The Opinions We Need to Rethink How We Think About the Holocaust
Oct 31, 2025
Marianne Hirsch, a professor emerita at Columbia University and a prominent scholar of Holocaust memory, discusses the complexity of Holocaust education in light of contemporary events. She critiques the misuse of Holocaust narratives in politics and emphasizes the importance of teaching empathy alongside contextual history. Hirsch also advocates for including the Nakba in Holocaust education, addressing both Israeli and Palestinian histories. Furthermore, she shares her experiences of challenges in teaching and the evolving nature of memory in relation to trauma.
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Childhood Shaped By Parental Trauma
- Marianne Hirsch describes growing up as the child of Romanian Holocaust survivors whose stories overshadowed her own childhood memories.
- She recounts discovering post-memory through literature like Art Spiegelman's Maus and Toni Morrison's Beloved which prompted her scholarly shift.
Post-Memory Is Mediated Identification
- Hirsch defines post-memory as vicarious, identifying memory transmitted through stories and media that make descendants feel they 'were there.'
- She says mediation via films and public images extends post-memory beyond families into collective remembrance.
Danger Of Holocaust Exceptionalism
- Hirsch argues against treating the Holocaust as incomparable exception which obscures other histories and current genocides.
- She warns that exceptionalism can foster denial of other genocides and hinder recognizing present crises.
