During the early Nazi occupation of Europe, Jews from across the continent attempted to escape and survive. Two exhibits are now open at the Nebraska History Museum that explore both the escape and the survival of Jews during World War II. The True Wartime Escape: Margret and H.A. Rey’s Journey from France shares the story of the creators of Curious George and Portraits of Survival: Photographs by David Radler, which introduces visitors to Holocaust survivors who came to Nebraska to live.
To commemorate the two new exhibits, we invite you to a special event that explores the creation of the exhibits and the importance of Holocaust education. Join us as we welcome Scott Littky, Executive Director for the Institute for Holocaust Education (IHE), Dr. Beth Dotan, Research Assistant Professor at the Norman and Bernice Harris Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and David Radler, the photographer behind Portraits of Survival, to speak on how each of these exhibits came to life.
Learn about the importance of Holocaust education and the passing of LB888 (2022) and why the individual narrative is important in teaching Holocaust education. We will also hear about the story behind the curation of the Curious George exhibit, A True Wartime Escape, and the process for selecting and photographing Holocaust survivors for Portraits of Survival.
For sponsorship information on the event or the exhibits, please contact Raegan Andresen.
Registration for this event is $30 and includes light appetizers from Bagel Bin and Doorstep Diner. To register, please call 402-471-4782.
This event and the exhibits are supported by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Harris Center for Judaic Studies.
About the Speakers
Scott Littky
Scott Littky is the Executive Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education located in Omaha, NE. He has been with the Institute for Holocaust Education since the summer of 2018 and is very proud of the work he and his staff are doing.
The Institute for Holocaust Education provides educational resources, workshops, survivor testimony, and integrated arts programming to students, educators, and the public. The IHE provides support to Holocaust survivors in our community.
Their goal is to ensure that the tragedy and history of the Holocaust are remembered and that appropriate, fact-based instruction and materials are available to students, educators, and the public to enable them to learn the lessons of the Holocaust and that, as a result, we inspire our community to create a more just and equitable society.
Scott holds a BA in History from Wayne State University and did his graduate work in education and Judaic Studies. He served as a Jewish educator and education director for over 34 years in Detroit, Omaha, Ann Arbor, and Alexandria, VA.
Scott is a trained Yad Vashem educator with a background in training educators and writing curriculum for Holocaust studies, mainly for use in supplementary schools.
Scott and his wife, Felicia, have two grown children, Sarah, who made Aliyah at 19, served in the IDF, and is currently living in Dallas, TX. Their son Avi is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University with a degree in Theatre Directing and works in Washington, D.C.
Scott is a devoted Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, and Washington Capitals fan.
Dr. Beth Dotan
Dr. Beth S. Dotan is Research Assistant Professor at the Norman and Bernice Harris Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL). She is co-PI on the Nebraska Stories of Humanity: Holocaust Survivors & WWII Veterans, Network Portal & Educational Website, established through the UNL Center for Digital Research in the Humanities. Dotan’s research focuses on Digital Holocaust Memory and Education. She was the founding director of the Institute for Holocaust Education in Omaha, Nebraska, and the international department director at the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum in Israel.
David Radler
David Radler grew up in Los Angeles, California, and attended the Rochester Institute of Technology. He began his photography education in junior high school, and from that moment, he knew what he wanted to do for his career.
He spent four years assisting prominent photographers in Los Angeles and New York City. After that, he moved to Milan, Italy, for two years working as a fashion photographer.
After a random call to do a job in Omaha, he decided he would split his time between Nebraska and NYC.
David has three daughters and a wonderful wife, Gretchen.
