Strassler Center at Clark University

10/07/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Ashley Valanzola, David P. Angel Chair in Holocaust Pedagogy and Antisemitism Studies, on the publication of her latest article with Dr. Chad Gibbs, Director of the Center for Holocaust Studies and Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at the College of Charleston.

Their new article, “Unlikely Sites of Holocaust Memory in the American South: The Cases of Charleston and Whitwell,” has just been published in Southern Jewish History.

We are proud to celebrate Dr. Valanzola’s continued contributions to Holocaust pedagogy, antisemitism studies, and the study of Holocaust memory. Congratulations to Dr. Valanzola and Dr. Gibbs on this important new publication!

You can check it out here:
https://www.jewishsouth.org/contents-southern-jewish-history-volume?fbclid=IwY2xjawUzPIVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mBWJyaWQRMTZnWENVVjVrajlWcENVVU5zcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEezkI3GWvgoQj234JSPC6pZnqZ64Ljgxb3QD-ChSKQYit_Lc27Uq234TRVnSU_aem_s8WP4_EsrqJGxYClw5Ey6w

(Note: the photos have been removed from this version for copyright reasons.)

Contents of Southern Jewish History By Volume View Index of Authors Southern Jewish History is pleased to provide free downloads of all volumes of the journal and individual articles. Use the links below to download pdfs. To protect copyright owners, all digital content available below is provided w...

10/06/2026

The Center was pleased to host Regina Galustyan and Edita Gzoyan last week.

Regina presented a lecture entitled “Clothing and the Politics of Exposure During the Armenian Genocide,” while Edita spoke about the important work being carried out by the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute in Yerevan.

Pictured below, left to right: Regina Galustyan, Dr. Elyse Semerdjian, and Edita Gzoyan.

10/05/2026

We’re excited to share some wonderful news: The Strassler Center is coming to Vienna!

Fourth-year student Alina Bojčić will soon begin her fellowship at the Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies, where she will continue her research and scholarship in Vienna.

Learn more about Alina and her fellowship:
https://museum.vwi.ac.at/fellows/boj%C4%8Di%C4%87-alina

Dr. Frances Tanzer will join Alina at the Institute beginning in February to continue her research on her family.

Learn more about Frances and her fellowship:
https://museum.vwi.ac.at/fellows/tanzer-frances

Congratulations to Alina and Dr. Tanzer on these exciting fellowship awards!

Durch den laufenden Austausch von Gastforscherinnen und -forschern in Form von Senior-, Research- und Junior-Fellowships, sichert das VWI die laufende Innovation seiner Forschungsagenden. Junge Forscherinnen und Forscher und erfahrene Wissenschafterinnen und Wissenschafter sollen so in einem wechsel...

09/29/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Frances Tanzer, whose book Vanishing Vienna: Modernism, Philosemitism, and Jews in a Postwar City has been awarded the Radomir Luza Prize for outstanding work in the field of Austrian and/or Czechoslovak history in the 20th century.

Congratulations, Dr. Tanzer, on this well-deserved recognition!

09/18/2026

Honored to host an outstanding group of scholars for the workshop “Necrogeographies of the Marginalized Dead.”

The workshop examined how marginalized dead have been treated, remembered, buried, and represented across diverse societies and historical periods.

Participants workshoped original research spanning Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, South Asia, Indigenous communities in the Americas, as well as the remains and burial practices of enslaved Africans.

The workshop was sponsored by the Friends of the Robert Aram and Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Professor in Armenian Genocide Studies and the Max-Weber-Kolleg at the University of Erfurt.

09/11/2026

The Center was pleased to host Charlie Scheidt, along with his co-author, Kat Rohrer, and discussion moderator Rebecca Erbelding, for a conversation about their book,"Inheritance: Love, Loss, and the Legacy of the Holocaust."

To watch a recording of the event, follow the link below:

https://mediaspace.clarku.edu/media/Inheritance%20Book%20Talk%20(September%2010%2C%202026)/1_4uqkk92e

Pictured below, from left to right: President Fithian, Scheidt Doctoral Fellowship recipient Refine Uchechi, and Charlie Scheidt.

09/11/2026

Congratulations to Center graduate students Alina Bojčić and Nathan Lucky, who have each been awarded an American Academy for Jewish Research grant to support their dissertation research!

We’re proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of their scholarly work and look forward to seeing their research continue to develop. Congratulations, Alina and Nathan!

2025-26 Dissertation Research Funding Recipients Posted on June 22, 2026 admin2021 2025-2026 Congratulations Dissertation Research Funding Recipients The American Academy for Jewish Research is pleased to announce the recipients of its grants for dissertation research funding.   AAJR provides stip...

09/10/2026

Today is the day! 🎉

Please join us at 4:00 p.m. in Higgins Lounge to hear from the authors of this award-winning book. We hope to see you there!

08/27/2026

Join our PhD Community!

We invite exceptional and motivated researchers to join our PhD program. Develop rigorous, original research alongside leading scholars and contribute to knowledge that shapes the field.

Read the Center's Call for Applicants below.

08/19/2026

Author Lecture: Inheritance: Love, Loss, and the Legacy of the Holocaust

Join authors Charlie Scheidt and Kat Rohrer for a thoughtful conversation about uncovering family secrets, confronting historical trauma, and exploring the lasting legacy of the Holocaust.

Scheidt, the grandson of Holocaust survivors, and Rohrer, the granddaughter of a N**i officer, share their deeply personal journeys in their acclaimed book, Inheritance: Love, Loss, and the Legacy of the Holocaust.

Their book is the recipient of the 2026 International Book Award for Nonfiction: Narrative and was awarded the 2026 IPPY Silver Medal for Autobiography/Memoir II (Coming of Age/Family Legacy).

Thursday, September 10, 2026
4:00 p.m.
Higgins Lounge, Dana Commons

If you are unable to attend in person, you can join via Zoom.

https://clarku.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YTW0XYD6QUWHy_pNdCgW7g #/registration

A book signing (books will be available for purchase) and a reception will follow the lecture.

We hope you will join us!