Nationally recognized Holocaust lecture series gets upgraded space at Sonoma State University

The real gem at Sonoma State University’s Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide has been its nationally recognized lecture series, now entering its fifth decade.

The lecture series — the cornerstone of holocaust and genocide studies at Sonoma State — has featured world-renown scholars such as Yehuda Bauer, Christopher Browning and James Waller.

Until now, the center itself has been housed in the faculty office of one of its longtime academic coordinators, Myrna Goodman, who died earlier this year.

“The physical accommodations never quite matched the national stature of the lecture series,” said Stephen Bittner, the center’s current academic coordinator. “My recollection of that office is there was barely room to step in, because Goodman had so many books and paraphernalia.”

On Tuesday afternoon, the university held an open house in newly dedicated space for the center at remodeled Stevenson Hall. The walls of the center, which is located on the third floor of the building, are lined with the framed flyers detailing 40 years of lectures, which can be found on the center’s YouTube site.

Bittner and Troi Carleton, the dean of the university’s school of social studies, said finding a permanent home for the center was a key priority during discussions about the renovation of Stevenson Hall.

“What we’re hoping is that we can raise enough money to hire a full-time staff member, a permanent fixture, a permanent presence in the office,” Bittner said, adding that a full-time staffer would also coordinate outreach and programming for local schools.

The center’s work in local schools is done in conjunction with Sonoma State’s Alliance for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide, which supports the center.

Unlike a museum — where significant focus is placed on “material culture,” or the physical aspects of the Holocaust, such as clothing, letters, journals, photos — the programming at Sonoma State’s Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide is centered around its lecture speakers.

These are individuals with expertise, either survivors of genocide, witnesses to genocide or established scholars in the field of genocide studies, Bittner said. All the programming is available to the public.

The lectures, which take place during the spring semester, between the months of January and May, are part of the curriculum of the three-unit, upper division course (Pols 307/Hist 307) Perspectives on Holocaust & Genocide.

A total of 15 lectures are held from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. every Tuesday at Stevenson Hall, Room 1301, and are open to the public. The lectures are also livestreamed via Zoom.

Programming for the 2024 Holocaust and Genocide Lecture Series does not include discussion of the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, where 1,200 people were killed by Hamas militants, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, nor the ongoing Israeli government’s military response in Gaza, which has killed 15,900 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

“Current events in Gaza happened too late to incorporate into our lecture series,” Bittner said. “But I’d be keen to incorporate interfaith dialogue as one of the future lectures.”

Over the years, the scope and mission of both the center and the Alliance for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide have expanded to include discussion of other genocides, including those in Rwanda, Armenia and Cambodia.

Flora Lee Ganzler, a retired Rancho Cotate High School social studies teacher and former board member of the Alliance, was among those who visited the center during the open house Tuesday.

Ganzler recalled how 20 years ago, when the center was housed in Goodman’s office, it was barely a quarter the size of the new space. She praised the support of university officials.

“They’re giving us so much attention and support — to have this office in this beautiful new Stevenson Hall, it’s classy,” Ganzler said.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.