BOONE, N.C. — The 22nd Annual Martin and Doris Rosen Symposium, supported by the Claims Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the Martin and Doris Rosen Symposium Endowment and the local Jewish community, will be held July 11-17, 2024, on Appalachian State University's Boone campus.
The theme of this year's Symposium is "The Holocaust and America." Symposium programming will explore the relationships among the United States, Germany and European Jews leading up to, during and after the Holocaust. Using experiential learning practices, attendees will consider Holocaust questions such as antisemitism in America and Germany, eugenics and pseudo-science, the Nuremberg Laws and their relationship to Jim Crow Laws, Jews as American refugees and much more.
For over two decades, the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies' Rosen Symposium has brought educators from across the country together to learn about the Holocaust and how to teach it. Participants will learn from renowned scholars of the Holocaust through workshops, lectures and discussions.
In addition to the teaching workshops, the Symposium features a variety of hybrid events that are free and open to the public. The week-long event will kick off on Thursday, July 11, with a screening of “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots,” at 5 p.m. in room 205 of Appalachian State's Living Learning Academic Center (301 Bodenheimer Drive, Boone, NC 28607) and via Zoom. The documentary follows artist Victoria Milstein as she sculpts the first Holocaust memorial monument in North Carolina commemorating the women and children of the Holocaust. Following the screening, Milstein and Adam Carlin, executive director of Women of the Shoah, will host a talkback with attendees.
In line with the theme of "The Holocaust and America," images of the St. Louis ship are featured prominently throughout Symposium materials. The St. Louis was a German liner that gained attention in 1939 when Cuba, the U.S. and Canada denied entry to its 937 Jewish passengers fleeing from Nazi Germany. On Sunday, July 14, author Kathy Kacer will discuss her children's book about the St. Louis, titled To Hope and Back: The Journey of the St. Louis, and how to teach it during her presentation at 9 a.m. in room 124 of Appalachian State's Reich College of Education (151 College Street, Boone, NC 28607) and via Zoom.
This year's Symposium features two keynote lectures. On Sunday, July 14, Dr. Rafael Medoff, author and founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies in Washington, DC, will deliver “America’s Response to the Holocaust: A Moral Challenge for Every Generation” at 7 p.m. in room 124 of Appalachian State's Reich College of Education and via Zoom. Should America intervene in modern genocides across the world? Dr. Medoff will consider the historical, political and moral aspects of this question within the context of the history of U.S. responses to genocide.
Rabbi Dr. Michael Berenbaum, director of the Sigi Ziering Institute and professor at American Jewish University in Los Angeles, CA, will deliver a second keynote lecture on Tuesday, July 16, at 7 p.m. in room 124 of Appalachian State's Reich College of Education and via Zoom. In his presentation “The Critical Rise of Antisemitism Today,” Dr. Michael Berenbaum will draw on his extensive knowledge of Jewish and Holocaust studies to discuss antisemitism across historical and contemporary contexts. According to Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies Interim Director Amy Hudnall, Berenbaum's expertise on this subject has been actively sought since October 7, and the Center is fortunate to host him for a lecture.
Another highlight of the Symposium is an opportunity for the public to meet and learn from two survivors of World War II and the Holocaust. Dr. Zohara Boyd will share how she learned to live beyond the terror of the Holocaust and Dr. Peter Petschauer will tell the story of how he came to grips with his father's role as an SS officer in World War II. These conversations will take place on Tuesday, July 16, at 2 p.m. in room 124 of Appalachian State's Reich College of Education and via Zoom.
To view the full schedule and learn more about this year's speakers and sponsors, visit holocaust.appstate.edu/events/symposiums/2024-symposium. For a disability accommodation, visit odr.appstate.edu.
Questions about the Rosen Symposium can be directed to Amy Hudnall, interim director of Appalachian State's Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies, at hudnallac@appstate.edu.
###
About the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies
Appalachian State University’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies was established in 2002 to develop new educational opportunities for students, teachers and the community. Located administratively within the College of Arts and Sciences, the center’s vision promotes tolerance, understanding and respect for all human life. To accomplish this vision, the center works to strengthen tolerance, understanding and remembrance by increasing the knowledge of Jewish culture and history, teaching the history and meaning of the Holocaust and utilizing these experiences to explore peaceful avenues for human improvement and the prevention of further genocides. Learn more at https://holocaust.appstate.edu.
The 22nd Annual Martin and Doris Rosen Symposium, supported by the Claims Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the Martin and Doris Rosen Symposium Endowment and the local Jewish community, will be held July 11-17, 2024, on Appalachian State University's Boone campus.
The 22nd Annual Martin and Doris Rosen Symposium, supported by the Claims Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the Martin and Doris Rosen Symposium Endowment and the local Jewish community, will be held July 11-17, 2024, on Appalachian State University's Boone campus.