Series will include programs on antisemitism, Holocaust education, media literacy, and the Museum’s ongoing expansion
(St. Louis, July 8, 2021) – Today, the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum announced a series of upcoming virtual programs entitled, “Why This Matters.” The series will examine crucial issues relevant to the Museum’s mission to use the history and lessons of the Holocaust to reject hatred, promote understanding, and inspire change. The four virtual programs will take place on separate evenings in August at 6:30 pm CT.
The programs are as follows:
August 5 — Defining Antisemitism and Why it Matters
Director of Government Affairs for the Simon Wiesenthal Center Mark Weitzman will discuss antisemitism and its contemporary global rise.
August 10 — The Vital Need for Holocaust Education
Ariel Behrman of ADL and Jesse Tannetta of Echoes & Reflections will look at the vital need for Holocaust education locally and nationally and the concerning rise in the lack of Holocaust knowledge among young people.
August 19 — Context Means Everything: Questions We Might Ask Each Time We Access Media
Founder and President of Gateway Media Literacy Partnership, Inc., Jessica Brown-Billhymer, will discuss the importance of media literacy and ways to critically analyze and access media.
August 26 — Why Our Region Needs a Holocaust Museum: Introducing the New St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum
World-renowned museum designer Patrick Gallagher will provide a sneak peek at the planned expansion of the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum. This program will mark the first time updated expansion plans and renderings will be revealed to the St. Louis community.
“We’re excited to share a glimpse of the new St. Louis Kaplan Holocaust Museum with the community and launch important discussions on issues like antisemitism and media literacy,” said Don Hannon, Acting Executive Director. “When we reopen in summer 2022, we look forward to welcoming visitors back to a new, world-class institution and continuing to foster crucial discussions about contemporary events that impact our region and beyond.”
All four programs are free and open to the public. Following each presentation, the speakers will take questions from the virtual audience. For more information and to register, please click here.
The St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, a department of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, is dedicated to using the history and lessons of the Holocaust to reject hatred, promote understanding, and inspire change. The Museum currently provides virtual educational programming as it undergoes a $21 million expansion. The new world-class institution will open in mid-2022. Learn more at StlHolocaustMuseum.org.
The St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. Any views, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. (NEH.gov)