Holocaust lecture promotes peace

by Nila Priyambodo
Staff Writer

We must – as a society and as a University – continue to promote awareness of the Holocaust.

That was the message of a talk Tuesday given by John K. Roth, Edward J. Sexton professor of philosophy and director for the study of the Holocaust, genocide and human rights at Claremont McKenna College.

“We should teach and learn about the Holocaust for ethical reasons in our deep longing for a safe and humane world,” Roth said.

“Learning about the Holocaust confers an obligation for the present and future and emphasizes good intentions,” he added.

Roth’s talk, “Why Learn About the Holocaust?” held during Peace Week, was also the University of La Verne Spring 2004 Fasnacht Lecture, which was open to faculty, students and community members.

“Learning and teaching about the Holocaust has a really depressing effect,” he told the roughly 40 audience members in Founders Auditorium. “But that depression can rebound into a determination to end all holocausts.”

Roth also spoke of the importance of addressing and eliminating the causes of holocausts as he provided a lesson on the Holocaust’s history in Europe.

He described the experiences of the Jews, who were sent to Auschwitz and other concentration camps, including Michael Barenbaum and Charlotte Delbo, two Holocaust survivors.

“His lecture was in-depth and he talked about different people and did not even mention Anne Frank,” said freshman television broadcasting major Kim Bui.

“It was cool to learn that there were others who lived through the Holocaust and wrote about it instead of just her,” she said.

Roth’s lecture also included a brief discussion on “The Final Solution,” the Nazi program to eliminate all Jews, and “The Nuremberg Laws,” a series of laws passed by the Nazis in 1935.

“Overall it was very educational,” said freshman Connie Elejalde. “It (offered) more factual information and was straightforward and Roth knew what he was talking about.”

The Fasnacht Lecture Series, which focuses on the intersection of religion and society, started in the 1980s.

Each year, the Fasnacht Committee chooses a scholar to address the ULV community on this issue.

According to Debbie Roberts, campus minister, this year’s lecture was chosen for its current relevance.

“Since this year’s Fasnacht Lecture is focused on the question ‘Why learn about the Holocaust?’ we feel this is a good way of promoting critical thinking about an atrocious event that still has political and religious repercussions and could for the future as well,” Roberts said.

“If we can talk about how the Holocaust happened, maybe that will help us to prevent future holocausts,” she said.

The lecture was one of three events during ULV’s Peace Week, which is sponsored by the peace studies program.

Other events include the model sader and peace conference.

“Peace Week is intended to encourage our campus community to think about what it is that makes for peace in our community, in our culture and in our world,” Roberts said.