Suzanna Kokkonen from Israel in Riga on 11.08

On August 11 at 19:00, the church Dzīvības avots will host
Suzanna Kokkonen from Israel, director of Christian Friends of Yad Vashem.
Riga, Ūnijas iela 99, Christian center Labā Vēsts.

Christian Friends of Yad Vashem - International Relations Department

Dr. Suzanna Kokkonen was born in Finland and earned a master's degree in history and political science. In 1998 Suzanna began studying Hebrew in Israel and continued her studies in the Holocaust research program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, receiving a PhD in philosophy in 2005.
Suzanna worked at the Finnish Embassy in Israel as a cultural attaché and later as policy director in various pro-Israel lobbies in EU institutions in Brussels, working on Middle East and EU relations.

In 2008 S. Kokkonen was appointed director of Christian Friends of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and later also the person responsible for developing Yad Vashem's relations with the Vatican. As head of the International Relations Department, S. Kokkonen, in cooperation with ICEJ, builds bridges between Christians around the world and Jews in Israel. Suzanna is invited to teach in churches about the causes and consequences of tragic events of the past: how the Holocaust changed the course of human history and what we can do to prevent evil today.

The Holocaust was a turning point in history that brought a crisis of faith and overturned our hopeful assumptions about humanity, society, the modern state and each individual's responsibility to stand against injustice and help people in suffering. These and many other values on which civilization rests must be cultivated and taught anew in every generation.

In her seminars Suzanna touches on themes such as how the Holocaust could happen, how enormous an impact each individual can have on society, the struggle with conscience and doubt, and testimonies - for example, how one pastor's sacrifice brought a legacy of blessing to a nation, what we can learn from it and what the role of today's Christians is in this critical time.

Casper ten Boom, whose family received and hid Jews in their home during persecution in Holland, said these words to an officer who had come to him: "In every person's life there comes a time when he must choose - to serve God's laws or human commands."

The lessons of history gathered by Yad Vashem give insight into what a human being is capable of, inviting everyone to take a more active role in public life; they teach us to understand the development of events and encourage us to make efforts to prevent every evil, making life in every nation more hopeful and safe.