News from the 19th Floor – At the JFR – January 2020
News from the 19th Floor
COMMEMORATING THE LIBERATION OF AUSCHWITZ
January 27th is the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Consider viewing the award winning documentary the JFR produced on Roman Kent, JFR’s President and an Auschwitz survivor. Here is a link to the documentary, A Survivor’s Journey, The Life of Roman Kent.
CHRISTMAS AWARDS SENT TO RESCUERS
In December, the JFR sent rescuers a special award of $1,750 for the purchase of food during the Christmas holiday season, for home heating fuel, and for medications. When we sent the special award, we asked for photos of the rescuers. We would like to share some of their thank notes and photos. Click here to see them. Thanks to your generosity, together we are able to make a difference in the day-to-day lives of the rescuers. On behalf of the rescuers we thank you!
JFR 2020 ADVANCED SEMINAR
We are looking forward to welcoming 25 Lerner Fellows to the 2020 Advanced Seminar over Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. This year the Advanced Seminar will start Saturday morning, rather than after lunch. We are devoting the entire day, Saturday, January 18, to a study of antisemitism and how to teach to this complex subject in the classroom.
Ira Forman, Adjunct Professor on Anti-Semitism – Center for Jewish Civilization at Georgetown University and the former Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, U.S. Department of State, will present on anti-Judaism and antisemitism. Günther Jikeli, the Erna B. Rosenfeld Professor, Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism at Indiana University, will lecture on antisemitism. Simone Schweber, the Goodman Professor of Education and Jewish Studies, at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, will present on how to teach this complex subject.
Stefan Hördler, the former director of the Mittlebau-Dora Memorial site, will lecture on “Holocaust Photography: Chances and Limits of a Critical Photo Analysis” and “New Research on the Evolution of the Nazi Concentration Camp System, 1933-1945.” We met Stefan in the summer of 2018, during our European Study Program to Germany and the Netherlands. Dr. Hördler personally took our group through the memorial site. Dr. Hördler has a wealth of information to share.
On Sunday, Robert Jan van Pelt will lead participants through the “Auschwitz Exhibition – Not Long Ago. Not Far Away” at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Professor van Pelt curated the Auschwitz Exhibition.
We are going to start planning the 2021 program shortly. If you would like to have a specific topic or area addressed or to hear from a particular scholar, please let Stanlee know.
JFR HAS A NEW TELEPHONE NUMBER
We have a new telephone number – 973-736-1800.
KEEPING YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION CURRENT
If you change names, home address, place of employment, telephone numbers, emails – please do let us know so we can keep your record current.
As we start a new year, I wish everyone only good things! Please do stay in touch.