CORVALLIS, Ore. – Holocaust survivor Stephen Nassar, who was 13 when he was deported to Auschwitz in 1944, will speak at Oregon State University in Corvallis Monday, April 29, as part of the university’s 33rd annual Holocaust Memorial Week.
Nasser, who now lives in Nevada, was the only survivor among his 21-member family of Hungarian Jews. While he was imprisoned, he kept a diary that later served as the basis for his memoir, “My Brother’s Voice,” and a play, “Not Yet, Pista.”
Nasser’s talk will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St. Copies of Nasser’s book will be available for purchase and he will sign books following the lecture. The talk is free but attendees are encouraged to reserve free tickets in advance to secure a seat. Tickets can be obtained online at http://bit.ly/2Gb4LTK.
Holocaust Memorial Week is presented by the School of History, Philosophy and Religion in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts. All events are free and open to the public. Other Holocaust Memorial Week events are:
- Tuesday, April 30: “From Persecution to Annihilation: Hitler’s Decision to Proceed with the Final Solution,” a talk by Holocaust historian Christopher R. Browning at 7:30 p.m. in Milam Auditorium. Browning, the author of more than a dozen books on the Holocaust. His book “The Origins of the Final Solution,” focuses on the evolution of the Nazi plan to exterminate the Jews of Europe, and his talk will focus on that topic. A book-signing will follow the lecture.
- Wednesday, May 1: “The Other Nazi Genocide,” a lecture by University of Oregon Professor Carol Silverman at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Union Room 13. Silverman, a scholar of Romani society and culture, will speak on the “Porajmos,” or the devouring, an assault on the Romani people of Europe, often called Gypsies. She will also discuss the history and persecution of and violence toward the Roma, including present-day discrimination in Europe.
- Thursday, May 2: “Weaponizing Hatred: What, if anything, can be done to reduce the flow of hate speech?” A panel discussion featuring OSU faculty at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Union Room 109. Katherine Hubler will discuss a Nazi-era German tabloid that regularly used “fake news” to demonize Jews. William E. Loges will explain why hate speech so often finds a home in social media. Daniel Faltesek will discuss a project that he and several of his students undertook during the midterm elections to track and categorize tens of thousands of anti-Semitic tweets.
For more information about the events, visit the Holocaust Memorial Program website, http://holocaust.oregonstate.edu.
College of Liberal Arts
About the OSU College of Liberal Arts: The College of Liberal Arts encompasses seven distinct schools, as well as several interdisciplinary initiatives, that focus on humanities, social sciences, and fine and performing arts. Curriculum developed by the college’s nationally and internationally-renowned faculty prepares students to approach the complex problems of the world ethically and thoughtfully, contributing to a student's academic foundation and helping to build real-world skills for a 21st century career and a purposeful life.
Michelle Klampe, 541-737-0784, [email protected]
Paul Kopperman, 541-737-1265, [email protected]