Dr. John K. Roth: Why Study the Holocaust

On March 23, 2005 in the Littlefield Recital Hall (located in the Arnold Bernhard Center), UB students and faculty welcomed Dr. John K. Roth to speak on the topic “Why Study the Holocaust?” Dr. Roth, who was a previous board member at UB was enthusiastic about sharing his information and opinions on the subject with the attendees. Despite inclement weather, 80 listeners attended.
Dr. Roth, an Ethicist, is no stranger to the subject of the Holocaust, and truly has an impressive background on this subject. He has authored and published over 35 books on the Holocaust. These include one done in conjunction with UB President Emeritus and professor, Dr. Richard L. Rubenstein entitled Approaches to Auschwitz. He also earned a masters and doctorate degree at Yale University in philosophy and holds honorary degrees from several universities. This includes educational institutions in the United States, Israel, Switzerland, Japan, and England.
The event commenced with introductions by President Neil Albert Salonen and Dr. Richard L. Rubenstein. Closing remarks were made by Dr. Thomas J. Ward, Dean of the International College.
Dr. Roth shared with the audience insights gained from his ethical studies of the holocaust. The issues explored centered on the how the holocaust has impacted our understanding of such realities as home, faith, community, evil, and human rights. With problems like Sept. 11 and the war in Iraq occurring now, “people may think that solutions to problems of the present and future deserve more time and study than those [problems] of the past”, Dr. Roth points out. However the past can give incentives to deal better with the future. Dr. Roth concluded by quoting a French survivor of the concentration camp, who said that in the gas chambers women and children go first. That horrible reality should now be taken as an incentive to do the opposite, which is to take care of the world’s children first.
Dr. Roth also pointed out the horrible experiences that specific victims of the Holocaust had to endure. One such example was a Jewish man’s reaction to the shocking news that his family had been captured by the Nazis. It was so shocking to him that, “because of a genocidal Nazi state, home could never be a reality again” as commented by Dr. Roth. Another effect of the Holocaust, as stated by Dr. Roth, “is that it destroyed trust in the world”. This is one of the greatest effects that such a massive genocide left. We can connect this to such other issues such as Sept. 11 and the war in Iraq. Truly, the words and ideas of one great speaker can affect everyone’s views on an event so well known yet, in a way, misunderstood.The University of Bridgeport encourages all UB students and faculty to participate in its lectures and events that are planned. If you enjoyed this lecture and would like to find out what is coming up in the near future or if you want to check out the wide variety of lectures offered on campus, then contact President Salonen or the Office of Student Programming. Also, there are always flyers around campus about both exciting and meaningful events.