DNA is the genetic material in your cells that makes us each unique. It can be obtained by a gentle swab of the inner cheek. Ideal candidates for this project are pre-war immigrants, survivors, and second- and third-generation relatives.

The impact of the DNA Shoah Project will carry well into the next millennium. The database has multiple, far-reaching uses, the most important of which is service to families torn apart by the Holocaust. Using genomic technologies, the database can reunite blood relatives, provide information on living and deceased relatives and help Holocaust orphans identify living kin. In addition, this information will be used to assist European governments in the identification of human remains as mass graves are uncovered. It can also aid in the creation of policies and protocols that may change the way international governments respond to genocide, terrorism and other acts of organized violence.

Those who participate by contributing their DNA to the database will benefit themselves and others around the world in the quest to find missing relatives. They will also become part of the first-ever attempt to build a repository of genetic information for victims of the Holocaust.