Alexander Avram is Director, Hall of Names, at Yad Vashem.

A philologist by training, he has two M.A.s (from University of Bucharest and Hebrew University, Jerusalem) and a PhD. in History of the Jewish People from Bar Ilan Uuniversity, Israel.

Since 1984, he has worked with the Pages of Testimony Collection at Yad Vashem. He has coordinated the Personal and Geographic Names Indexes since 1995.

In addition, he has represented Yad Vashem at international commissions on Holocaust victims’ assets (ICEP Volcker Commission for the Swiss dormant bank accounts, ICHEC Eagleberger Commission for insurance policies, Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and the Future” for slave labor, Generali Fund in Israel).

“The Upgraded Names Database – Enhanced Technical Capabilities in the Service of Memory” (Thurs-170), 1:30-2:45 P.M.

The Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names is going through a major change and is being upgraded to a new advanced technological platform that is designed to significantly improve its functionality and user friendliness.

A number of changes will be discussed among them: shorter time response, larger number of query results, sorting capabilities, on map location of places, browsing from record to record, flexibility in adding new features and so on. A better designed layout and optimum accessibility features are also included.

How is this helping to document Shoah victims and affecting the commemoration dimension? Feedback of the audience will be appreciated and integrated in subsequent developments.

Topics: Holocaust research, Technology in support of genealogical research