Sonoma State University’s 43rd annual Holocaust and Genocide Lecture Series runs through May 12, with the events open to the public, in person or online, each Tuesday afternoon.
The lecture series, organized by Sonoma State’s Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide, brings in speakers from around the world, with perspectives this year on genocides perpetrated against a number of groups, including Jews, Roma, Armenians, Native Americans, Chinese, Guatemalans and Tutsis.
This year, the series theme is “Making Sense of Genocide in an Age of Intolerance.”
Some lectures revolve around historical events, including “The Returns of Summer 1941: Perpetrators and Pogroms in Western Ukraine” on Feb. 10 and “The Nazi Genocide of the Roma Told through Survivor Ceija Stojka’s Artwork” on March 3. Other talks focus on the present, such as “How China’s Wartime Past is Shaping Its Present — And Future: History, Legacy, and Memory in China’s World War II” on April 1.
A May 5 lecture addresses allegations against Israel regarding the war in Gaza. Omer Bartov, the dean’s professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University, will speak on “Israel: What Went Wrong?” The Israeli government has vehemently denied allegations of genocide.
The lectures seek to paint a nuanced portrait of the many causes of genocides and are meant to make attendees confront uncomfortable truths about the human capacity for violence, according to series organizers.
“Our audience is challenged to face the difficult reality of humankind’s brutality and to reflect on the common and varied causes of genocide,” the series description states. “We also bear witness to the astounding human capacity for resilience.”
Students enrolled in “Perspectives on Holocaust and Genocide,” a course in the departments of political science and history, are required to attend the lectures. More than 200 recordings from past years are available on YouTube.