The Relationship Of The German Protestant Church And The Holocaust
Why did many church leaders in Germany view the Nazi revolution which began in 1933 as a golden opportunity for Christianity and see a mutually reinforcing ideology with Nazism? How did the German Faith Movement of the 1930s extrapolate an anti-Jewish platform from their view of race as God’s revelation—which led to a Holocaust perpetrated by a highly-educated, technologically-advanced, Christian nation?
These issues will be explored at a workshop, free and open to the public, on Thursday, October 24, 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 “From Luther to Bonhoeffer—The German Protestant Church and the Holocaust,” is presented by The South Jersey Holocaust Coalition, the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education, and Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland.
Funding has been made possible in part by the Annual Campaign of Jewish Federation of Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Counties.
It will be led by Anthony Iaconelli, a teacher and administrator at St. Augustine Preparatory School—a four-year college preparatory school in Richland—since 1985 and currently the chairperson of the school’s History Department. Iaconelli holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and history, as well as a Master’s degree in Holocaust Studies. He created the History/Genocide course at St. Augustine Prep in 2005—a course that remains one of the most popular history electives offered at the school.
He is a prestigious Alfred Lerner Fellow in Holocaust Studies from The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous held annually at Columbia University in New York. He is one of only 500 Master Educators from the U.S. and Eastern Europe committed to teaching the public and their peers about the history of the Holocaust and preserving the Legacy of Righteous Gentiles, non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
The workshop will trace the rise of the Protestant movement to its Founding Father, Martin Luther, and examine the Kirchenkampf (Church struggle) that developed within the Protestant Church, beginning with Hitler’s rise to power. The workshop will also look at the backlash to the pro-Nazi ideology that was formed under the Confessing Church, as illustrated by the active resistance of Protestant pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
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 Thursday, October 17 by going to www.HolocaustCoalition.com and, on the “Coming Events” page, clicking on “Register Here” and completing the registration form—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.
