Upcoming Events
The Future of Holocaust Education: Centropa as a Critical Resource
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 4:30pm EST via Zoom
Centropa—a historical institute based in Vienna—offers interviews and digitized photographs of Jewish life in 15 Central and Eastern European countries spanning the entire 20th century. These stories, told through first person accounts, films, and podcasts, compel us to see those who lived through the Holocaust as more than victims, offering myriad ways to help teachers meet the current historical moment through projects that thoughtfully engage 21st century students.
For more information, please contact: hrc@kean.edu
Heroes of the Holocaust Artist Talk and Gallery Launch
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Artist Talk is 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm in the VISER Lab
Reception is 5:00pm - 7:00pm in the Human Rights Gallery
In Heroes of the Holocaust, artist Meryl Lettire honors the courageous individuals who resisted oppression during one of history's darkest periods. Through her evocative fabric assemblage portraits, Lettire brings to life the stories of those who stood against tyranny, reminding us of the enduring power of resilience and hope.
For more information, please contact: hrc@kean.edu
Building Bridges/Construyendo Puentes: Resources on the Holocaust and the Spanish-Speaking World
Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 6:30pm EST via Zoom
This presentation will show how to integrate Spanish-language lesson plans, primary sources, and historical connections to the Spanish-speaking world in the classroom. Learn how these resources build relevant cultural connections while providing access to resources and support from local Holocaust organizations. Presented by Christina Chavarría of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
For more information, please contact: hrc@kean.edu
General Assembly meeting: Heroes of the Holocaust
Thursday, October 9, 2025 at 4:30pm EST in the Human Rights Gallery
Meryl Lettire will guide educators on how to incorporate her Heroes of the Holocaust series into the classroom. The presentation will emphasize how art served as a powerful form of resistance, allowing Holocaust victims to assert their humanity and share their stories. Meryl will also offer ideas for extension projects that will encourage students to explore the role of art in fighting oppression, both in the past and in today’s world.
For more information, please contact: hrc@kean.edu
Kristallnacht Commemoration: Film Screening & Panel Discussion for After: Poetry Destroys Silence (2024)
Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 4:30pm EST in Kean Hall Room 127
AFTER is an exploration of poetry written about the Shoah. The film illuminates human resiliency, the power and courage to forge new lives, and the value of poetry in looking to the past to help create a better future. Starring Melissa Leo, Géza Röhrig, Edward Hirsch, Cornelius Eady, and more.
For more information, please contact: hrc@kean.edu
Film Screening & Q&A: Monument
Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 12:30pm - 1:45pm EST via Zoom
Featuring a talkback with the filmmaker, Michael Turner, grandchild of a Holocaust survivor.
Professional Development hours and Co-Curricular Credits will be provided for educators.
For more information, please contact: hrc@kean.edu
Online Educator Training: Foundations of Resistance
Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 4:30pm EST via Zoom
Teach students how to counter antisemitism with the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation’s new Foundations of Resistance: A Curriculum to Counter Antisemitism for Grades 6-12. Participants will learn how to bring JPEF’s Foundations of Resistance lessons to the classroom. Teach your students why they should and how they can resist antisemitism and hate. Featuring four 50-minute lesson plans with cutting-edge webquests.
For more information, please contact: hrc@kean.edu
2025 Murray Pantirer Memorial Scholar Lecture
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 7:00pm EST in STEM Auditorium - Kean University
Rachel Deblinger, Ph.D., will be speaking about her book, Saving Our Survivors: How American Jews Learned About the Holocaust. Drawing on previously unexamined archives and postwar cultural materials, Saving Our Survivors invites readers to explore how American Jews constructed meaning out of devastation—and how humanitarian aid became intertwined with public memory. The book also raises larger questions about how historical tragedies are narrated in moments of crisis, and how stories influence the will to act.
For more information, please contact: agoldber@kean.edu