Holocaust expert explains the “Why?” behind genocide

Peter Hayes will give a talk on misconceptions about the Holocaust and answer questions about why the Jewish people were targeted.

Finger Lakes Community College will host an online talk by one of the world’s leading authorities on the Holocaust on Thursday, May 6, from 1 to 2:15 p.m.

The link is available on the FLCC events calendar at events.flcc.edu.

Peter Hayes is a professor of history and German and the Theodore Zev Weiss Holocaust Educational Foundation Professor Emeritus of Holocaust Studies at Northwestern University in Illinois.

He is also chair of the Academic Committee of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the author of several books on the Holocaust.

His talk will focus on his 2017 book “Why? Explaining the Holocaust.”

In “Why?” Hayes tackles misconceptions about the Holocaust and answers questions about why the Jews were targeted. He conducts a detailed analysis showing how social and economic conditions in Germany over many years contributed to the genocide of European Jews during World War II.

“Dr. Hayes is a widely sought-after speaker. We are fortunate to have such an accomplished author and teacher address this important topic,” said Robert Brown, professor of history and organizer of the event.

Hayes has long supported the work of the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, notably in preparing “How Was It Possible? A Holocaust Reader.”

His study of the German chemical and pharmaceutical company IG Farben,“Industry and Ideology", received the Biennial Book Prize from the Conference Group for Central European History of the American Historical Association.

This event is part of the FLCC History, Culture and Diversity series Brown organizes each year. Contact him at Robert.Brown@flcc.edu.