The Augusta University Libraries’ Holocaust Lecture Series hosted its third installment on Sunday, Jan. 12 at the Augusta Jewish Museum downtown.
“We Are Here: The Augusta Museum Comes to Life” featured stories regarding the Jewish population in the Central Savannah River Area from the earliest Jewish settlers in the 1800s to the stories of those who helped liberate the Nazi-occupied death camps during the Second World War.
The event featured four speakers; Dr. Jackie Cohen, Dr. Michael Cohen, Dr. Judith Giri, and Nathan Jolles, Esq.
All four speakers are either board members of the AJM or were instrumental in developing the displays for the center. While much of the focus was on how the Augusta Jewish Museum came into existence, how the property was acquired and the history of its buildings, there was also a focus on the history of the Jewish Community and their efforts at home and abroad during World War II.
Another conversation point was how the AJM chose the different displays throughout its museum. There are areas dedicated to the importance of the Nation of Israel, the Holocaust, the history of Jewish people in the region, and a timeline of Jewish history.
The AJM is also home to a preserved torah from the Czech community of Lipnìk. The town of 8,000 is in the Eastern region of the Czech Republic. The Torah survived the Holocaust and is on loan to the museum.
The Augusta University Libraries’ Holocaust Lecture Series is supported by Georgia Humanities, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, through funding from the Georgia General Assembly.
The final presentation of the Holocaust Lecture Series will occur at 4 p.m. on March 19 at the Reese Library. The subject will be “Women’s Experiences of the Holocaust and the Aftermath” The speakers will be AU faculty members Dr. Nicole Meyer and Dr. Jodi Fissel.
For more information on the Augusta Jewish Museum, click here.
