Volume 2 (2013)

Permanent URI for this collection

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Non-Self-Evident Memory: Post-Soviet Jewry and the Holocaust
(2013) Epstein, Alek D.; Khanin, Vladimir (Ze’ev)
Sociological surveys show that in the whole world, even on the American continent, so far away from places such as Babi Yar and Auschwitz, the memory of Holocaust plays a crucial role in the collective self-identity of the Jewish people, competing with the essential features of Judaism and solidarity with the State of Israel. Since the violation of the rights of a human being and indifference in the face of suffering jeopardize the very existence of human society, the Holocaust is the most extreme example of such violations, and the greatest moral failure mankind has ever experienced. Confronting the Holocaust, as well as genocide, may contribute to understanding the importance of humanistic and democratic values, and help construct tools for making moral judgments. That is why courses on the study of genocide and the Holocaust have become part of the curricula of educational institutions in the United States and elsewhere. The question as to how to educate the youth about the Holocaust - its historical context, and its reasons and consequences - concerns educators, researchers, and community workers from different and distinct countries.