In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, SDSU Hillel partnered with the Jewish Federation of San Diego County to host six local Holocaust survivors for a unique intergenerational encounter with Jewish college students to bake challah together and share stories. The name of the event, L’dough V’dough, comes from the Hebrew phrase L’dor V’dor, or “from generation to generation.”

Students and survivors sat around tables at the Melvin Garb Hillel Center and spoke about the importance of learning the stories of prior generations so that we may pass them on to the future generations. While hearing the survivor’s stories, students learned to braid challah and were able to take home their finished products.

The event went an hour longer than scheduled because the students’ conversations with the survivors were so meaningful and filled with emotion. Students were in awe of the stories they heard and asked insightful questions. There was not a dry eye in the room from expressions of sorrow and joyful laughter. Students were deeply appreciative that there were able to meet survivors and bear witness to their stories.