The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

Holocaust Remembrance Week brings author, lecture, film screening

Hillel commemorated the Holocaust this week and discussed the role of genocide in contemporary society through an event series honoring Holocaust Remembrance Week. The event series began Monday and will end Friday evening with a discussion after Hillel’s Shabbat dinner service.

The series began on Monday with a talk from Noah Lederman, author of “A World Erased: A Grandson’s Search for His Family’s Holocaust Secrets.” In his talk, Lederman discussed his book and what is was like growing up in a family severely traumatized by the Holocaust. A grandchild of two Holocaust survivors, Lederman said that the family’s traumatic experiences seeped through generations, according to Hillel’s Social Action Vice President Sydney Edelson.

On Tuesday, government and law professor Ilan Peleg, history professor Robert Weiner and former languages and literatures professor Rado Pribic held a discussion on the legacy of the Nuremberg trials and lasting consequences of the Holocaust. According to Edelson, the turnout at the talk went well and was standing room only.

The week’s events continued on Wednesday evening with the movie screening of the film “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” (2008), which Edelson chose. While there was no specific event set for yesterday, Hillel suggested students attend the lunchtime talk from author of “What Happened to Anna K,” Irina Reyn. According to Edelson, while her novel does not deal with the Holocaust, it is related to the Jewish experience.

Events for Holocaust Remembrance Week will conclude this evening with a discussion after Hillel’s weekly Shabbat dinner service. According to Edelson, the discussion will focus on modern anti-semitism.

“We’re just going to talk and give people a forum to vent or share a story maybe if they’ve experienced anything and just voice their opinion,” Edelson said.

While the showing of “Judgement at Nuremberg” is not directly affiliated with Hillel’s remembrance week, the plot also centers on the Holocaust and the Nuremberg Trials. The show, which is being performed by L.A Theatre Works, is set to begin at 8 p.m tomorrow night at the Williams Center for the Arts.

“I hope that maybe one person who didn’t know something about the Holocaust or who didn’t understand its magnitude can get something out of this week,” Edelson said.

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