Friends of the Joplin Public Library to present International Holocaust Remembrance Day program

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Friends of the Joplin Public Library will commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day with a special program at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 27 at the library at 1901 E. 20th St.

January 27 is the day on which Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1945. In 2005, it was designated as International Holocaust Remembrance Day by the United Nations General Assembly.

Dr. Bill Kumbier, retired Missouri Southern State University professor of English, and Dr. Paul Teverow, retired MSSU professor of history, have selected readings that explore the significance of the Holocaust, which will be read by volunteers from the community.

The selections will provide insight into:

·       The steps by which mass extermination was implemented.

·       Life in the ghettos.

·       Operation of the work camps and death camps.

·       Strategies for survival and resistance.

·       How those who endured the Holocaust reflected on their experiences through autobiographical and fictional works.

During the program, those in attendance will be invited to share their thoughts on how the selections added to or changed their understanding of the Holocaust.

Admission is free and open to the public, though attendees are invited to make a donation to support the Friends of the Joplin Public Library.

A nonprofit organization, the Friends of the Joplin Public Library was founded to provide financial support beyond the library’s operating budget.

Membership is open to individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations regardless of card-holder status or city of residence.