Americans and the Holocaust

Charleston County Public Library is one of 50 U.S. libraries selected to host AMERICANS AND THE HOLOCAUST, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum 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 Main Library at 68 Calhoun Street, along with a series of related special events, from September 9 to October 15, 2024. You can learn more about the exhibition here. Educators interested in bringing a class to view the exhibit should email [email protected] to discuss scheduling. For all other questions, please email [email protected]. 

Program Schedule
All programs will take place in the Main Library Auditorium at 68 Calhoun Street, downtown

If you attended any of these programs and wish to provide feedback, please fill out this form.

Americans and the Holocaust Travelling Exhibition Opening Reception
Monday, September 9 @ 5 p.m.
Enjoy light refreshments and get a first look at the exhibition.
Thanks to the support of the Jewish Endowment Foundation of South Carolina.

The U.S. and the Holocaust Documentary Screening & Discussion
Tuesday, September 10 @ 6 p.m.
View a screener version of Ken Burns documentary "The U.S. and the Holocaust" and participate in a community discussion moderated by Professor Chad Gibbs. This shortened version of "The U.S. and the Holocaust" will provide background knowledge about the American response to the Holocaust that will enhance the experience of visiting the Americans and the Holocaust Travelling Exhibition. Attendees are encouraged to explore these topics in a thoughtful discussion led by Professor Gibbs after the film.

Hands-on History with Charleston Jewish Federation: Jim Crow & the Nuremberg Laws
Thursday, September 12 @ 4:30 p.m.
Students in grades 8-12 are invited to participate in a program presented by the Charleston Jewish Federation exploring the connections between the Jim Crow era in the U.S. and the Nuremberg Laws enacted by Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

Letters from Europe: South Carolina Jews and the Holocaust with Chad Gibbs
Wednesday, September 18 @ 6 p.m.
Join Dr. Chad Gibbs for a discussion of family letters sent from Germany and Poland to Camden, South Carolina and what these messages reveal about  local understandings of the Nazi threat and American Jewish efforts to save friends, family, and fellow Jews during the Holocaust.

Generational Survivors & Liberators Panel Discussion
Monday, September 23 @ 6 p.m.
Join a panel of Second and Third Generation Holocaust Survivors and children of Liberators to hear family experiences and testimonies about the events of the Holocaust.

Reports of Atrocities in the Charleston Press of the 1940s 
Wednesday, September 25 @ 6 p.m.
What did they know and when did they know it? Join Dr. Nic Butler of CCPL for a look at the way local media in Charleston and South Carolina covered the events of the Holocaust.

Americans and the Holocaust: A Traveling Exhibition for Libraries is made possible by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association.

Americans and the Holocaust was made possible by the generous support of lead sponsor Jeannie & Jonathan Lavine. Additional major funding was provided by the Bildners — Joan & Allen z”l, Elisa Spungen & Rob, Nancy & Jim; and Jane and Daniel Och. The Museum's exhibitions are also supported by the Lester Robbins and Sheila Johnson Robbins Traveling and Special Exhibitions Fund, established in 1990.