As we must remember, the Holocaust stands as one of the darkest chapters in human history, a genocide that saw millions of European Jews systematically murdered by Nazi Germany. Cinema has grappled with depicting this incomprehensible event in both documentary and narrative forms over the decades.  These works show the progression from prejudice and denial, to industrialized genocide, to the pursuit of justice and lifelong psychological damage and healing. The series explores how such an atrocity occurred, the resilience of the human spirit, and the imperative to ensuring "Never Again."

Each film will be introduced and will have a discussion session following the screening.

The Pawnbroker (1964) 
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Introduced and discussed by Ellen Poleshuck

In Nazi Germany, Sol Nazerman, played by Rod Steiger, is a German-Jewish university professor, who is sent to a concentration camp along with his family. He witnesses his two children and his wife die.  Twenty-five years later, Nazerman is haunted by his memories; he operates a pawnshop in an East Harlem slum.  Numbed and alienated by his experiences, he has trained himself not to show emotion.  Steiger was nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award and won the British equivalent.