Museum curator Daniel Greene joins moderator Rick Hirsch of the Miami Herald, and David Weinstein, Author, to explore cinema, radio and media throughout the 1930-40s.
Miami, FL. Nov. 14, 2018 — The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum invites the community to attend “What Were We Watching? Americans’ Responses to Nazism through Cinema, Radio, and Media” on Monday, December 10, at 7p.m. at Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami.
Panelists will discuss how Hollywood and leaders in entertainment and government battled for the hearts and minds of Americans. The panel discussion includes the following speakers:
- Daniel Greene, PhD, Historian and Curator of the Americans and the Holocaust exhibition at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
- David Weinstein, PhD, Author of “The Eddie Cantor Story: A Jewish Life in Performance and Politics,” and contributor to “Why Sarnoff Slept: NBC and the Holocaust
- Moderator: Rick Hirsch, Managing Editor, Miami Herald
“This program helps us to understand how Americans were being informed and educated about the Nazi threat during the 1930s and 40s through the variety of different mediums available at that time,” said Robert Tanen, the Museum’s Southeast Regional Director. “It’s important to know the depths of influence that the entertainment industry and political leaders had in creating awareness to Nazism and the threat to European Jews during World War II.”
Stories about World War II and the persecution of Europe’s Jews were a constant presence in American movie theaters and living rooms throughout the 1930–40s. Award-winning films such as Mrs. Miniver, The Great Dictator, and Casablanca shaped Americans’ understanding of the Nazi threat, while newsreels and radio programs offered a brief glimpse into world events and the range of opinions on the war effort.
In the 25 years since it opened, the Museum has educated and inspired more than 43 million visitors, including more than 10 million children and nearly 100 heads of state. A permanent reminder on the National Mall in Washington of what can occur when the world fails to take action, the Museum inspires citizens and leaders alike to confront hate and indifference, end genocide and promote human dignity.
The “What Were We Watching? Americans’ Responses to Nazism through Cinema, Radio, and Media” program is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required at this link.
For more information, contact the Museum’s Southeast Regional office at 561.995.6773 or email at southeast@ushmm.org.
MDC’s Wolfson Campus is located at 300 N.E. Second Ave, Miami, FL 33132. The program will be at the Chapman Conference Center, Building 3, Room 3210.
MEDIA: To request interviews or to cover this event, please contact:
- Monika Levin at 954.675.9885 or monika@redbanyan.com
- Kristy Buechner at 202.314.1772 or kbuechner@ushmm.org
About the Museum
A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. Its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. For more information, visit www.ushmm.org.
About Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College is the nation’s largest, campus-based institution of higher education with an undergraduate enrollment of 165,000 students. It is also the nation’s top producer of Associate in Arts and Science degrees and awards more degrees to minorities than any other college or university in the country. The college’s eight campuses offer more than 300 distinct degree pathways including several baccalaureate degrees in biological sciences, engineering, data analytics, information systems technology, education, public safety, supervision and management, nursing, physician assistant studies, film and others. MDC is the recipient of top national awards. As Democracy’s College, MDC changes lives through accessible, high quality-teaching and learning experiences. It houses the Miami Culinary Institute, the Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex, the Miami Fashion Institute, the Eig-Watson School of Aviation, the Idea Center, the School for Advanced Studies, the New World School of the Arts, to name a few. MDC has been named among the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The College embraces its responsibility to serve as an economic, cultural, and civic leader for the advancement of our diverse global community. Its alumni and employees contribute more than $6 billion annually to the local economy, and MDC graduates occupy top leadership positions in every major industry. MDC is renowned for its rich cultural programming. It is home of the Miami Book Fair, Miami Film Festival, the MDC Live! Performing Arts Series, the National Historic Landmark Miami Freedom Tower, the Tower Theater, Dyer Building, Koubek Center Mansion and Gardens, the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives, a sculpture park and a large art gallery system. MDC has admitted more than 2,000,000 students and counting, since it opened its doors in 1960. For more information, visit www.mdc.edu.
Contact:
Monika Levin, Red Banyan Kristy Buechner, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
954.675.9885 | monika@redbanyan.com 202.314.1754 | kbuechner@ushmm.org