CONTACT: Janine G. Sorbello, Dir. of Ext. Affairs DATE: August 28, 2024
CELL: 302-290-3224
EMAIL: [email protected]
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Wilmington, DE – Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling museum exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association (ALA) will be on display at the Hirons Library, on the Goldey-Beacom College (GBC) campus from January 11 to February 22, 2025, along with a series of related special events on campus. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
“This was a highly competitive grant process, and Goldey-Beacom College is proud to have been selected as one of 50 U.S. libraries to host the Americans and the Holocaust exhibition,” said President Colleen Perry-Keith. She continued, “Understanding about the Holocaust leads to not just an understanding of mass violence, but also about the value of promoting human rights, ethics and civic engagement. It can help us all to understand the situations that can lead to exclusionary policies that make negative outcomes possible. George Santayana said that ‘those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’ This exhibit helps us to remember and understand and to build a better world, each in our own way,”
“We will encourage our local community members as well as our neighbors in surrounding states to visit Delaware to explore the exhibition,” said Dr. Keith. “Throughout the upcoming months, GBC will provide additional information to the public and our community partners.”
GBC plans to partner with schools to host field trips so students can become engaged with this extraordinary exhibit. “The exhibition will challenge people to not only ask ‘what would I have done?’ but also, ‘what will I do?’,” said Dr. Keith.
Click the following link to register for events on campus: Events – Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit – Hirons Library & Archives at Goldey-Beacom College (libguides.com).
For questions about the above events on campus or to schedule your school for a tour, contact: Russell Michalak, Director of Library & Archives, Goldey-Beacom College Hirons Library, 302-225-6227, [email protected]
All other questions regarding partnership, promotion or other information, contact:
Janine Sorbello, director of external affairs, 302-290-3224, [email protected]
The exhibition will examine the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.
Based on extensive new research of that period, Americans and the Holocaust addresses important themes in American history, exploring the many factors — including the Great Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism — that influenced decisions made by the U.S. government, the news media, organizations and individuals as they responded to Nazism. This exhibition will challenge the commonly held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews as the Holocaust unfolded.
The 1,100-square-foot exhibition examines various aspects of American society: the government, the military, refugee aid organizations, the media and the public.
Drawing on a remarkable collection of primary sources from the 1930s and ’40s, the exhibition tells the stories of Americans who acted in response to Nazism, challenging the commonly held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews as the Holocaust unfolded. It provides a portrait of American society that shows how the Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism shaped responses to Nazism and the Holocaust.
In addition to the traveling exhibition on loan, Goldey-Beacom College Hirons Library received a $3,000 cash grant to support public programs. The grant also covered one library staff member’s attendance at an orientation workshop at the Museum.
For more information about Americans and the Holocaust and related programming at Goldey-Beacom College’s Hirons Library, visit https://gbc.libguides.com/aath. To learn more about the exhibition, visit ushmm.org/americans-ala.
Americans and the Holocaust: A Traveling Exhibition for Libraries is an educational initiative of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association. The traveling exhibition began by touring to 50 U.S. libraries from 2021 to 2023; due to widespread interest from libraries and communities around the country, a second tour was developed for
an additional 50 U.S. libraries from 2024 to 2026, covering wide distances from Hawaii and Alaska to Texas and New Hampshire.
Americans and the Holocaust was made possible by the generous support of lead sponsor Jeannie & Jonathan Lavine. Additional major funding was provided by the Bildners — Joan & Allen z”l, Elisa Spungen & Rob, Nancy & Jim; and Jane and Daniel Och. The Museum’s exhibitions are also supported by the Lester Robbins and Sheila Johnson Robbins Traveling and Special Exhibitions Fund, established in 1990.
About the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
A nonpartisan, federal educational institution, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust dedicated to ensuring the permanence of Holocaust memory, understanding and relevance. Through the power of Holocaust history, the Museum challenges leaders and individuals worldwide to think critically about their role in society and to confront antisemitism and other forms of hate, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. For more information, visit ushmm.org.
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.
About Goldey-Beacom College
Founded in 1886, Goldey-Beacom College has approximately 1,300 students enrolled from 29 states and 65 nations. The College offers 48 degree options in its graduate and undergraduate programs with majors in psychology, economics, criminal justice, communication & media, human services, English, and all areas of business, including accounting, business administration, entrepreneurship and finance. Additionally, the College offers 21 certificate programs.
The College began accepting students into three new degree programs in fall 2023: Bachelor of Science in Digital Marketing, and two concentrations in the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program: Cybersecurity and Esports & Gaming Administration. Also offered in fall 2023 are stackable new macro and micro graduate certificate programs.
The College is committed to connecting its graduates with careers in their respective fields. For over a decade, the College has achieved a 90% placement rate for graduates. Goldey-Beacom College is located in Pike Creek Valley, a suburb of Wilmington, Delaware. The College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
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