The traveling exhibition Americans and the Holocaust will be hosted at the Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls as part of its second national tour. The exhibition is made possible through the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association. The exhibition visited 50 libraries from 2021 to 2023 during its first tour and is visiting an additional 50 libraries from 2024 to 2026. 

The Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls will feature the exhibition from March 17 to April 28, 2025. 

The 1,100-square-foot exhibition is based on the original display that opened in April 2018 at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. The Americans and the Holocaust traveling exhibition tells the stories of Americans who acted in response to Nazism, and presents research and public opinions from the era regarding the various societal factors that influenced Americans understanding and response to the threats. The exhibition challenges visitors to ask, “What would I have done?” as well as “What will I do?” 

Geneva history professor Jeffrey Cole, PhD, chair of the Core Studies Department, played a pivotal role in bringing the national exhibition to the community. In the spring of 2024, he traveled to Washington, DC, to receive training for the exhibition, and has facilitated its arrival in our region. At Geneva, Cole regularly teaches courses in American history, social studies methods, and the humanities, including courses on World War II, the History of US Foreign Policy, and Genocide. 

“This is a unique opportunity for our college community to engage with an important aspect of world history in the context of U.S. history,” says Cole. “The exhibition raises questions about how to love our neighbor in the context of international strife, and challenges us to consider how past mistakes might help us to act differently when confronted with new challenges.” 

Student attendance is encouraged and made possible through course involvement. Geneva’s humanities faculty altered the Humanities 303 course curriculum this semester to accommodate interaction with this exhibition, requiring students to visit while reading the course text The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal. Lynda Szabo, PhD, professor of English and the humanities, hopes this pairing will invite students into a richer understanding and more deeply personal reflection on the text and the lasting effects of the Holocaust on society. 

Additionally, students in Geneva’s Early College Program and from Geneva’s Preferred School Initiative are being invited to attend the exhibition as a group, followed by lunch at Alexander Dining Hall on campus and a time to debrief the exhibit with Cole. 

This is the second time the exhibition has visited Pennsylvania, previously displayed at Penn State University during the first tour in 2022. The exhibition in Beaver Falls is a regional effort from organizations and sponsors across western PA and eastern OH, and includes additional programming: 

• March 19, 6:30PM: “America and the Holocaust” with Barbara Burstin, University of Pittsburgh, and made possible by Portage Learning, 

• March 25, 6:30PM: “Beaver County and the Holocaust” with Eric Lidji, Heinz History Center, and made possible by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the Beth Samuel Jewish Center, 

• April 2, 6:30PM: “Generations Speaker” with Deborah Stueber, daughter of two Holocaust survivors, and made possible by the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh’s Generations Speakers Bureau, 

• April 27, 6:30PM: “Repairing the World: Stories From the Tree of Life,” a panel presentation and documentary screening with survivors of the 2018 Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh. 

For more information about the exhibition and related programming at the Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls, visit cflbf.org/Americans-and-the-Holocaust/ 

For more information about the traveling exhibition and the full tour, visit 
ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/traveling-exhibitions/americans-and-the-holocaust 

About the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 

The United States Holocaust Memorial Musem is a “living memorial to the Holocaust,” that “inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide and promote human dignity.” The Museum is a nonpartisan, federal educational institution located in Washington, DC. For more information, visit ushmm.org. 

About the American Library Association 

The American Library Association provides resources to libraries, promoting leadership development and community involvement that prompts learning and ensures access to information. The ALA’s core values are access, equity, intellectual freedom and privacy, public good, and sustainability. For more information, visit ala.org. 

About the Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit 

Americans and the Holocaust was made possible by the generous support of lead sponsor Jeannie & Jonathan Lavine. Additional major funding was provided by the Bildners — Joan & Allen z”l, Elisa Spungen & Rob, Nancy & Jim; and Jane and Daniel Och. The Museum's exhibitions are also supported by the Lester Robbins and Sheila Johnson Robbins Traveling and Special Exhibitions Fund, established in 1990. 

Additional programming at the Carnegie Free Library is made possible by support from the Beaver Falls Community Development Corporation, Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit, the Beth Samuel Jewish Center, Chatham University, Chelsea Party Center, Geneva College, the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, Neighborhood North Museum of Play, Portage Learning, and the Senator John Heinz History Center, and WQED. 

Photo provided by the United States Holocaust Memorial Musem.

By Erika Kauffman '20