Although the Holocaust occurred over seven decades ago, commemoration of this solemn event continues to be remembered by Millersville University (MU) on an annual basis. This year, MU will be hosting a Holocaust Memorial Night featuring a movie and panel to discuss why Holocaust denial occurs.
“The goal of this event is to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and show how dangerous Holocaust denial is. Holocaust and genocide deniers usually attempt to hide crimes against humanity and to glorify their perpetrators. Of course, when we don’t learn well the lessons of history it has a tendency to repeat itself. So, people should know the truth about the Holocaust and other genocides to prevent new crimes against humanity in the future,” said Dr. Victoria Khiterer, history professor and director of the MU Conference of the Holocaust and Genocide.
Held on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 6-9:30 p.m., this free event will be hosted in McComsey Hall Room 260 and is open to the public. Featuring faculty presentations by Khiterer and psychology professor, Dr. Shawn P. Gallagher, the event will be moderated by fellow history professor, Dr. Tanya Kevorkian. It will also feature a showing of the film, “Denial” (2016), a movie based on Emory University Professor Deborah Lipstadt’s book, “History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier.”
“I grew up in the Soviet Union where state anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial existed. The mass graves of the Holocaust victims were turned into cesspits and any publications or public discussions about the Holocaust were forbidden. It was very painful for all Jewish people and liberal intelligentsia to see how the Soviet authorities destroyed the memory of the victims of the Holocaust,” said Khiterer.
“I hope that this never repeats again. Today, many Holocaust and Genocide Studies programs function in American and European Universities. Museums, conferences, symposiums and memorial nights commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and genocides,” she continued. “These victims never will be forgotten. The Millersville University Conference on the Holocaust and Genocide and the Holocaust Memorial Nights bring an important contribution to their commemoration.”
For more information on the Holocaust Memorial Night, please visit: https://www.millersville.edu/holocon/