Beyond Horror and Shame: Legacies of the Holocaust for Faith Communities and the Future

April 9-11, 2024 | US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington D.C., US | Deadline for applications: 23 February 2024

What is the place of the Holocaust in the life of the people of faith and conscience in the 21st century? Does this event from over 75 years ago still have relevance for religious faith and practice?

The stark reality of the Nazi effort to annihilate the Jewish people strikes us with horror. Any honest encounter with the failure of the church to respond adequately can leave a sense of shame. For Jews, Christians, and others, engaging with this defining event in modernity remains a crucial dimension of meaningful communal life. This workshop will draw on expert scholarship and pedagogical insight to provide tools and a framework for each participant to build a constructive theological understanding of the Holocaust and a situation-specific approach to engaging it in preaching, teaching, and spiritual self-understanding. 

Topics will include: 

• Historical relationships between Jewish and Christian communities 

• The role of Christian churches during the Holocaust

• Post-Holocaust theology and interreligious dialogue 

• Exploring constructive responses to the legacy of the Holocaust

• Combating antisemitism, racism, and Islamophobia in contemporary faith communities

Visit this website for more info and applications.

Image: Tower of Faces — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum