The Jewish Student Association hosted Holocaust Remembrance Week, which featrued a variety of events focusing on different aspects of the Holocaust, ending with a speech by "Nazi Hunter" Arnold Weiss.
The Jewish Student Association presented the speaker Arnold Weiss to speak of his experiences in Germany as a Jewish boy in an orphanage and being sent to the United States on Sunday. Mr. Weiss joined the United States military and served nobly overseas investigating and interrogating individuals who were connected to the Holocaust's events, particularly concentration camp leaders and officials. He successfully uncovered a man who led him to the last will and testament of Adolf Hitler.
When a student asked if finding these documents was an emotional experience, Weiss explained that although he was aware that the documents he was led to were important, he was forced to be unaffected by what he saw.
"You have to become a professional. I looked at the documents, and knew they were important, but you do become kind of divorced from your emotions," Weiss said. "You have to, sitting across from someone who pulled the gas. It is hard, but you are not the judge and jury. You are the professional."
"We tried to show the history that no one ever really knows about, including the aftermath and the military aspect related to the Holocaust," said freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences Jason Paul, Chair of the Holocaust Remembrance Week. "I think that the week's events were very well-rounded and included many different viewpoints,"
Paul led the week and planned events for each day. Each event covered a specific aspect of the Holocaust.
JSA showed a screening of the documentary "Paper Clips" on Monday. The film showed students from a small town who did not know much about the Holocaust collecting paper clips for each person who died. Afterwards, students discussed the movie and its implications.
On Tuesday, students participated in a rally raising awareness about the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan and heard a survivor speak. The event was co-sponsored by AU College Democrats.
students traveled to the Holocaust Museum in downtown D.C. on Wednesday. The March of the Living Week, an annual march from Poland to Israel to show support and unity among the Jewish community was shown and discussed on Thursday. On Friday, Ms. Erica Eckstut spoke to AU students about her experience as a Holocaust survivor. A small memorial service was held on
Saturday.
Hal Steinberg, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a participant in the JSA, was impressed with the week's events.
"I thought that the week was really well put together," Steinberg said, "The people who spoke had a lot to say about their experiences. You don't often get to hear detail and particulars about the events in history".
Steinberg said that he enjoyed hearing Mr. Weiss speak because he was "amazed at all the things he has done, and has still remained a professional".
