Hello and welcome back! Today marks the beginning of my
third week here in the Capitol and the end of my first two weeks at the United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
This past week
was extremely eventful, as I attended historian workshops, seminars for Holocaust-specialized
professors, Ph.D presentations, and more. While I am often overwhelmed by the
amount of moving parts that take place in the museum, I am starting to realize
that their constant state of “busy” and “hardworking” could not be more routine
for the teams at the museum. I could not be more impressed with their work, and
I more than happy that I chose to spend my summer with a group of such eager
and driven academics.
This past week, I
was able to sit in on two workshops focused on 1) the transition for historians
to digital humanities when teaching the Holocaust and 2) the usage of
photography in the classroom when discussing atrocities. Since the first of
these workshops was in its second week, I decided to spend most of my time in
the atrocity photography workshop. Attendees included professors in German,
literature, and history, however, there was also one international lawyer in
the workshop. The seminar brought together a group of diverse participants from
the University of Washington and UC Berkley, to professors from Toronto and
Berlin. Some had extensive backgrounds in photojournalism while others had
deeps roots in pedagogy-research. Everyone had a unique position, making all of
our discussions and seminars quite colorful.
The week was
filled with lectures in which each professor presented their research, ranging
from topics on the ethics of their photography in Sierra Leone to their work on
the gender-dimensions of atrocities reflected in Holocaust photography’s
portrayal of women. Throughout the week, I noticed some resonate themes from
the workshop, including the power of the camera during the Holocaust. Whether
discussing the objectification of women or the otherness of Jewish men in
German photography, a serious point stressed was the power dynamics established
between “German and Jew” in the images we examined. As a group, we discussed how
it is the one with the camera who
decides how the world views the person captured in the photo. This is especially the case during times of war and
atrocity, when a photographer doesn’t necessarily need permission from those he
chooses to portray. This was evidently the case in several of the Jewish
ghettos (particularly in the Łódź) in which we examined the work of a handful
of German photographers working for state institutions.
The workshop also
featured a tour of the America-Indian Museum, and a private tour of the
permanent exhibition in the USHMM in the hour before the museum opened up. Every
day of this week, I found myself entering the museum bright and early in the
morning and watching the day fly before my eyes. The days go by so quickly at the museum, as I am
finding the workshops incredibly engaging and exciting. It’s like attending
class back at CMC, but joined by professors from all over the world, while
getting to interact with the museum, at the same time. There is never a dull
moment at the USHMM, because if I ever need a reminder of the significance of
the museum’s work, I just take a walk through the Hall of Witness. There’s no
better reminder of how important the work at the USHMM is than the hundreds of
visitors’ faces as they walk through the impressive museum.
While I
anticipate the atrocity photography workshop to take up a significant amount of
my time in this following week, I also intend on beginning a few other projects
in the coming weeks. Since I will be a senior in the fall (a reality that
constantly terrifies me in the back of my head), I believe an independent
research project would be an excellent use of time while at the museum. The
fifth floor of the USHMM boasts a beautiful
library and set of archives that I cannot help but awe at with starry eyes
and a bright smile every time I visit. If I could utilize the archives by
conducting my own small research project, perhaps on an ethical dimension of
conflict intervention in World War II, I think that would serve as great practice
for my senior thesis. Research has been a field I have been eager to explore
since conducting a research project while abroad in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and I think
interning at the museum poses a prime opportunity to continue exploring this newly-found
interest. Also, I should mention that I would like to apply for Fulbright this
year, and thus I think research experience at the USHMM will go great lengths
at strengthening my application for further research abroad.
While I am having
a blast joining workshops with scholars and historians, I have also noticed the
heavy amount of joint work the museum conducts with the military. I have
discovered that the Levine Institute of the USHMM works heavily with all
branches of the military to conduct workshops with their officers in the museum’s
classrooms. They often receive private tours of the permanent exhibit before opening
hours as well, something I realized after bumping shoulders with high-ranking
military officers at least a few times every week. The museum’s collaboration
with military leadership could not make
me happier, as I intend to pursue Officer Candidate School for the Army following
graduation. In the following weeks, I plan on introducing myself to the Levine
Institute, and will hopefully be able to participate and/or observe the
workshops attended by the cadets and officers that visit the USHMM.
I do apologize
for the lengthy content in my blog this week! I have such an abundance of good
stories to share, I never really know where to stop! I have said it once, but I
will say it again: I absolutely picked the right place to intern this summer. I
am more than grateful that Professor Lower was able to bring me onto the Mandel
team, and I am more than excited for the summer to continue unfolding!
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