Americans and the Holocaust Traveling Exhibition
Americans and the Holocaust will be on display at the Dayton Metro Library from May 18 to June 21, 2023.
Event details
Americans and the Holocaust Exhibition coming to Dayton
May 18 to June 21 at the Dayton Metro Library
Dayton Metro Library is one of 50 U.S. academic and public libraries selected to host Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum that examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.
“We are so proud to have been selected from a pool of more than 250 applicants to host this important and powerful exhibition,” said Jeffrey Trzeciak, Executive Director of Dayton Metro Library. “We encourage community members to come explore it and attend the related programs. The exhibition will challenge people to not only ask ‘what would I have done?’ but also, ‘what will I do?’”
Americans and the Holocaust will be on display at the Main Library, along with a series of related programs, from May 18 to June 21, 2023.
Based on extensive new research of that period, Americans and the Holocaust addresses important themes in American history, exploring the many factors — including the Great Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism — that influenced decisions made by the U.S. government, the news media, organizations and individuals as they responded to Nazism. This exhibition will challenge the commonly held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews as the Holocaust unfolded.
Drawing on a remarkable collection of primary sources from the 1930s and ’40s, the exhibition focuses on the stories of individuals and groups of Americans who took action in response to Nazism. It will challenge visitors to consider the responsibilities and obstacles faced by individuals — from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to ordinary Americans — who made difficult choices, sought to effect change, and, in a few cases, took significant risks to help victims of Nazism even as rescue never became a government priority.
The touring library exhibition is based on the special exhibition of the same name at the Museum in Washington, D.C.
UPDATE: DML Offers Docent Tours
While the exhibit is available for patrons to view on their own during normal operating hours at the Library, special Docent Tours will also be available.
The following Docent Tour dates will require advanced registration:
- Thursday, May 18, 1-2 pm
- Sunday, May 21, 2-3:30 pm (Includes a Survivor Talk program with Holocaust survivor Ira Segalewitz, followed by a docent-led tour of the exhibit – registration is recommended.)
- Thursday, May 25, 1-2 pm
- Thursday, June 1, 1-2 pm
- Tuesday, June 6, 11 am-12 pm
- Tuesday, June 13, 11 am-12 pm
- Tuesday, June 20, 11 am-12 pm
The following Docent Tour dates are drop-in tours, with no registration required:
- Saturday, May 20, 1-2 pm and 3:30-4:30 pm
- Saturday, June 3, 12-3 pm
- Thursday, June 8, 6-7 pm
- Thursday, June 15, 5-6 pm
- Saturday, June 17, 1-2 pm and 3:30-4:30 pm
- Wednesday, June 21, 10 am-5:30 pm
For more information about this exhibit, visit daytonmetrolibrary.org/exhibits or ushmm.org
Dayton Metro Library
