Paris, July 1942, and the Vel d’Hiv Roundup

Ryan Woodward, Library & Education Associate July 16-17 marks the 80th anniversary of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, an important piece of French Holocaust history. Vel d'Hiv is an abbreviated name of the Vélodrome d'Hiver (Winter Cycling Stadium) where Jews in Paris were held after a mass arrest by French police on July 16 and 17,…

International Nurse’s Day Spotlight: Marjorie Butterfield

May 12 is International Nurse's Day! As you may know, our Yom HaShoah program this year was themed around "The Liberators and the Liberated". In addition to the military veterans and their children whose interviews were featured in our program, another interview took place that was not recorded--students from Avonworth High School interviewed Carol Meisinger,…

Remembering the White Rose

by Ryan WoodwardLibrary & Education Associate The story of the White Rose is not complete without mention of the group’s unique methods of non-violent resistance to the Nazis. Often, when learning about resistance to the Nazis and opposition to the war, most immediately think of armed resistance, seen for example in the actions of the…

Will Eisner Week and World War II

By Ryan WoodwardLibrary & Education Associate This week marks the beginning of Will Eisner Week, an event held every March that celebrates comics, graphic novel literacy, free speech, and the legacy of Will Eisner in schools, universities, libraries, museums, bookstores, comic book shops, and other venues. Anyone familiar with the Holocaust Center’s programs and events…

Graphic Prose Reflections of a Dark Chapter in America

By Ryan WoodwardLibrary & Education Associate This past weekend marked the 80th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, which authorized and directed “the Secretary of War…to prescribe military areas in such places and of such extent as he or the appropriate Military Commander may determine, from which any or all persons may…

Re-reading Anne Frank Beyond the Diary

By Ryan WoodwardLibrary & Education Associate Anne Frank is in the news again. Last month, her experience in hiding made international headlines, owing to a new investigation into exactly who betrayed her to the Nazis as well as the misappropriation of her memory to score points in the politicized vaccine debate. Neither topic is necessarily…

The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh is Hiring!

We are thrilled to share this opportunity to join our team! Applications are due by October 11, 2021. Download the PDF version of this job description The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh seeks a full-time Administrative Assistant to provide administrative support to the Holocaust Center team. The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh connects the horrors of the…

Celebrating Children’s Book Week

By Ryan Woodward, Library and Education Associate of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, events are held nationwide at schools, libraries, bookstores, and in homes — wherever young readers and books connect! As we are currently in the middle…

Remembering the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi: An Updated Book List from the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh

As we once again observe Genocide Awareness Month and continue to promote our production of Miracle in Rwanda with Prime Stage Theatre, we are pleased to share this new booklist from our librarian, Ryan Woodward. For any questions or book recommendations, you can contact Ryan at rwoodward@hcpgh.org. Shake Hands With The Devil: The Failure of…

An Educator Toolkit for using Benno and the Night of Broken Glass

Benno and the Night of Broken Glass A Children’s Picture Book Written by Meg Wiviott and Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon HCPGH Staff Contributer: Emily Bernstein, Education Outreach Associate This November marks the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht – the Night of Broken Glass, also known as the November Pogroms: On November 9–10, 1938, Nazi leaders unleashed…