2023 Powell-Heller Conference for Holocaust Education:
“Africa and the Holocaust”
Oct. 25-27, 2023
Thanks to the generosity of donors this event is free and open to the public.
The 15th Annual Powell-Heller Conference for Holocaust Education will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 25th – Friday, Oct. 27th in the Anderson University Center, Regency Room. Our conference will explore “Africa and the Holocaust” as its theme. In this conference our speakers will be exploring the under-researched experience of Jews living on the continent of Africa and how World War II and antisemitic policies impacted those communities. It will also delve into the Jewish refugee experience, Jewish-Muslim relations in African countries, and how the legacy of colonialism intersects with genocide. Keynote speakers’ information will be forthcoming.
PLU’s mission to support the education of our students and larger community on issues of diversity and justice are intimately connected to the study of the tragedy of the Holocaust. Students can see that marginalization of a minority group, such as the Jews of Nazi Germany, can lead to life-threatening situations culminating in one of the world’s modern genocides. Issues of distortion and denial make the process of reconciliation and healing less likely and serve as an insult to the memory of all those whose lives were destroyed in the Holocaust.