Capitol News

Michigan State University has collaborated with several organizations to present the "Americans and the Holocaust" exhibition at the Library of Michigan in Lansing. This initiative, which coincides with International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, aims to highlight World War II history and its impact. The exhibit will be open until February 22.

The exhibition is a joint effort by the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel, MSU's Department of History, the Library of Michigan, the Zekelman Holocaust Center, and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute at the University of Michigan. It is part of a series traveling to libraries across the United States, organized in collaboration with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) and the American Library Association.

MSU's history department is co-sponsoring various events related to the exhibit. These include discussions on antisemitism in Michigan and sessions for education students on incorporating Holocaust history into curricula. Kirsten Fermaglich, a professor at MSU, emphasized that this exhibit offers an opportunity to educate people about a significant historical period.

"I just think it’s a really important subject that we don’t usually think about," Fermaglich said. "We usually are just looking at the Holocaust, not thinking about its impact on Americans."

Fermaglich also noted that having such an exhibit in Lansing allows access for audiences who might not typically visit large museums. "This exhibit was really designed to be reaching audiences that don’t have a lot of access to Holocaust education," she explained.

The exhibition includes stories and visual pieces from Washington D.C., such as propaganda posters from WWII, letters, identity documents, polling data graphics from that era, interactive refugee journey displays, newsreel footage, and cultural portrayals from films.

Additionally, MSU's Department of History will assist in creating a companion exhibit titled “Americans and the Holocaust: A Michigan Perspective” at their Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum next semester. Students will engage in research using local family materials and artifacts provided by partners like the Zekelman Holocaust Center.

Fermaglich highlighted that this project allows students to learn about museum operations alongside historical content. "I’m going to be learning too; I’ve never done real museum work," she said.

The timing of this exhibition aligns with International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. It marks Auschwitz-Birkenau's liberation anniversary while encouraging reflection on modern issues related to racism and discrimination.

"It’s very much looking at the past," Fermaglich stated. "It’s important to understand how government can work together with civil society...to dehumanize people."

The exhibition remains available at the Library of Michigan through February 22.