Chhange - Center for Holocaust, Human Rights & Genocide Education

Chhange - Center for Holocaust, Human Rights & Genocide Education Since 1979, Chhange has worked to
educate about the Holocaust, genocide and human rights

This past Sunday, student artists, their families, and educators gathered for a reception and gallery viewing of the stu...
06/09/2026

This past Sunday, student artists, their families, and educators gathered for a reception and gallery viewing of the student art installation, "The Light of Resistance." Using this theme, students created zines—self-published, deeply personal works that showcase independent thought, creative expression, and social commentary—on a variety of topics.

A huge shout-out to Chhange intern Helena Szep, whose last day was today. We are so grateful to Helena for handling our ...
06/03/2026

A huge shout-out to Chhange intern Helena Szep, whose last day was today. We are so grateful to Helena for handling our social media over the last semester and, even more, being a cheerful and friendly presence in our office over the last few months. We'll miss you, but we also know you'll do great in college. Don't be a stranger!

In a previous post (H is for the Haroutunian Family), we learned about Angel Adjemian Haroutunian, the daughter of Ale...
06/02/2026

In a previous post (H is for the Haroutunian Family), we learned about Angel Adjemian Haroutunian, the daughter of Alem Oskian and Neshan Oskian. Alem Oskian was a young woman in Constantinople when the Armenian Genocide began in 1915. Both she and her sister Zarouhi were well-educated, and Zarouhi (pictured above, along with her diploma) served as principal of the well-respected Avedaranagan Varjaran Evangelical School. ⁣
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When Turkish troops forcibly occupied Zarouhi’s school, Zarouhi went to the Turkish Commander’s office to plead for her school’s safety. The Commander was so moved by Zarouhi’s commitment to her students and school that he had his troops removed, and the children were safe for the duration of the Genocide. ⁣
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Before the Genocide, Neshan Oskian courted his future bride, Alem, with beautiful handmade Turkish bath shoes, currently on display in Chhange’s exhibit. Together, they had a daughter whom they named Angel. Neshan, a suspected Armenian nationalist, was targeted by the Ottomans. He was arrested once as a young man, and later, when the Genocide began, he was arrested again and forcibly drafted into the Turkish Army. Neshan died fighting for the Turks, though his family never learned the exact circumstances of his death. ⁣
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Alem and her daughter stayed close to Zarouhi and Zarouhi’s husband, John Adjemian, during the Genocide. Toward the end of the Genocide, Alem contracted the Spanish Flu and died at the age of 31, leaving behind her young daughter. Zarouhi and John adopted Angel and raised her in Constantinople. Later, after they fled increased oppression and anti-Armenian violence, they continued to raise her in Greece.
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When Consolee Nishimwe turned 40, she could not believe she had made it to such an “old” age. Today’s post is about a ...
05/31/2026

When Consolee Nishimwe turned 40, she could not believe she had made it to such an “old” age. Today’s post is about a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, who has dedicated her life to sharing testimony with students and keeping the memory of her three younger brothers alive. ⁣
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Consolee’s parents were married in 1977, and soon after, they welcomed Consolee, the eldest of five, in September 1979. Her younger siblings, Pascal Muvara, Philbert Nkusi, Bon-Fils Abimana, and Jeanette Ingibire, soon followed. They grew up in a faith-based home where love and education were both held in great esteem. Consolee attended a local school, where she spent most of the 1980s being treated as an equal to her Hutu neighbors. ⁣
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However, in the early 1990s, tensions rose throughout Rwanda, and Consolee began facing discrimination at school. Teachers would separate the Hutu and Tutsi students, and the mayor’s niece started hitting Consolee in the middle of class and calling her a “little Tutsi cockroach.” ⁣
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In the spring of 1994, when Consolee was 14 years old, the Genocide began. Consolee and her family fled their home in search of a safe haven, but were warned: ⁣
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“The militias are all around searching for Tutsis to kill and they are looking everywhere. Try and go through the bushes and go to your area and see whether you can find a place to hide!” ( , Kindle Location 887) ⁣
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A neighbor, Angelique, hid the children in her attic for a short time, but soon Consolee’s family was discovered, and her father and brothers were murdered. Consolee suffered sexual abuse and was forcibly infected with HIV, which she continues to live with today. She, her mother, and her little sister all survived the Genocide. ⁣ ⁣

After the Genocide, Consolee and her mother found consolation in their strong Christian faith and family values. They decided to forgive and rebuild their lives. You can learn more about Consolee’s testimony and her journey to forgiveness in her memoir, “Tested to the Limit: A Genocide Survivor’s Story of Pain, Resilience and Hope.” ⁣

Today, our spotlight is on Holocaust Survivor Milan Schwartz. Milan was born in January 1943 in Berdejov, a city in mo...
05/28/2026

