fell on the third night.   

Dr. Eyal Kaminka, Lily Safra Chair of Holocaust Education and Director of the International School for Holocaust Studies, reflected on the importance of this conference: "Yad Vashem is establishing the framework for educating future generations on the history of the Shoah and how it relates to our current Jewish identity. This is a challenge for all Jews around the globe, which is why it is so important that so many educators from Jewish day schools are coming together here, at the International School for Holocaust Studies, to be part of this discussion."

"Never before has there been as comprehensive a discussion of this type and at this level," explained conference organizer Ephraim Kaye, Director of the Jewish World and International Seminars Department at the International School for Holocaust Studies. "The goals of the conference are to explore how Jewish schools around the world are teaching the Shoah today, in what ways Yad Vashem can assist in the process, and the future of Holocaust Studies in the greater Jewish community."

The main plenary proceedings of the conference are to take place in English with simultaneous translation in Spanish, French and Russian. The panel deliberations, round-table discussions and workshops will be conducted in various languages, some also with simultaneous translation.

At the opening plenary evemt, Kaye acted as master of ceremonies. Kaye's introduction of  Rav Lau, who was featured speaker, recounted stories from Rav Lau's book, "Out of the Depths; The Story of a Child of Buchenwald..".

Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Natan Sharansky, is to light a special menorah together with descendants of Holocaust survivors during the closing session of the conference, which will be in memory of Izzy and Babs Asper.

Since the creation of the International School over 20 years ago, Yad Vashem has been developing and disseminating tools to effectively educate the public about the history of the Holocaust. This conference is unique as it is the first specifically for Jewish Educators.

Israeli singing group Kippalive provided entertainment doing their popular songs and  Chanukah favorites.