The American Press And Hitler And The Nazis Workshop At Rowan College Of South Jersey-Cumberland

What responsibility did the American press, including magazines and newspapers, have in making the dangers known of the Nazis to the world and, specifically, the Jews of Germany and Europe during the rise of Nazism through the Holocaust? Did the press fail in this responsibility to make this clarion call and, if so, what could have been done differently?

These issues will be explored at a workshop, free and open to the public, on Thursday, September 26, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the George P. Luciano Conference & Events Center, Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland (formerly Cumberland County College), 3322 College Drive, Vineland, NJ.

This workshop, entitled “The American Press and Hitler and the Nazis—1920 to 1945,” is presented by The South Jersey Holocaust Coalition, the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education, Jewish Federation of Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Counties, and Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland.

It will be led by Harry Furman, Chairman of the Coalition. A former social studies teacher, Furman pioneered in 1976 the first New Jersey high school semester course on the Holocaust and Genocide, The Conscience of Man. He was also Editor-in-Chief of the first Holocaust curriculum for New Jersey schools and publication of The Holocaust and Genocide: The Search for Conscience. The co-editor of The Hitler Legacy, An Exploration of Hate, he is also a former long-time member of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education and a presenter of many seminars and workshops.

In addition to a discussion of whether the New York Times and other major print sources of the time failed to convey to the world these rising dangers, larger questions will be discussed about the function of public media sources—not only during the 1920 to 1945 period, but also in our own time, when the press is seen by some as an “enemy of the people” deserving of legal restraint and public shunning.

Educators, students, and the public are invited to attend and, for professionals, 3.0 Professional Development (PD) hours will be granted by the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education. 

To attend, please register no later than Wednesday, September 18 by going to www.HolocaustCoalition.com and, on the “Coming Events” page, clicking on “Register Here”—or by calling 302-265-3870. Educators desiring Professional Development credits should kindly provide their name, contact information, and school.

No registration fee or cost is required to attend this workshop, but donations of any size are greatly appreciated. A light snack will be provided.

For more information on this and all South Jersey Holocaust Coalition events and activities, visit the Coalition’s website at www.HolocaustCoalition.com or their Facebook page at “South Jersey Holocaust Coalition.” You may also e-mail HolocaustCoalition@gmail.com or call 302-265-3870.