Ancestry® and the Center for Jewish History Announce Partnership to Preserve & Share Holocaust Stories for Future Generations

New York, NY (January 21, 2025)

The Center for Jewish History (CJH) is thrilled to announce a new multi-year partnership with Ancestry®, the global leader in family history, ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Together, they are launching the Ancestry Research & Reflection Room, a new space and initiative to collect, preserve, and share the family histories of Jewish communities worldwide.

The Ancestry Research & Reflection Room will open to the public on January 27, 2025, to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz's liberation. Its launch coincides with the opening of Anne Frank The Exhibition, by the Anne Frank House presented with the Center for Jewish History and the start of the Center’s program series, Anne Frank in History and Memory.

The Ancestry Research & Reflection Room offers a dedicated space to explore family histories while preserving the memory of the more than six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and the millions who suffered under Nazi persecution. Researching and sharing these stories helps ensure such atrocities are never repeated. The new partnership builds upon CJH’s DNA Reunion Project with Ancestry to unite families separated by the Holocaust through free AncestryDNA testing.

“The launch of the Ancestry Research & Reflection Room represents a profound opportunity to connect individuals with their family histories, particularly those affected by the Holocaust. We are taking a monumental step toward preserving these vital stories for future generations,” said Dr. Gavriel Rosenfeld, President of the Center for Jewish History. “This partnership seeks to ensure that the legacy of Holocaust victims and survivors is not only remembered but actively shared, inspiring education and understanding for years to come.”

 “As we approach the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and recognize that the youngest Holocaust survivors are now in their 80s, preservation is more urgent than ever so that we never forget this history," said Howard Hochhauser, Chief Operating Officer and incoming Chief Executive Officer at Ancestry. "My grandmother was a Holocaust survivor, and I have witnessed first-hand the power of discovering details of her life and honoring her legacy through family history research. We are deeply grateful to our partners at the Center for Jewish History for their shared commitment to honoring the histories of those who perished, as well as the survivors.”

Designed as a space that invites both contemplation and curiosity, the Ancestry Research & Reflection Room will include:

• Access to powerful family history & Holocaust-related records: Ancestry, in partnership with Arolsen Archives, today announced the addition of 7.5M new Holocaust and Nazi persecution-related records, bringing the total to over 39 million globally. Accessible for free as part of the Arolsen Archives Collection, the records are searchable at ancestry.com/alwaysremember and onsite at CJH. Visitors are invited to explore the new collection – and the 60B+ records already available on Ancestry – to make meaningful family history discoveries.
• Genealogy services and discovery opportunities: Visitors will benefit from expert genealogy research assistance and access to the combined resources of CJH and Ancestry. Bringing together these resources is one further step to help ensure the stories of the six million Holocaust victims and countless survivors are never forgotten. Ancestry and CJH plan to host a virtual family history workshop with experts open to audiences across the nation and around the world.
• Interactive story preservation: Guests will be invited to contribute audio or written accounts of their family histories, building a growing archive of first-person stories and eyewitness accounts captured at a critical moment when we must preserve as much of the Holocaust's lived memory as possible.
• Resources for students and educators: Ancestry will provide onsite access to AncestryClassroom  which allows teachers and students to explore Holocaust-related classroom materials and historical record collections available on Ancestry at no cost. Incorporating these new resources into pre- and post-visit educational programming at CJH will enhance learning opportunities for more than 150,000 students and educators expected to visit the Center in 2025.

About the Center for Jewish History:
The Center for Jewish History is one of the world’s foremost institutions for the preservation and study of Jewish history and culture. Home to five partner organizations and the world’s second largest collection for Jewish history and culture, the Center provides access to a rich array of archival materials, exhibitions, and educational programs that inspire discovery and dialogue. The Center’s Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute is a widely respected genealogy destination that helps visitors uncover their family history and take on challenging genealogical questions.

About Ancestry®:
Ancestry®, the global leader in family history, empowers journeys of personal discovery to enrich lives. With our unparalleled collection of more than 60 billion records, over 3 million subscribers and over 25 million people in our growing DNA network, customers can discover their family story and gain a new level of understanding about their lives. Over the past 40 years, we’ve built trusted relationships with millions of people who have chosen us as the platform for discovering, preserving and sharing the most important information about themselves and their families.

Join us in honoring the past and shaping the future. Visit the Ancestry Research & Reflection Room at the Center for Jewish History starting January 27, 2025 through 2025.