Americans and the Holocaust

MICHIGAN.GOV/LMAATH

The Library of Michigan is one of 50 U.S. libraries newly selected to host Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association (ALA) that examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.

Americans and the Holocaust will be on display at the Library of Michigan, along with a series of related special events, from January 11th, 2025 to February 22nd, 2025.

The 1,100-square-foot exhibition examines various aspects of American society: the government, the military, refugee aid organizations, the media and the general public. Drawing on a remarkable collection of primary sources from the 1930s and ’40s, the exhibition tells the stories of Americans who acted in response to Nazism, challenging the commonly held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews as the Holocaust unfolded. It provides a portrait of American society that shows how the Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism shaped responses to Nazism and the Holocaust.

2024 For the Public Library of Michigan Exhibits Holocaust

Americans and the Holocaust exhibit

Programs

January 27, 2025 6-8PM - Americans and the Holocaust

Presenter: Daniel Greene curator of the Americans and the Holocaust exhibition

This talk will focus on the domestic conditions in the United States—including economic depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism, and antisemitism—that shaped Americans’ responses to atrocities abroad.

February 6, 2025 6-8PM - Red Tape, Not Red Carpet: Contemporary Refuges and Bureaucracy in the United States

Panelists: Ben Cabanaw, Shirin Kambin, Merkeb Youhannes, and Durkhshan Sediqy

This panel discussion will link Jewish immigration during the 20th century with the current experiences of immigrants to the United States.

February 10, 2025 6-8PM - Rethinking the History of Antisemitism in Michigan

Panelists: Catherine Cangany, Karla Goldman, John Jackson, Jr., Andrew Lapin and Victoria Saker Woeste

This panel will discuss the history of antisemitism in Michigan during the 20th century.

*Note: All programs will take place in the Forum at the Michigan Library and Historical Center.

Exhibit Resources

Additional Resources

Teacher Resources