U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum historian to explore ‘Rescue’ during April 6 talk

Elmhurst University will observe its 35th year of Holocaust education on April 6 with the lecture “Understanding Rescue During the Holocaust” by Rebecca Carter-Chand, director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Programs on Ethics, Religion and the Holocaust.

Carter-Chand notes that accounts of rescue during the Holocaust have long fascinated survivors, historians and the public.

For decades after the Holocaust, rescue was understood primarily as a psychological phenomenon that could be attributed to one’s ethical predisposition or empathetic personality, or as a result of one’s piety or theological commitments.

In recent years, a new approach has been gaining attention — one that focuses less on motivations and more on circumstances.

This talk will trace the evolution of the study of rescue and highlight new research on the rescue of Jews by Christians, as well as Jewish strategies of survival.

The 35th annual Holocaust Service of Remembrance and Lecture will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 6, in the Founders Lounge of the Frick Center Chapel, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. Admission is free but reservations are encouraged, at elmhurst.edu/Cultural.

The intercultural lectures and other diverse cultural programming at Elmhurst University support community engagement and lifelong learning, and prepare students to thrive as adaptive leaders. For more information, email marketing@elmhurst.edu.