The National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education at Seton Hill University is proud to present its 7th Holocaust Education Conference “Emerging Issues in Holocaust Education,” November 5 – 7 at Seton Hill. This conference will bring top scholars in the fields of Holocaust education and Catholic-Jewish relations together with experienced Holocaust educators at Catholic schools from across the U.S. “Emerging Issues in Holocaust Education” features both plenary and breakout sessions (on topics ranging from “Holocaust and Genocide Studies: Teaching with New Technologies” to “Nazi Imagery in Contemporary Anti-Israel Propaganda”), featured speakers, a panel discussion, a film screening and two art exhibits. In conjunction with the conference, the Center will host meetings of the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations (CCJR) and the Pennsylvania Holocaust Education Council (PHEC). The conference brochure and registration information are available at http://ncche@setonhill.edu. For more information, please contact the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education, at 724-830-1033 or ncche@setonhill.edu.

Conference highlights include:

Keynote Speaker Carol Rittner, RSM, Ed.D., Distinguished Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, on “Rape, Religion and Genocide: An Unholy Silence,” November 5, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m., Cecilian Hall.

Featured Panel on “How It Looks from Here: Holocaust Education in Europe” sponsored by the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations (CCJR) and featuring Ed Kessler, Cambridge, England; Björn Krondorfer, St. Mary’s College of Maryland; and Manfred Deselaers, Center for Dialogue and Prayer, Oświęcim, Poland.

Featured Speaker Thaddeus C. Radzilowski, Ph.D., president, Piast Institute, MI, on “Ideology, Persecution and Genocide: The Gentile Victims,” November 6, 11:00 a.m. to Noon, Lynch 101

Special Film Screening of “Diamonds in the Snow” with a presentation by documentary filmmaker and child survivor Mira Reym Binford, Ph.D., November 6, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Lynch 101

Featured Speaker Daniel C. Napolitano, USHMM Education Division Director, on “Reinventing the Moment of Engagement: Holocaust Education and Models for Movement towards Activism,” November 6, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., Lynch 101

Art Talks with Photographer Ben Golden and Muralist and Photoartist Yardena Donig Youner, November 6, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Lynch 101

Two-session Workshop titled “Connect the Dots: Making the Past Relevant to the Present” featuring Pennsylvania Holocaust Education Council (PHEC) Chair Elaine Culbertson presenting the organization’s model presentation.

Featured Speaker Rev. John T. Pawlikowski, OSM, Ph.D., professor of social ethics and director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies Program in the Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Center, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL, on “The Holocaust: Its Continuing Moral Challenges,” November 7, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., Lynch 101

Featured Speaker Shulamit Imber, M.A., pedagogical director, The International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel, on “How Do We Teach about the Shoah?” November 7, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., Lynch 101

The National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education (NCCHE) was established on the campus of Seton Hill University in 1987. Seton Hill initiated this national Catholic movement toward Holocaust studies in response to the urging of Pope John Paul II to recognize the significance of the Shoah, the Holocaust, and to "promote the necessary historical and religious studies on this event which concerns the whole of humanity today." The NCCHE has as its primary purpose the broad dissemination of scholarship on the root causes of anti-Semitism, its relation to the Holocaust and the implications from the Catholic perspective of both for today's world. Toward this end the Center is committed to equipping scholars, especially those at Catholic institutions, to enter into serious discussion on the causes of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust; shaping appropriate curricular responses at Catholic institutions and other educational sites; sustaining Seton Hill's Catholic Institute for Holocaust Studies in Israel through a cooperative program with Yad Vashem, the Isaac Jacob Institute for Religious Law and Hebrew University; encouraging scholarship and research through conferences, publications, workshops for educators, and similar activities; sponsoring local events on the Holocaust and related topics in the University and the community and enhancing Catholic-Jewish relations.