American Jewish University to Host ‘Armenia, Auschwitz and Beyond’

Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and in conjunction with the 44th Annual Scholars’ Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches, a special program, titled “Armenia, Auschwitz and Beyond,” will be presented Monday evening, March 9, on the Familian Campus of the American Jewish University, 15600 Mulholland Drive, in Bel Air, Calif.
Founded by Franklin H. Littell and Hubert G. Locke in 1970, the Annual Scholars’ Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches is an interdisciplinary, international, interfaith, intergenerational conference. It provides a forum for scholars to report the latest findings in Holocaust research, ensuring the valuable lessons of the Holocaust remain relevant for today’s world. This year’s program features Prof. Richard Hovannisian, Stephen Smith, and Prof. Michael Berenbaum.
Hovannisian is Professor of Modern Armenian History, a past holder of the Armenian Educational Foundation Chair at UCLA, and currently Chancellor’s Fellow at Chapman University in Orange County. The recent recipient of the UCLA Alumni Association’s “Most Inspiring Teacher” award, he is internationally acclaimed for his advancement of Armenian studies. His extensive scholarly publications have placed the Armenian Genocide into broader Near Eastern, Europeans and Russian contexts.
Smith is the executive director of the USC Shoah Foundation–The Institute for Visual History and Education, as well as the UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education. A theologian by training, he continues to be involved in memorial projects around the world and lectures widely on issues relating to the history and collective response to the Holocaust, genocide, and crimes against humanity. He recently presented the keynote speech at the United Nations on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Berenbaum, a world authority on the History of the Holocaust, is Professor of Jewish Studies at the American Jewish University and executive director of the Sigi Zering Institute, a think tank exploring the ethical and religious implications of the Holocaust. He was involved with the creation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and as project director played a major role in its permanent exhibit; he has subsequently consulted on and designed museums on three continents. He is also an award-winning producer and historical consultant for numerous acclaimed films on the Holocaust.
The conference is hosted by different educational institutions around the country. This year, the American Jewish University is the host institution, with President Robert Wexler serving as the honorary chairman. Berenbaum is the 2014 Conference chairman.
The Annual Scholars’ Conference is supported in part by individual donors, along with grants from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and Verbe et Lumière.
The program will be held at the Gindi Auditorium in the Main Building (Ziegler Administration Building), and begins at 7:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public, but reservations are required by calling (310) 440-1279. For more information, contact Marcia Sachs Littell, Vice President of the Annual Scholars Conference, by e-mailing scholarsconf@aol.com or calling (610) 667-5437; or visit http://ascconf.org.