Manya Friedman

Manya was born in Chmielnik, a small Polish town that had a Jewish community dating back to the 16th century. Her father owned a furniture shop and her mother took care of the home. Manya had two younger brothers, David and Mordechai, and was surrounded by many close relatives. She attended both public and Hebrew schools and had many friends.

Other Survivor Volunteers »

Survivor Affairs

Who is a Survivor?

The Museum defines a survivor as a person who was displaced, persecuted, and/or discriminated against by the racial, religious, ethnic, social, and political policies of the Nazis and their allies between 1933 and 1945. In addition to former inmates of concentration camps and ghettos this includes, among others, refugees and people in hiding.

Contact Us

Ellen Blalock
Director, Survivor Affairs
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW
Washington, D.C. 20024-2126
E-mail: survivoraffairs@ushmm.org
(202) 488-0414

Rachel Wagner
Program Assistant, Survivor Affairs
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW
Washington, D.C. 20024-2126
E-mail: survivoraffairs@ushmm.org
(202) 479-9732

Collections: The Museum has the most comprehensive collection of Holocaust-related materials in the world. Included in its holdings are works of art, artifacts, photographs, archival documents, manuscripts, historical film footage, music and sound recordings, and oral testimonies.

The Registry of Holocaust Survivors seeks the names of all Holocaust survivors—whether or not they are currently living—in order to assist survivors and their families in attempts to trace missing relatives and friends, as well as to provide resources for historical and genealogical researchers. Inclusion in the Registry is voluntary and assures that the names of survivors will be preserved for future generations.

If you are interested in arranging a speaking engagement with a survivor either at the Museum or in your community, please visit the Survivor Affairs Speakers Bureau webpage here.

What We Do

The Office of Survivor Affairs coordinates the work and activities of survivors who volunteer at the Museum, and who donate thousands of hours of service annually to the Museum; organizes programs at the Museum for and involving Survivors, including Conversations in the Wexner Center: Meet and Learn from a Holocaust Survivor, The Memory Project, and First Person; sends representatives to conferences and events outside of the Museum in order to establish and strengthen relationships with survivors and survivor groups throughout the U.S. and internationally; provides links to Museum and other resources that assist survivors and their families.

The Museum is SEEKING SURVIVORS who resided in France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany in 1946.
Learn more »

Bringing the Lessons Home students interact with a survivor.
View video »