On February 9 at 7 PM, ET, Natalia Aleksiun, currently a scholar at the Warsaw Institute of Advanced Study and soon-to-be the Henry Rich Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Florida, will discuss the research she has conducted about “Jews Hiding and Passing as Gentiles in Eastern Galicia.” Then Nazi occupied Poland, after World War II the area was given to Soviet Union and became part of Ukraine, which it is to this day. Dr. Aleksiun will be in conversation with Dr. Maya Poran, associate professor of Psychology at Ramapo College of New Jersey. The program will take place under the auspices of The Gross Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and will be delivered remotely via Zoom. All wishing to attend may register at: https://bit.ly/3D6C9oL

During the Nazi occupation of Eastern Galicia, Jewish men, women and children struggled to survive by hiding, often thanks to the aid of non-Jewish protectors. Dr. Aleksiun examines their daily experiences, how people passed the time together and cared for one another. Jewish written and oral testimonies suggest that traditional roles persisted, shaping survival strategies and relations among Jews in hiding.