Yad Vashem's new Farsi mini-site

One of the Yad Vashem events marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day was yesterday's launch of their Farsi-language mini-site.

“Every year, nearly 20,000 people from Muslim countries, including Iran, visit the Yad Vashem website,” says Yad Vashem chairman Avner Shalev. “We believe that making credible, comprehensive information about the Holocaust available to Persian speakers can contribute to the fight against Holocaust denial.”

The site includes 20 sections and many photos, taking readers from the rise of the Nazis through the post-war trials.

Menashe Amir translated and edited the material. A legend in the Israeli Persian community, his long-running Farsi-language radio program fielded calls directly from callers in Iran.

When I wrote for the Jerusalem Post's Metro weekly at the Tel Aviv office, I attempted to time my trip home to catch the bus driven by a Persian-origin driver who listened to Amir. As those readers who have visited Israel are aware, the bus driver controls the radio according to his or her preferences. It seemed to me that many others also timed their trip to coincide with the broadcast.