Internationally reknowned scholars and educators will join Seton Hill University (SHU) staff and students to attend the tri-annual Ethel LeFrak Holocaust Education Conference, which has been a huge success in the past, according to Wilda Kaylor, director of the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education. The three-day conference, which will take place from Sunday, Oct. 25 to Tuesday, Oct. 27, will feature several speeches, a concert and a film presentation and discussion.
By Jessie Krehlik
Photo Editor
Internationally reknowned scholars and educators will join Seton Hill University (SHU) staff and students to attend the tri-annual Ethel LeFrak Holocaust Education Conference, which has been a huge success in the past, according to Wilda Kaylor, director of the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education. The three-day conference, which will take place from Sunday, Oct. 25 to Tuesday, Oct. 27, will feature several speeches, a concert and a film presentation and discussion.
This conference’s theme is “Holocaust Education in the 21st Century: Religious and Cultural Perspectives,” but the conference will also focus on recent genocides, new technologies and interreligious dialogue.
Over the course of three days, the conference will showcase over 40 presentations from not only SHU faculty but other Holocaust and genocide educators from across the nation.
“I am very much looking forward to the presentations by all of our keynote speakers,” said Associate Professor of Sociology James Paharik, who will also present his own speech.
The conference’s keynote speaker, Michael Berenbaum, director of the Sigi Ziering Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Ethics at American Jewish University, will deliver a speech entitled, “The Memory of the Holocaust: Challenges to 21st Century Christians and Jews.” Among the other speakers are SHU’s Chairperson of the Division of Humanities and History Professor John Spurlock, director of International Seminars for Educators at Yad Veshem in Jerusalem Ephraim Kay, Rev. John T. Pawlikowski, O.S.M., professor of Social Ethics and director of Catholic-Jewish Studies Program of Cardinal Josheph Bernardin Center at the Catholic Theological Union and Victoria Barnett, staff director of the Holocaust Memorial’s Committee on Church Relation. Each respective lecturer has prepared a different topic for his or her speech.
According to Kaylor, the conference attracted participants from many nations, including Canada, Italy and Israel. “I think students aren’t always aware that the NCCHE is truly a national and international Center,” Kaylor said.
“We’ll also have local teachers in attendance. Our goal is for an outside attendance of 150 conference attendees.”
“Many of the participants are teachers who use the Holocaust to teach their students about the need for greater tolerance in our world. This year, in addition to our on-campus students, students in our new Genocide and Holocaust Studies Graduate program will be attending,” said Paharik. These students are traveling from as far as California and Texas. “I have gotten to know these students through the online courses that I teach and through emails, but I am excited because it is the first time that I will meet them in person,” Paharik added.
The keynote address, concert and film screening are available for public viewing with the hopes of attracting between 300 and 400 people for the events. “I would be extremely pleased if the number turns out to be even higher,” said Kaylor.
Tiffany Ruff, who was involved with the center last year, thinks that all students could benefit from the conference. “I think the most successful event will be the film screening of 40 Years of Silence: [An Indonesian Tragedy],” she said. Following the screening, which will occur on Monday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m., a discussion will take place. This film helps audiences become aware of one of the largest unknown genocides of the 20th century. Between 500,000 and one million Indoneisans were murdered under the regime of General Suharto. According to Kaylor, there will also be a few screenings of the documentary prior to the conference viewing.
A concert will take place at the Seton Hill University Performing Arts Center as well. Directed by Nancy Rubenstein Messham, “Music Reborn: Forbidden and Forgotten” will be performed by not only SHU music department faculty and students, but by guest musicians as well.
“Every student should try to attend at least a part of the conference. Even though I am a chemistry major, I feel that every major would sincerely benefit from attending the conference to connect their field of study to this important historic event,” said Ruff.
“Overall, the conference will give students a chance to learn about this important topic from the experts who have studied and researched it over many years. It is a great opportunity, and it only comes once every three years, so students should really take advantage of it,” said Paharik. “I hope that it will whet appetites to take more courses on the topic, to join S.T.A.N.D., our student club against genocide and even to consider a career in teaching about or working to prevent genocide.”
“The Holocaust and genocide are difficult topics, but ones that we cannot afford to ignore. Our conference materials use the tag line, ‘Learn. Teach. Study the past to create a better future,’” Kaylor said. “Genocide is taking place in the world as we speak. If we are to be people of good conscience, the we need to pay attention to what is happening, to name it for what it is. We need to do all that we can to prevent prejudice and hatred and to urge governing bodies to stop genocide. I urge students to attend the conference and discuss these difficult issues with scholars and educators.”
Students can find a registration form on Griffin’s Lair or the NCCHE website.
