Lilliane Birch, born in postwar Paris to Holocaust survivors, is a gifted speaker and lifelong educator. Her mother endured Auschwitz and Dr. Mengele; her father survived a Nazi labor camp. Join us as Lilliane shares her family’s remarkable story to honor memory, fight hate, and inspire compassion.
ADULT ED Speaker: Dr. Laura Auketayeva, Director of Education and Programs Join us for the opening of the 2025–2026 Adult Education series. Dr. Laura Auketayeva will introduce the course and give an overview of Holocaust and Genocide Studies. By examining these histories side by side, the session provides participants with the tools to recognize warning […]
Join us for a lecture with Dr. Harry Merritt (Rhode Island College) as he explores the impact of Nazi and Soviet occupation on Latvian Jews and everyday life in Latvia during World War II.
In response to the recent antisemitic incident at Smithfield High School, we invite you to experience Rachel’s Challenge, an evening that brings together students, athletes, educators, and all community members to promote kindness, inclusion, and respect. The inspiring story of Rachel Scott, whose example of kindness and acceptance came to light after she became the […]
Event Update: Kristallnacht Commemoration Event Canceled Due to an ongoing power outage, the Kristallnacht Commemoration event scheduled for this evening has been canceled. Although we cannot gather in person tonight, we invite everyone to take a moment of reflection wherever they are. Remember the lives shattered during the night of broken glass and reaffirm our […]
Debórah Dwork Join us for an evening with renowned historian Debórah Dwork, Director of the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity at the CUNY Graduate Center. In conversation with Dr. Laura Auketayeva, Dwork will discuss her acclaimed new book, Saints and Liars: The Story of Americans Who Saved Refugees from the […]
The Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center is honored to welcome Professor James E. Young (University of Massachusetts Amherst) as the Fall 2025 BAXT Lecturer. Professor Young will present a lecture based on his acclaimed book The Stages of Memory, with new reflections and updates on Holocaust memorials, cultural memory, and the public dimensions of remembrance. […]
ADULT ED: Join us for a program with Jeanne Gottfried, educator and 2G speaker, as she shares personal reflections on her mother Kitty’s escape from Vienna on the Kindertransport and her journey to safety in England. Free and open to the public. Child from the first Kindertransport upon arrival in Harwich, December 2, 1938 (Sueddeutsche […]
Artificial intelligence has opened new opportunities for learning, communication, and research. Yet the same technology is also being used to spread falsehoods, manipulate images and voices, and fuel dangerous movements of denial. In this talk, Professor Michael Xiarhos will explore how AI tools are being harnessed to distort history and promote genocide denialism, why this […]
Join us for a powerful evening exploring the history and legacy of the Armenian Genocide and the ways Armenian Americans in Rhode Island have carried memory, identity, and resilience across generations. The chair of the RI Holocaust and Genocide Education Commission, Pauline Getzoyan, the co-chair of the Genocide Education Project, RI Branch, Esther Kalajian, and the chair […]
Holocaust Diaries: Memory, Testimony, and History Lecture by Professor Alexandra Garbarini, Williams College Due to the snowstorm and in the interest of everyone’s safety, our International Holocaust Remembrance Day program on Sunday, January 25 at 6:00 pm will now take place on Zoom rather than in person. We appreciate your understanding as we make this […]