The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center brings in international volunteers to contribute to the operation and growth of the organization.

ARSP

The Museum is an annual participant in the Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP) program. ARSP is a German volunteer organization founded by Christians seeking to confront the era of National Socialism in German history.

In 1959, young German volunteers began working to rebuild synagogues, schools, and churches throughout Europe. Eventually, social peace services took the place of construction. Work with Holocaust survivors became the essence of the program. ARSP volunteers can be found in Israel, the United States and Europe working at educational institutions, museums and former concentration camp sites. Additionally, they confront German history, challenging extremism and anti-Semitism.

To learn more about the ARSP program or to find opportunities for American students to work in Germany, visit the ARSP English website  (ARSP German home page).

AHMS

The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service (Gedenkdienst) is an alternative to Austria’s compulsory national military service. Its participants serve at major Holocaust institutions in more than 20 countries worldwide.

The AHMS was founded by the political scientist Andreas Maislinger from Innsbruck (Tyrol, Austria) who adopted the idea from the German Action for Reconciliation (Aktion Sühnezeichen, ARSP). Maislinger himself had worked as a volunteer at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, where the idea of the AHMS was born.

In 1991, legislation was enacted by the Austrian Government, and Andreas Maislinger began organizing what became known as the AHMS – an independent, though largely government-financed, foundation. The intent of the AHMS is to recognize Austria’s part of the collective responsibility for the Holocaust and the responsibility of each and every one of us to never forget.

The AHMS is a unique international network that provides assistance to Holocaust-related archives and museums. Since 1992 there have been over 200 Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servants, mostly in their 20s, working to study and preserve Holocaust history.

The Austrian Service Abroad is the main body of the organization and authorized by the Austrian Government. The organization provides placements for an alternative Austrian national service all over the world. The regular nine month alternative national service is substituted by a 12-month service at one of its partner organizations abroad.

The organization caters for three different types of services: Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service, Austrian Social Service and Austrian Peace Service.