Right before the annual Holocaust Memorial Day (commemorated on April 12 this year), Yad Vashem announced a cooperation agreement with Israeli high-tech startup Wibbitz to transform Holocaust stories, now documented in texts and sound clips, into dynamic video clips using a special artificial intelligence platform.

The Jerusalem-based Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority and museum believes the video format will increase visitor engagement with Holocaust-era stories, as few people invest the time to read text.

In addition, the video format will allow the hundreds of thousands of stories to be shared and distributed beyond the walls of the museum. These are stories recorded in Yad Vashem in various languages from World War II, commemorating survivors and victims, Righteous among the Nations and Jewish life before the war.

“We are deeply moved by the announcement that we have become a partner of Yad Vashem,” said Zohar Dayan, CEO and cofounder of Wibbitz.”The recognition we received from Yad Vashem to address this important content is a significant milestone for us.”

Wibbitz supports and creates tailored video content for more than 400 content sites including CBSi, Forbes, Reuters, Time Inc, Hearst, and The Street. The company was founded by Zohar Dayan and Yotam Cohen in 2011 and has offices in Tel Aviv, New York and Paris.

(via Israel21c)

[Photo: Soccerdhg / Flickr ]