Through lectures and a temporary installation, The Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas and the international human rights organization Yahad-In Unum will highlight genocidal practices from World War II until today.
As part of the Burton C. Einspruch Holocaust Lecture Series in February, The Ackerman Center will host Father Patrick Desbois, a Catholic priest, a faculty member of Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization, and founder of Yahad – In Unum.
The Ackerman Center will host the 2024 Einspruch Lectures on the Holocaust at the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center on Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. and at the Jindal School of Management Executive Dining Room on Feb. 5 at 9 a.m.
Yahad – In Unum (“together” in Hebrew and “one” in Latin) is a Paris-based organization established in 2004 by Father Desbois that focuses on identifying the sites of Jewish and Roma mass executions by Nazi mobile-killing units in Eastern Europe during World War II. His mission is to uncover facts of genocidal practices and provide a voice of protest on behalf of all victims and potential victims of genocide.
“Father Desbois’ remarkable dedication and efforts have been invaluable to promoting inter-faith dialogue and awareness about the Holocaust,” Dr. Nils Roemer, dean of the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of the Arts, Humanities, and Technology at UT Dallas, and Ackerman Center director. “Through his research, educational initiatives, and public speaking engagements such as the Einspruch Lectures, his work not only documents first-hand testimony that otherwise would be lost, but also ensures that these victims’ memories are preserved.”
During the Feb. 4 lecture, Father Desbois will discuss how to teach Holocaust crimes in a new way to fight anti-Semitism. On Feb. 5, he will examine the research behind his 2009 book The Holocaust by Bullets: A Priest’s Journey to Uncover the Truth Behind the Murder of 1.5 Million Jews.
In conjunction with Father Desbois’ visit, The Ackerman Center and The Bass School will display “Women at the Frontline of Mass Violence Worldwide,” a Yahad – -In Unum installment featuring images and testimonies of women who were victims of mass violence.
The temporary exhibition, housed at the east wing of the Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Bldg. (ATC) through March 8, features 19 intimate portraits (each 24 by 36 inches) and testimonial excerpts in text and video of women who survived state-sponsored atrocities.
After more than 12 years of field investigation on the Holocaust by Bullets and contemporary mass crime, Yahad – In Unum’s exhibit “Women at the Frontline of Mass Violence Worldwide” aims to give a voice to women who were victims of genocide. The installment features research and stories of mass violence survivors from various regions and periods, such as:
On the Burton C. Einspruch Holocaust Lecture Series
As part of an educational effort to teach the past and change the future, Dallas-based psychiatrist and philanthropist Dr. Burton C. Einspruch endowed the yearly Ackerman Center lecture series to promote education and increase awareness of the Holocaust and related human rights issues.
Each year, his namesake lecture series hosts eminent scholars and prominent figures in Holocaust studies. The public forums engage audiences in ground-breaking research, promoting a necessary exchange of ideas about the Holocaust in keeping with The Ackerman Center’s mission of “Teaching the Past, Changing the Future.”
On the upcoming 54th Annual Scholars’ Conference
The 54th Annual Scholars’ Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches (ASC) – established in 1974 by Franklin H. Littell and Hubert G. Locke – will take place in the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center from March 2 through March 4.
The ASC provides an invaluable forum for scholars to discuss and advance Holocaust research, ensuring the valuable lessons of the Holocaust remain relevant for today’s world. This conference offers the opportunity to address the historical significance of the Holocaust through scholarship that is interfaith, international, and interdisciplinary. Members of the campus and the broader DFW community are invited to attend presentations and keynote speakers free of charge. Visit the ASC homepage or contact annualscholarsconference@utdallas.edu for more details.