The Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre (HKHTC) and Asia Society Hong Kong Center (ASHK) invite you to a memorial reception, dinner, and programme commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and honouring its survivors.

We are honoured to welcome an address (delivered via videoconference) from Professor Rana Mitter of Harvard University, a world-renowned expert on China’s role and experience in World War II. His talk, titled The Burdens and Lessons of History: Remembering WWII in Asia, will provide vital context for understanding World War II and the lessons we can learn from this pivotal episode in human history.

Meanwhile, we are privileged to host a discussion with Professor Mark Spigelman, who will share his remarkable story of survival in conversation with Mr. Ronnie C. Chan, Chairman of Asia Society Hong Kong Center. Professor Spigelman’s account illuminates the resilience of those who endured the Holocaust and serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of remembering history to prevent such atrocities from occurring again. Joining the discussion will be Ms. Rachel Spigelman, Professor Spigelman’s wife and daughter of Holocaust survivors, who will speak about her experiences chronicling his story in a new children’s book titled Blue Eyes Wide Open.

As part of this commemoration, we are proud to unveil an innovative project harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to educate and inspire in classrooms across Asia. In partnership with the USC Shoah Foundation, HKHTC will introduce Dimensions in Testimony, an AI-driven project featuring interactive testimonies from Holocaust survivors, a Nanjing massacre survivor, and a Chinese comfort woman. This pilot project, which includes the testimony of a comfort woman for the first time ever in an AI format, allows audiences to engage in real-time conversations with these remarkable individuals, ensuring their stories are heard and remembered. For more details, please check out this recent SCMP feature.

Guests will also have the opportunity to experience The Last Goodbye, a VR project featuring the testimony of Holocaust survivor Pinchas Gutter. This immersive experience transports participants to the Majdanek concentration camp in Poland, where Pinchas recounts his harrowing journey as the sole survivor of his family during the Holocaust. Viewers will walk alongside him through the camp, witnessing his poignant memories and gaining a deeper understanding of the atrocities he endured.

We invite you to join us for this special demonstration of transformative experiences that honour the resilience of survivors and promote a deeper understanding of history.

Please click here to register.