2–9 November The Future of Memory

curated programs
The Future of Holocaust Memory
The personal testimonies of Holocaust survivors have been foundational
to Holocaust research and memorial culture. However,
with the passing of time as fewer and fewer survivors remain
among us, Holocaust scholarship, which relies on the transmission
of personal and collective narratives of the Holocaust, must
adapt in new and innovative ways.
Around the world, wherever Holocaust survivors immigrated,
they leave behind written, audio, and video testimonies. These
sources have ensured the transmission of their testimony to their
children and grandchildren, researchers, students and teachers.
As our global society transitions to a new era of Holocaust testimony,
those who are not survivors or their descendants increasingly
play a critical role in the transmission of the history and
memory of the Holocaust. The Neuberger’s panel of distinguished
experts will discuss the potential opportunities and challenges
facing the future of Holocaust testimony.
Panelists include Karen Jungblut, who as Director of Collections at USC Shoah
Foundation, oversees USC Shoah Foundation’s New Dimensions in Testimony
initiative, a project that enables people to have “virtual conversations” with
Holocaust survivors long into the future; and Holocaust survivor Pinchas Gutter,
one of the primary participants in New Dimensions in Testimony; Alice Herscovitch,
Executive Director, Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre, co-originator
with the Neuberger HEC of the Canadian Collection partnership with USC Shoah
Foundation Visual History Archive, recently launched in Toronto and Montreal;
Jody Spiegel, Director of the Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs
Program, working to make the collections of survivor stories accessible in media
beyond print; and moderated and chaired by Professor Anna Shternshis,
Director, Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies, and Al and Malka Green
Associate Professor in Yiddish Studies at the University of Toronto.
Generously co-sponsored by Joyce & Aaron Rifkind.
Monday, 7 November | 4:00 PM
Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish
Studies | University of Toronto
Jackman Hall | 170 St. George Street | Room 100
Toronto | 416–978–1624
Son of Saul
This film follows Saul Auslander, a Jewish Hungarian
prisoner working as a Sonderkommando at one of the
Auschwitz crematoria who, over the span of two days
in 1944, attempts to bury the corpse of a boy he takes
for his son. In one final desperate act of morality, Saul
pursues the impossible task of giving the boy a ritual
burial, salvaging the body and finding a rabbi to recite
the Mourner’s Kaddish (2015, Hungarian with English
subtitles, 107 minutes).
Winner of the Palm D’Or at Cannes Film Festival and Best Foreign Film
at the 2015 Oscars, Son of Saul is a haunting addition to the pantheon
of Holocaust films. Its stark realism and tight focus on Saul’s face as
he goes about his tasks allows the audience glimpses of the horrors
implied through sound and background. The result is one of the most
realistic depictions of the Holocaust on film, leaving a lasting impression
on the viewer. Featuring special guest, László Rajk, Production
Designer, of Son of Saul.
Pre-registration required. Call 416–631–5689 or online at
holocausteducationweek.com. Limit 4 tickets per family.
Generously co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Hungary in
Toronto and by the Brown and Lindenberg families.
Monday, 7 November | 7:30 PM
Cineplex Cinemas Empress Walk
5095 Yonge Street | 3RD floor
Toronto | 416–847–0218
Son of Saul image courtesy of Hungarian National Film Fund.
For program changes visit:
holocausteducationweek.com
or call 416–631–5689.
22 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week