London Synagogue Uses VR to Teach Holocaust History

When 15-year-old Ella Behar stood before her synagogue community this week, she carried forward a story her great-grandmother survived so she could tell. Eva made it through both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen before rebuilding her life in Britain, and now her story lives on through her great-granddaughter's voice.

Barnet Synagogue in London gathered more than 60 members across three generations for their Yom HaShoah commemoration, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The evening blended time-honored traditions with surprising new approaches to keeping painful but vital history alive.

At the heart of the ceremony, community members of all ages lit candles in memory of the six million Jewish lives lost. Among them stood local councillor David Longstaff, Holocaust survivor Hedi Argent who fled Austria as a child in 1939, and multiple generations of families standing side by side.

But the evening also looked toward the future. Youth Director Ofira Brunert led children and teenagers through Letters from Drancy, a virtual reality film that follows Holocaust survivor Marion Deichmann's journey across wartime Europe.

The immersive experience walks viewers through Deichmann's separation from her mother, her escape with the French Resistance in Paris, and her memories of D-Day bombings. Created by synagogue member Micaela Blitz, the film has won recognition at major festivals in London, Venice, and SXSW.

Why This Inspires

As Holocaust survivors age, communities worldwide face an urgent question: how do we preserve first-hand testimony for generations who will never meet a survivor face to face? Barnet Synagogue answered by honoring both methods at once.

Survivor Hedi Argent shared her personal testimony, offering the irreplaceable power of hearing directly from someone who lived through history. Meanwhile, virtual reality gave younger members an emotionally engaging way to connect with stories that might otherwise feel distant.

The combination proved powerful. Ella Behar's family filled the room to hear her speak about her great-grandmother Eva, creating a living bridge between past and future.

The synagogue hosted the event both in person and online, extending the reach even further. Technology that once seemed at odds with traditional remembrance is now helping ensure these stories survive and resonate with digital-native generations.

Communities around the world are racing against time to record and preserve Holocaust testimony before the last survivors are gone, and innovative approaches like virtual reality offer hope that the lessons will endure.