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Petoskey is one of fifty libraries selected by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association to host the Americans and the Holocaust traveling exhibition. The exhibition, on view at the library through February 14, examines the motives, pressures, and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war, and genocide from 1933-1945.
Research for the exhibition began in 2013, but United States Holocaust Memorial Museum historians were guided by a mandate set for the museum in 1979, which outlined the need for America’s reflection on its role during the Holocaust. Through the research, one thing became abundantly clear: this history is an American story, and it was a local story in communities across the United States.
In keeping with this objective, Americans and the Holocaust explores four main questions: what did Americans know, did Americans help Jewish refugees, why did Americans go to war, and how did Americans respond to the Holocaust? We hope that the exhibition and our movie tonight provokes new questions and opportunities to reflect upon these questions, both in regard to the history and our roles and responsibilities today. Questions like, what is the relationship between knowledge and action? How do we balance humanitarian concerns with political realities? And what are the pressures and motivations that influence individual behavior?
Please join us in asking the tough questions about America’s role in this history and our role as citizens of the world today. We hope you continue to engage with the history, attend more programs, and visit the exhibition at the library through February 14 and, as always, read more books!