The Shoah Institute
The William S. Levine Family Shoah Institute is dedicated to Holocaust education and commemoration as well as Israel education and advocacy. Through a multifaceted approach, including student-survivor programming, academic fellowships, immersive travel, and mentorship, the Institute equips students with the knowledge, conviction, and sense of responsibility to serve as ambassadors for the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
A central pillar of the Institute's mission is Holocaust education and memory preservation. In partnership with Names Not Numbers®, Flatbush introduces Middle School students to the research and documentation of Holocaust narratives. The program serves as an immersive, interpersonal conduit through which students encounter Holocaust history in a deeply meaningful and personal way. For High School students, the Witness Theater Holocaust education program in partnership with Self Help Community Services, approaches Holocaust remembrance through drama therapy.
The Levine Institute also enables High School seniors to travel to Poland, where they visit significant Holocaust sites, while also gaining an in-depth appreciation for the rich history of Jewish life that flourished there for centuries before the war.
Throughout High School, students also have the opportunity to participate in Israel Achdut Missions and an Israel Chesed Mission. Through the Achdut Missions, students visit IDF soldiers on military bases, volunteer with communities across Israel, and experience the country's people, culture, and resilience firsthand. Chesed Mission focuses on meaningful service, as students work with vulnerable elderly and children who are orphaned, disabled, or sick. Together, these experiences foster a deep and lasting personal connection to the State of Israel and its people.
The Levine Institute also runs the Levine Israel Fellowship, a student research fellowship in partnership with Yad Vashem and the Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Center at Bar-Ilan University, challenging students to engage deeply with complex historical and contemporary issues.
Beyond its in-person programming, the Levine Institute produces educational resources for Yeshivah of Flatbush students, alumni, and families through a variety of podcast series exploring Israeli history and identity. These include an eight-episode documentary series on Israel's nuclear program, a series examining landmark Israeli speeches, and additional balanced, non-partisan educational content designed to deepen understanding of Israel, Jewish history, and contemporary issues.
By combining education, research, experiential learning, mentorship, and meaningful engagement with Israel, the Levine Institute strives to cultivate knowledgeable, thoughtful, and confident young leaders. Its mission is not only to preserve the past, but to inspire the next generation to strengthen the Jewish future with courage, scholarship, and purpose.
