Guest Speaker: Dr. Beverley Chalmers

Although rarely mentioned, sexual assault of children during the Holocaust occurred far more often than we would like to acknowledge. Children were sexually abused in ghettos, camps, on transit trains, while in hiding, and even when sent to safety outside Europe. They were betrayed by the Nazis, their rescuers, their peers, by those who discounted their experiences after the war, and by Holocaust scholars who do not acknowledge these events and prefer to keep this a closely guarded secret. The challenges involved in studying child sex abuse during the Holocaust will be addressed. Issues relating to maintaining confidentiality, and the value of testimony if it is not made available for study, will be considered. Seeking methods that allow researchers to access and report on such sensitive testimonies remains an essential task if we are to acknowledge the full extent of women’s and children’s lives and honour their experiences.

This programme is in partnership with the Remember the Women Institute, Women in the Holocaust – International Study Center (MORESHET), Wagner College Holocaust Center, Classrooms Without Borders, Rabin Chair Forum Washington University, and the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre.

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