Ninth Annual Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week features thought-provoking themes and explorations

FIU will observe Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week, from January 25 – February 1, with a remembrance ceremony and a series of events that will include personal testimonials, an immersive multimedia exhibit, film, lectures and panel discussions. All events are open to the public and will take place on- and off-campus. View the full schedule of events here.

Presented by Hillel at FIU, the Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program at the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, the week offers the FIU community an opportunity to explore a range of perspectives on the Holocaust.

At the heart of the commemoration is the university’s Annual Remembrance Ceremony event on Thursday, February 1, featuring keynote speaker Holocaust survivor Mark Nusbaum.

“Dr. Nusbaum is among the last survivors still able to share his personal experiences of the Nazi assault on European Jewry and his perspectives on legacies of hate up to the present day,” said Oren Baruch Stier, director of the Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program and professor of Religious Studies. “This is a rare opportunity to hear a first-hand account from someone who was there.”

On January 29, Chad Gibbs, director of the Zucker/Goldberg Center for Holocaust Studies and assistant professor of Jewish Studies at the College of Charleston, will discuss how historians interpret primary sources with fragmented and conflicting survivor stories, specifically concerning the uprising at the Treblinka concentration camp.

Other offerings include “America During the Holocaust,” with Nikki Freeman, director of education at the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, leading a conversation with Michael Berenbaum, formerly of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, about what was happening on college campuses and in the U.S. in general during the Holocaust. Another timely presentation by Jewish educators on campus, “It’s Hard Being Jewish,” will cover what’s it like to be Jewish at FIU today, especially in the face of the war between Israel and Hamas.

A virtual offering on January 31, “Known / Unknown: Roma and Sinti in the Holocaust,” will focus on the Nazi assault on the Sinti and Roma people of Europe – sometimes referred to as the “forgotten Holocaust.” Tune in on Zoom to learn about what we know and don’t know about these overlooked victims.

“At the core of education during the current rise in antisemitism, is the idea that unless people speak up and fight hate, history will repeat itself. The Holocaust didn't happen overnight or because of the actions of a handful of people. Antisemitism is a contagious disease and fighting it on campus and in our community starts with Holocaust and genocide education,” said Jon Warech, executive director, Hillel at FIU.