Events
"Jewish Resisters, Though": Why There Has Been Reluctance to Apply the "Upstander" Label to Jews in the Holocaust
In a lengthy April 2023 article in The Atlantic, author Dara Horn analyzes the trend in Holocaust education of labeling certain individuals as “upstanders” due to their bravery and heroism, pointedly noting that Jews are typically ignored whenever this classification is applied. A large proportion of museum exhibits and popular films and literature on the Holocaust elect to spotlight and applaud the actions of “Righteous Gentiles” who rescued Jews, but not the actions of Jews themselves. What might explain this longstanding tunnel vision or the fact that so few people have even chosen to question it? This presentation will offer answers to that question and will examine fascinating case studies of Jews who resisted the Nazi assault and continue to complicate popularly accepted notions of heroism and martyrdom. Dr. Wolfson suggests that the tendency to privilege stories of non-Jewish rescue of Jews over Jewish resistance reveals much about how our culture has sought to define and remember the Holocaust. We cannot approach a fuller understanding of Holocaust history without acknowledging the challenges, suffering, courage, and selflessness that helped shape Jewish resistance.
Dr. J.E. Wolfson
Friday, January 12, 2024
10AM
Location: Igo Library
13330 Kyle Seale Pkwy, 78249
Upstanders: Stories of the Righteous Among Nations
Righteous Among the Nations is an honor given by Israel to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. In this presentation, you will hear the stories of three rescuers through the voice of those that were saved.
Robin Long
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
6:30PM
Location: McCreless Library
1023 Ada St, 78223
Robin Long
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
11AM
Location: Central Library, Latino Collection and Resource Center
600 Soledad St, 78205
You Jump In and Help: The Irena Sendler Story
Christian social worker Irena Sendler saved 2,500 Jewish children during the Holocaust. Her audacious actions resulted in her capture, imprisonment, and torture, but she was so valuable to the resistance, they paid a bribe to save her on the eve of her scheduled execution. Who was this remarkable young woman? What motivated her to risk her life for others? How is she remembered today?
Liz Reichman
Sunday, January 14, 2024
3PM
Location: Parman Library
20735 Wilderness Oak, 78258
Liz Reichman
Thursday, January 18, 2024
12PM
Location: Memorial Library
3222 Culebra Rd, 78228
Protest and Resistance in Nazi Germany
Dr. Westermann’s presentation discusses the opportunities and consequences related to acts of protest and resistance within Nazi Germany. It focuses on the role of the churches and private individuals and their acts of opposition to the Nazi regime during the Third Reich.
Dr. Edward Westermann
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
2PM
Virtual – Register Here
Closing Event
Dramatic Reading of Undesirable Secrets
Sunday, January 21, 2024
2 pm
Join San Antonio Public Library, Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio, and the Anthony C. Acevedo Foundation for the premier dramatized stage reading of Undesirable Secrets.
In collaboration with the Acevedo Family, Rodolfo Alvarado has captured the story of World War II medic and prisoner of war Anthony Acevedo, who was also the first Mexican American to register as a Holocaust concentration camp survivor. “Undesirable Secrets” is a captivating and emotionally charged theatrical experience that takes the audience on a transformative journey through the life of Anthony C. Acevedo, a resilient survivor haunted by his past. Set against the backdrop of World War II and its aftermath, the story unfolds through a series of poignant encounters, revealing the depth of Anthony’s pain, resilience, and the hidden secrets that shaped his existence.
Location: Holzman Auditorium at the Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community
12500 NW Military Hwy, 78231
