More than 70 years after the liberation of concentration camps marked an end to the European theater of World War II, Longwood is partnering with the Virginia Holocaust Museum to remember the Holocaust and draw lessons from its lingering effects.
Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to a series of events featuring Richmond-based photographer Dean Whitbeck, whose portrait series of Holocaust survivors has been critically acclaimed; Longwood German history professor Dr. Melissa Kravetz; and Holocaust survivor Dr. Roger Loria.
Hearing Dr. Loria’s story will allow the Longwood and Farmville community to experience the Holocaust from a firsthand perspective—a rarity considering that fewer and fewer survivors remain,” said Kravetz. “With the Holocaust now more than 70 years in the past, survivor stories provide a tangible way for individuals to understand how something so unbelievably horrible could have happened and the hope is that participants in this program will come away from it fundamentally touched by Dr. Loria’s experiences.”
An exhibition of Whitbeck’s photography runs April 10-13 at the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
A slate of events on April 13 also are open to the Longwood and Farmville communities:
- 9:30 a.m.: Holocaust Survivor Photo Exhibition lecture, with speaker Dean Whitbeck, LCVA
- 11:30 a.m.: Lunch with photographer Dean Whitbeck, Uptown Coffee Café. (Attendees must buy their own meals; limited to 8 attendees.)
- 4 p.m.: “The Holocaust: A Brief History” lecture by Dr. Melissa Kravetz, assistant professor of history at Longwood, LCVA.
- 5:30 p.m.: Presentation by Holocaust survivor Dr. Roger Loria, LCVA.
Longwood has also partnered with the Virginia Holocaust Museum for a special behind-the-scenes tour of the museum on April 29. Attendance is limited to 40; and seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please register for all events at http://go.longwood.edu/holocaustevents.
Leave a Comment