A "Schindler's List" Holocaust survivor and a documentary filmmaker will be keynote speakers at the University of Colorado at Boulder's 20th Annual Holocaust Awareness Week, April 18-23.
Survivor Zev Kedem will talk about his fight for life on April 21 at 6 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom of the University Memorial Center. Joshua Greene, director and producer of the PBS documentary "Witness: Voices From the Holocaust," will appear April 22 at 6 p.m. in UMC room 235.
Both presentations, along with nearly two dozen other scheduled events, are free and open to the public. A complete schedule is posted at .
"Zev Kedem miraculously survived six concentration camps as a child," said Holocaust Awareness Week co-chair Karen Flaxer. "He consulted on and appeared in Steven Spielberg's movie, 'Schindler's List.' " Flaxer, a CU-Boulder student, has co-chaired Holocaust Awareness Week for the past three years.
Greene's presentation will include a screening of his PBS documentary and a discussion of his work, which includes the book "Justice at Dachau." "The documentary provides raw footage and interviews from not only survivors, but also former Nazis, Christian clergy, and many other perspectives," Flaxer said.
In addition to Kedem and Greene, local survivors and professors will speak on various aspects of the Holocaust, including personal experiences, research on eugenics, anti-Semitism and more.
Flaxer, director of CU-Boulder's Volunteer Clearing House and a senior communications major, said the university's Holocaust Awareness Week is important because the horrific and terrifying tragedy of the Holocaust should be remembered.
"By promoting CU's 20th Annual Holocaust Awareness Week, we want the public to realize and take into consideration that 'every face is a number and every number has a face.' All of the victims of the Holocaust were innocent individuals that represent more than just a number," she said.
Holocaust Awareness Week activities include:
April 18:
- Interfaith Yom HaShoah Memorial Service, 2 p.m., UMC 235
April 19:
- "The Myth of the Jewish 'Race'" with professors Paul Shankman and Dennis Peter Van Gerven, 9 a.m., UMC 235.
- Survivor Henry Lowenstein, 11 a.m., UMC 235.
- "The March of the Living" with students Karen Flaxer and Sean Leventhal, 1 p.m., UMC 235.
- Professor Michael Kanner, 2:30 p.m., UMC 235
- "The Nuremburg Trials and Their Legacy" with Professor David Spires, 4 p.m., UMC 235.
- "The Hidden Holocaust: The Nazi Persecution of Gay Men and Lesbians" with David Shneer, 5 p.m., UMC 235.
April 20:
- "Serving the United States During WWII" with George Wise, 11 a.m., UMC 235.
- "A Survivor Remembers" with Zev Weiss, 12:30 p.m., Hale Science Building room 270.
- "Remembrance of the Holocaust in Contemporary Germany" with Professor Stephan Jaeger, 2 p.m., UMC 235.
- "Then and Now: Children of Holocaust Survivors Speak," a documentary film and panel discussion, 6 p.m., UMC 235.
April 21:
- Survivor Eric Cahn and a performance by Center Stage Starz, 9 a.m., Glenn Miller Ballroom inside the UMC.
- Survivor Zev Kedem keynote speech, 6 p.m., Glenn Miller Ballroom inside the UMC.
April 22:
- Quintet performance, 9:40 a.m., UMC Fountain Courtyard.
- Moment of silence, Litany of the Martyrs, 10 a.m., UMC Fountain Courtyard.
- Survivor Martin Small, 11 a.m., UMC 235.
- "A Horrifying Experience" with survivor Rosemarie Pence, 12:30 p.m., UMC 235.
- "Liberating Dachau" with Sidney Shafner, 2 p.m., UMC 235.
- "The Significance of the St. Louis Incident in the Scope of the Holocaust" with survivor Dr. Rudolph Jacobson, 3:30 p.m, UMC 235.
- Joshua Greene keynote speech, 6 p.m., UMC 235.
April 23:
- Survivor Osi Sladek, 9 a.m., UMC 235.
- Survivor Jack Adler, 11 a.m., UMC 235.
- "Holocaust Denial" with Professor Paul Shankman, 1 p.m., UMC 235.
- "Story of Survival" with survivor Jack Welner, 3 p.m., UMC 235.
- Holocaust Remembrance Shabbat Service and Dinner, 5:40 p.m., Hillel House at 2975 Colorado Ave.
For more information visit or call (303) 442-6571.