Dear Korczakians,
Today, January 27th, we remember victims of the Holocaust, a genocide of one third of the Jewish people and countless members of other minorities by Nazi Germany between 1939 and 1945. January 27th was also chosen to commemorate liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. We honor the memories of those who were killed. We bear witness to the stories of the survivors, the stories of the children of the survivors, we remember our obligation to remember, to learn from history and do whatever is in our power to bring peace to all the people on earth.
Today, we want to share with you a lecture by Dr. Michael N. Dobkowski, professor of religious studies and chair of Holocaust studies at Hobert and William Smith Colleges, given last week at Notre Dame University in Indiana entitled: The Remarkable Life, Legacy, and Ultimate Sacrifice of Dr. Janusz Korczak in the Warsaw Ghetto and the the “Road” to Treblinka.
We would like to thank Prof Clemens Sedmak, director of Nanovic Institute for European Studies, Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame for the invitation and Keith Sayer, Communication Program Director for providing the summary of the event and the link to Prof. Dobkowski’s lecture.
This January, Professor Dobkowski joined the Nanovic Institute for European Studies at the University of Notre Dame and the Jewish Federation of Saint Joseph Valley for two well-attended public presentations in South Bend, IN, on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. As he acknowledged, his audience included those who knew Dr. Korczak well and those who may have never heard of him. This unique mix presented an opportunity to expand the community of those who study and respect Dr. Korczak’s groundbreaking work on children’s rights amidst an ongoing conversation about human rights at Notre Dame.
On Sunday, January 21, Professor Dobkowski joined the Jewish Federation, meeting members of the community and sharing about Korczak’s work with orphans in the Warsaw Ghetto and the road to Treblinka. Then the following day, January 22, he presented a lunch lecture at the University of Notre Dame to a standing-room-only crowd. While using Dr. Korczak’s experiences at the end of his life as a focusing point, he also revealed how influential of a figure he was to pedagogy, children’s rights, and literature. During his visit, Prof. Dobkowski engaged with Notre Dame students, faculty, and staff members. He graciously left cards directing those interested in more information to the Janusz Korczak Association of the USA’s wealth of resources online.
The Jewish Federation and the Nanovic Institute both expressed tremendous gratitude for Prof. Dobkowski’s visit and the opportunity to engage with Dr. Korczak’s praxis and philosophy.
The lunch lecture at Notre Dame is available at:
On this day, may we remember Janusz Korczak, Stefa Wilczynska, their staff and children as well as all those whose lives are shuttered by wars and conflicts today. May Peace prevail on earth and may it begin with us.
For the Janusz Korczak Association of the USA,
Mariola Strahlberg