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The Ambiguity of Virtue: Gertrude van Tijn and the Fate of the Dutch Jews during World War II

Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 4:30pm to 6:00pm

White Hall, 106 White Hall

Prof. Wasserstein will discuss the role of Gertrude van Tijn, a German-born social worker who directed the emigration department of Amsterdam's Jewish Council from 1941 until her arrest in 1943. Although van Tijn's efforts enabled thousands of Dutch Jews to emigrate, she faced difficult moral choices. While some considered her a heroine, others denounced her as a collaborator.  Drawing on a wealth of contemporary documentation, Prof. Wasserstein will examine German policy toward Dutch Jewry, as well as Jewish reactions to the Nazi menace.  By focusing on van Tijn's role, Prof. Wasserstein will shed new light on the heated controversy over the role of Jewish Councils in Europe. His lecture will illuminate the wrenching moral dilemmas they faced as they tried desperately to help their coreligionists to survive.

          Prof. Wasserstein is author of numerous books in modern Jewish history, including Britain and the Jews of Europe (1988);  Vanishing Diaspora:  The Jews in Europe since 1945 (1996);  Divided Jerusalem:  The Struggle for the Holy City (2001);  On the Eve:  The Jews of Europe before the Second World War (2012).

 

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Event Type

Lecture

Departments

Near Eastern Studies, History, Society for the Humanities

Tags

nesjwst

Cost

Free

Contact E-Mail

jp835@cornell.edu

Contact Name

Joshua Porter

Contact Phone

6072556275

Speaker

Bernard Wasserstein

Speaker Affiliation

University of Chicago

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