Maya Benton, adjunct curator, International Center of Photography, New York

Maya Benton is working to establish the Roman Vishniac Archive at the International Center of Photography. Vishniac's photos include some of the most well-known images of Jewish life in Eastern Europe. The archive also includes thousands of unpublished images that show the tremendous diversity of prewar Jewish life, as well as the rise of Nazi power in Berlin.

Topics: Artists

RSS Subscribe | Download | Listen now | Forward | Comment

Vanessa Hidary, spoken-word artist, New York City

In her signature poem "Hebrew Mamita," Vanessa Hidary addresses antisemitic stereotypes in her direct, no-nonsense style. In this piece, she unpacks insult-as-compliment antisemitism, and the subtle ways that oppression can get under your skin.

Topics: Artists, Fighting prejudice, Identity and religion, Popular culture figures

RSS Subscribe | Download | Listen now | Forward | Comment

Dr. Michael A. Grodin, Professor of Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights, Boston University School of Public Health

Dr. Michael Grodin has written about Nazi doctors and the ways patients were systematically dehumanized and tortured. He believes we need to beware of the subtle ways that medical ethics can be subverted in the name of research and public health.

Topics: Academic perspectives, Concentration camps, The role of education

RSS Subscribe | Download | Listen now | Forward | Comment

David Draiman, lead singer, Disturbed

As frontman for the multi-platinum hard-rock band Disturbed, David Draiman writes songs that are often personal and political. As a kid, he was drawn into occasional fistfights over anti-Jewish remarks. As an adult, he addresses Holocaust denial and antisemitism in his song "Never Again."

Topics: Artists, Holocaust denial, Popular culture figures

RSS Subscribe | Download | Listen now | Forward | Comment

Vidal Sassoon, hairdresser and businessman

Although Vidal Sassoon has stopped cutting hair himself—he jokes that no one wants an 84-year-old stylist—he maintains a strong pride in his Jewish identity, a robust sense of political activism, and a vigilance toward antisemitism.

Topics: Fighting prejudice, Popular culture figures

RSS Subscribe | Download | Listen now | Forward | Comment

Michael Kahn, artistic director, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington D.C.

During his career, Kahn has produced The Merchant of Venice three times. It is among the most popular and the most contentious of Shakespeare's plays, with ever-evolving relevance for modern audiences.

Topics: Artists, Identity and religion, Popular culture figures

RSS Subscribe | Download | Listen now | Forward | Comment

David Albahari, writer

In many of his novels, Serbian-Jewish author David Albahari challenges readers to re-examine history. Though widely published around the world, Albahari's work is not always popular in his native country, where antisemitism persists.

Topics: Authors, Burden of memory, Concentration camps

RSS Subscribe | Download | Listen now | Forward | Comment

Sir Ben Kingsley, actor

Sir Ben Kingsley has played key roles in several films about the Holocaust, including Simon Wiesenthal, Itzhak Stern, and Otto Frank. Kingsley believes that it is important to confront tragedy in film and art, and that as an actor he is able to be both storyteller and witness.

Topics: Artists, Popular culture figures

RSS Subscribe | Download | Listen now | Forward | Comment

Mike Godwin, author and attorney

An early adopter of computer culture, Mike Godwin noticed in online discussions an abundance of glib comparisons to Hitler and the Nazis. In response, he coined Godwin's Law, a modern adage intended to promote more thoughtful dialogue.

Topics: Holocaust denial, Propaganda and the media

RSS Subscribe | Download | Listen now | Forward | Comment

Stephen H. Norwood, Professor of U.S. History and Judaic Studies, University of Oklahoma

In his book, The Third Reich in the Ivory Tower, Stephen Norwood looks at the ways many American universities actively or passively helped to legitimize Nazi Germany. In their failure to take a stand against antisemitism, Norwood sees parallels in academia today.

Topics: Academic perspectives, Antisemitism on college campuses, The role of education

RSS Subscribe | Download | Listen now | Forward | Comment