Hillsdale College Hosts ‘Remembering the Shoah: A Series of Commemorative Events’
Several departments collaborated to commemorate the end of the Holocaust with talks, music, poetry, and exhibits.
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College hosted a series of commemorative events April 3-5 marking the 80-year anniversary of the end of the Holocaust and the liberation of the Jews from the concentration camps and death camps in Europe. All events were free and open to the public.
“It is important for us to come together and recommit to the promise to never forget.”
“Hillsdale College strives to be a faithful trustee of our Western Heritage, which goes back to Athens and Jerusalem,” said Donald Westblade, assistant professor of religion. “Hillsdale is a Christian school, but the Jewish people and the Jewish tradition are also a pillar of our heritage and civilization. This series honored that.”
On April 3, a reflection room gave visitors a space to listen to music written in concentration camps and look at Holocaust photos from Mossey Library’s Special Collections.
An event on April 3 featured a series of talks about the liberation of the camps, followed by Q&A. Speakers were Lori Curtis, archivist and special collections librarian; Tom Conner, professor emeritus of history; and Tom Brush, professor of management at Purdue University.
An event on April 4 featured poetry and music from and about the camps. Joshua Fincher, assistant professor of classics, recited a Jewish memorial prayer. The event included poetry recitations by students and faculty from the German Department and Michael Weingrad, professor of Judaic studies at Portland State University. Guest pianist Eric Wanger performed with Hillsdale double bass instructor Aaron Johnson, and the recital concluded with songs from the camps performed by a choir of Hillsdale students and members of the Hillsdale Arts Chorale.
“Art often has the divine power to help us remember,” said Fred Yaniga, associate professor of German. “The musical and literary contributions we have heard today are a testimony to that power. And even if we may never be able to heal the wounds of this tragic history, it is important for us to come together and recommit to the promise to never forget.”
Documentary exhibits will be on display until the end of the semester in the Hoynak Archive Room in the Dow Center and in the Mossey Library Heritage Room.
The events were put together with support from faculty and students in the French, theology, Music, economics, Classics, and German departments as well as Mossey Library and the Hillsdale College Mishpacha, Hillsdale’s Jewish student group. An exhibit was also featured from Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center.
For photos from the talks and exhibits, click here. For photos of Hillsdale College, click here. For a high-resolution copy of the Hillsdale College clocktower logo, click here.