Between Academic Life and Family Survival: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Fisk University During the Holocaust
February 25, 2027 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm EST
Join historians Dr. Laura Auketayeva and Dr. LaNitra Berger of George Mason University for a presentation based on a chapter from their forthcoming book, Hired to Safety, to be published by Wayne State University Press.
Drawing on original archival research at Fisk University and the Leo Baeck Institute, this program tells the story of Werner Cahnman, a Jewish refugee scholar who escaped Nazi Germany and joined Fisk University’s faculty during the Holocaust. As he taught sociology, geography, and race relations, Cahnman waged a tireless campaign to rescue his parents, brother, and other relatives trapped in Nazi-occupied Europe. His deeply personal letters reveal the emotional toll of balancing academic life with desperate efforts to save loved ones from thousands of miles away, many of which ended in tragedy.
Photograph of Werner and Gisella Cahnman, Werner and Gisella Cahnman Collection, AR 25210, F 001 AR 25210, Leo Baeck Institute.
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The presentation also explores Fisk University’s response to Nazi persecution, its leadership in the study of race relations, and the relationships that developed between Jewish refugee scholars and Black students and faculty during World War II. Through previously unpublished letters, student newspapers, and university records, attendees will discover an overlooked chapter of Holocaust history that highlights resilience, education, and the enduring connections between Black and Jewish communities.
Free and Open to the public.