Published in 2014, The Heart and soul of CHUTZ-POW! SUPERHEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST is driven by the commitment to honor those who perished, to celebrate those who survived, and above all else, to educate. We did not add special powers or fictional characteristics to the amazing lives of Les Banos, Moshe and Malka Baran, Dora Iwler, and Fritz Ottenheimer: instead, we chose to highlight the strength, courage, and love that exist inside all of us. We can all be up-standers… everyone has the power to be a superhero.

Published in 2016, this second volume includes stories of international superheroes, ordinary men, and women who challenged the dominant Nazi ideology and fought for the victims, proving that real people risked death to save lives during the Holocaust. Real heroes existed in one of the darkest periods of history… and it is possible to be a hero today!

Published in 2018, this third volume tells the stories of men and women who survived the Holocaust as children. Some were invisible, hidden children who stayed out of sight. Others were visible, hidden children who assumed a false identity and had to learn new customs and new names. Some children survived concentration camps and ghettos, while others were able to escape with their families intact. Heroes emerge in each story – a mother who acquired false papers for her family against the wishes of her husband; another mother who stood up to Nazi guards to protect her children; non-Jewish families who took in Jewish children, risking their own lives.

Published in 2020, ten creators come together to tell the stories of women with remarkably different Holocaust experiences. The women are Jewish, Muslim, and Christian; a world-class athlete, a clothes designer, a lawyer and politician, and a member of the British Auxiliary Air Force. Three were involved with organized resistance against the Nazis. One would become a famous actor and humanitarian. The stories of women have been given short shrift in archives and historical research. With this volume, CHUTZ-POW! recognizes the heroism of six remarkable women, placing them at the center of the history of the Holocaust.

Teaching students about the Holocaust is a daunting prospect for educators, both due to the difficulty of the subject matter and the wide scope of information available. The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh is keenly aware of the challenges that most teachers face in this area. Our solution has been surprisingly simple: telling these stories in graphic prose via comic books. For decades, educators have understood the scholastic and social power of using comic books in curriculums. With minimal guidance, the language of comics is accessible, intimate, and stimulating.