Queensborough Community College’s Holocaust Resource Center and Archives is hosting the first-ever conference exploring the teaching of Holocaust and genocide studies in the nation’s community colleges on Aug. 10-11. The event, geared toward bot
“The Holocaust is a watershed in the 20th century and has an impact on everything that has happened since,” said William Shulman, director of Queensborough’s Holocaust Resource Center. “Genocide studies are crucial, in that learning from the darkest eras of human history is essential for the understanding of ethical behavior.”
“There are a large number of community colleges that offer a full liberal arts component that would benefit from the ideas and topics to be explored at this conference,” he added. “We will be covering the nuts and bolts of how to set up a program while also covering content issues for those who already have fully developed programs.”
The event’s first day runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, with dinner held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Subjects covered will include “Creating a Context for Holocaust Education in Community College Curricula,” presented by Jane Denny of Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, N.J.; “Resistance and Courage: Women and Men and the Holocaust,” presented by Nechema Tec of the University of Connecticut, and “The Importance of Teaching about the Holocaust in a Community College” presented by Myrna Goldenberg of Montgomery Community College in Rockville, Maryland.
Monday’s session lasts from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with a closing luncheon from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sessions include “The Social Psychology of the Holocaust: Exploring Human Behavior in Extremity” presented by Sharon Dobkin of Monroe Community College, Rochester, N.Y.; “Literature and History: Natural Partners in Teaching About the Holocaust,” presented by Richard Kalfus, from St. Louis Community College, Kirkwood, Mo.; and “Genocide and the Holocaust: From the Armenians to the Trial of Slobodan Milosevic,” presented by Harry Reicher from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Conference registration includes all working sessions, Sunday dinner, Monday breakfast and lunch, and bus transportation to and from the hotel to the college.
Hotel reservations must be directly made with the Wyndham Garden Hotel at LaGuardia Airport (1-800-WYNDHAM). Mention the QCC Holocaust/Genocide Conference to receive the special rate of for Aug. 9-10. The hotel deadline is July 10.
For more information contact Shulman at the QCC Holocaust Resource Center and Archives at Queensborough Community College by fax 718-631-6306, phone 718-281-5770, or e-mail: WShulman@qcc.cuny.edu.