Today, our spotlight is on Holocaust Survivor Milan Schwartz. Milan was born in January 1943 in Berdejov, a city in modern-day Slovakia. As the German Army advanced on their city, one-year-old Milan, his infant brother, and his parents hid in a bunker in the forest, hoping to evade capture. They were betrayed by a group of locals and deported to Bergen-Belsen in October 1944. Milan’s father was murdered days before their Liberation, but the British Army arrived in time to provide Milan and his mother with life-saving care. ⁣
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When the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp was liberated on April 15, 1945, Milan and his mother were both suffering from typhoid fever and nearing death. With medical assistance from the Allied Forces, they both managed to slowly recover. Milan, his brother, and his mother eventually moved to the United States. ⁣
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Although Milan is a Holocaust Survivor, he often sees himself as a , because so much of his testimony is about his parents. After the Holocaust, Milan’s mother suffered from night terrors, and he remembers how her screams would wake up the family. In an effort to make his mother proud, Milan became an engineer and worked at Fort Monmouth for most of his life. ⁣

When considering the stories lost to the tide of genocide... REMEMBER: Artifacts are Survivors as well.The highlight of ...
05/27/2026

When considering the stories lost to the tide of genocide... REMEMBER: Artifacts are Survivors as well.

The highlight of our tenth “Artifacts Are Survivors” post: Zarouhi Oskian's diploma. Amidst the violence of the Armenian Genocide, Zarouhi, who served as principal of the well-respected Avedaranagan Varjaran Evangelical School, remained deeply committed to her students and school. When Turkish troops forcibly occupied Zarouhi’s school, she went directly to the Turkish Commander’s office to plead for her school’s safety. The Commander was so moved by Zarouhi’s commitment to her students that he had his troops removed, and the children were safe for the duration of the Genocide. ⁣

The histories of genocides are preserved through these artifacts only if you are willing to listen and learn. If you'd like to learn more about Zarouhi and her family's story, look out for our upcoming Survivor ABC's post for the letter "O," which highlights the Oskian Sisters.

Powerful conversations, meaningful storytelling, and community in action at Chhange’s 44th Annual Colloquium: "Resistanc...
05/21/2026

Powerful conversations, meaningful storytelling, and community in action at Chhange’s 44th Annual Colloquium: "Resistance: Mothers’ Quest for Justice." From the moving plenary on enforced disappearances in Veracruz, Mexico with Lucia Diaz Genao and Dr. Matthew Hone, to breakout sessions and a student art installation exploring resistance, justice, identity, and memory — thank you to everyone who made this year’s colloquium so impactful. ✊

The spotlight for today’s post is on Manfred Lindenbaum, one of the 10,000 children saved in the Kindertransport initi...
05/12/2026

The spotlight for today’s post is on Manfred Lindenbaum, one of the 10,000 children saved in the Kindertransport initiative, which brought Jewish children from Germany and Poland to the United Kingdom in 1938-1939.
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Manny was just a toddler when his Polish-German family was forced out of their hometown of Unna, Germany and made their way over the border into Poland. He and his family were constantly on the run prior to 1938, but Manny remembers being happy during those years because his family was together. ⁣
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The three Lindenbaum children were forced to separate from their parents in 1938, in hopes of getting on the Kindertransport. However, when they reached the boats to begin the journey, Manny’s older sister, Ruth, was refused entry. Ruth held her brother down while his head was shaved and then pushed him onto the boat. That was the last time Manny ever saw his sister. Ruth never made it out of Poland; she was murdered alongside her parents at Auschwitz-Birkenau. ⁣
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Manny and his older brother, Zeigfried, arrived in England and were quickly separated. Manny did not get along with the first few guardians he was placed with, and he gained a reputation as being difficult. However, the Christian family that took him in for the last three years of World War II was good to him, and Manny remains in contact with this family. ⁣
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With the help of HIAS, Manny eventually made his way to the United States. He went on to become a peace activist and has now spoken to thousands of children about their responsibility to change the world by speaking out against hatred and bigotry. Along with being an active member of Chhange, Manny founded the Peace, Genocide and Holocaust Center at Ocean County College. Today, he continues to speak at community and school events.

Today’s post features Lola Kline, a child Survivor of the Holocaust. Lola was born in Nowogrodek, a town in Grodno Reg...
05/10/2026

Today’s post features Lola Kline, a child Survivor of the Holocaust. Lola was born in Nowogrodek, a town in Grodno Region, Belarus. After the German occupation, Lola’s parents escaped to the Polish forest with her uncles, the Bielski brothers, forming the renowned Jewish partisan group that rescued more than 1,200 Jewish men, women, and children. Their journey through the Holocaust has been dramatized in the popular film “Defiance.” ⁣Because Lola was an infant who would have posed a danger to the partisan group, her family arranged to have her hidden with and raised by a Christian family. Lola recalls:⁣
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“I thought I was Catholic and was baptized. I learned to hate Jews, but that wasn’t because of them. That was for their protection and for my protection. They knew the Germans were out to kill all Jews.” ⁣
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After the war, the Christian family refused to return Lola to her family, so Lola’s parents resorted to kidnapping to retrieve their daughter. Over time, she bonded with her natural parents, and once she learned more about her courageous family, her love, pride, and admiration for them was unbounded.

Lola went on to become one of Chhange’s Holocaust Survivor docents in our Journeys Beyond Genocide exhibit. She was an active speaker for many years, recounting her family’s story to students visiting Chhange and speaking at schools throughout New Jersey. Although Lola passed away on March 2, 2025, her legacy continues to be honored by the Chhange community.

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765 Newman Springs Road, At Brookdale Community College
Lincroft, NJ
07738

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Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm

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