The following is an edited collection of interviews conducted by Linda Ellerbee in the fall of 2004 with scholars, writers, and students on the meaning of Auschwitz today.
Melvin Jules Bukiet
The Lessons of the Holocaust
Writer, professor, and child of Holocaust survivors Melvin Jules Bukiet and Holocaust scholar Dr. Michael Berenbaum discuss Holocaust themes including why it took a generation for the world to begin to talk openly about the Holocaust, and how the Holocaust has changed history.
Edward Kissi
The Origins of Genocide
The nature of genocide is discussed by German history scholar Claudia Koonz and African studies and genocide expert Edward Kissi.
Deborah Dwork
How the World Failed Children During the Holocaust
The experiences of children during the Holocaust are examined by Deborah Dwork, professor of Holocaust studies, and John Roth, visiting scholar at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. They also discuss how institutions which should protect and safeguard children, failed them.
David Marwell
The Task of Justice & the Danger of Holocaust Deniers
Museum of Jewish Heritage Director David Marwell discusses with historians Deborah Lipstadt and Doris Bergen the ways in which society confronts genocide, including the purpose of war crime trials and the dangers holocaust deniers present.
Gayle Smith
How the Holocaust Informs Contemporary Issues of Genocide
The question of why genocides continue to occur and what can be done about it is examined by Gayle Smith, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and Jerry Fowler, director of the Committee on Conscience at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Molly Higgins
Why It's Crucial to Understand and Remember this History
After viewing "Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State," eight high school and college students come together for an intense discussion about the many important issues raised by the series, including what they believe an individual can do when a genocide is occurring.