CALL FOR APPLICANTS: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Annual Seminar on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust

Madison Howard Discussion

2020 Annual Seminar on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust

 

Confronting Difficult Issues around Religion and the Holocaust 

 

June 15-19, 2020 

 

The Programs on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is pleased to announce its annual seminar for faculty and ABD doctoral candidates from all disciplines, including religious studies, history, literature, sociology, political science, gender studies, philosophy, and area studies. 

 

This seminar will consider the complex roles of religion (specifically Judaism and Christianity) in the Holocaust by addressing five key themes: everyday religious life under persecution; religion and violence; rescue, conversion, and coercion; religious/ethnic/national identities; and religious freedom in authoritarian societies. We will examine each topic through primary sources and secondary literature related to the Holocaust as well as consider how similar issues play out in other cases of genocide or mass atrocity in order to explore how Genocide Studies might deepen our understanding of religion and the Holocaust. The seminar will emphasize practical approaches to integrating these topics in university and seminary courses, including syllabus development and discussing sensitive material in the classroom. 

 

The seminar will be co-led by Drs. Doris Bergen and Rebecca Carter-Chand. Doris Bergen is Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Toronto. She is the author or editor of five books, including War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust (3rd edition 2016); Twisted Cross: The German Christian Movement in the Third Reich (1996); and The Sword of the Lord: Military Chaplains from the First to the Twenty-First Century (2004). Rebecca Carter-Chand is the Acting Director of the Programs on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust at the USHMM. She is currently working on a book manuscript, “The Limits of Christian Internationalism and the Salvation Army in Germany” and is co-editing a volume with Kevin Spicer, “Christianity, Antisemitism, and Ethnonationalism in the Era of the Two World Wars.” 

 

Participants will also have the opportunity to learn more about Museum resources for their teaching and consult and interact with Museum staff and visiting scholars. More information about the Museum’s programs on the historical role of religion during the Holocaust and the ways in which religious institutions, leaders, and theologians have addressed this history and its legacy since 1945 can be found at Programs on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust

 

How to Apply

Seminar applicants can be at any career stage but  must be at accredited institutions in North America, including seminaries, colleges, universities, and community colleges. Applications must include: (1) a curriculum vitae; (2) a statement of the candidate’s specific interest and purpose for attending the seminar; and (3) a supporting letter from a departmental chair, dean, or dissertation advisor, addressing the candidate’s qualifications and the potential applications of Holocaust-related courses or programming at their institutions or organizations. All participants must attend the entire seminar.

 

Admission will be determined without regard to race, color, religion, sex (sexual orientation or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information or reprisal. The Museum also prohibits any form of workplace discrimination or harassment. 

 

For non-local participants, the Mandel Center will (1) reimburse the cost of direct travel to and from the participant’s home institution and Washington, DC, up to but not exceeding the amount of $600; and (2) cover the cost of lodging for the duration of the course.  Incidental, meal, and book expenses must be covered by the candidates or their respective institutions. 

 

Applications must be received in electronic form no later than February 14, 2020. The application form is available on the USHMM website: https://www.ushmm.org/research/opportunities-for-academics/faculty-seminars/ethics-religion-holocaust/2020-annual-seminar-on-ethics-religion-and-the-holocaust

 

For questions, please contact Dr. Rebecca Carter-Chand at rcarter-chand@ushmm.org. All applicants will be notified of the results of the selection process by March 6, 2020.

 

This seminar is made possible by the Hoffberger Family Fund and by Joseph A. and Janeal Cannon and Family.