President Bush appoints IU professor to Holocaust Memorial Committee

Professor Alvin Rosenfeld has secured IU more national attention - for the second time.\nRosenfeld, director of Jewish studies, has been appointed by President George W. Bush to a council that oversees the world renowned United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. A former member of the Memorials education committee, as well as a special advisor to its chairman, Rosenfeld has been a diligent researcher of the Holocaust for over 30 years. \nWhen asked about his choice of profession, Rosenfeld said he had a gut feeling from day one. \n"It's sort of hard to remember back that long, but I suppose that when I first learned about the events of the Nazi Holocaust, I immediately knew that I wanted to learn more about how and why it occurred," he said. "It's a long investment in trying to get all the facts and understanding such a terrible thing, but it has been worth it to me."\nThis isn't the first time professor Rosenfeld has been responsible for national notoriety at IU. He founded the Jewish studies department over 30 years ago, which continues to be ranked among the nation's top programs on the subject, year in and year out. After three decades, he continues his tireless efforts to maintain the programs high status. \nJohn Efron, associate director of Jewish studies and colleague of Rosenfeld's, said the position is a true testament to his hard work.\n"Professor Rosenfeld's appointment to the USHMM Committee is a thoroughly deserved honor for it recognizes professor Rosenfeld's scholarly authority as one of the world's leading interpreters of Holocaust literature," Efron said. "It also is an honor that acknowledges his previous work on the council and the role he has played as a public intellectual on issues to do with the Holocaust, not only in the U.S. but in Germany and Poland as well."\nRosenfeld has written two books on the Holocaust and has edited a number of journals and other publications. After 30 years, he continues to teach English courses that discuss events of the Holocaust tragedy. Last Sunday, the professor embarked on a two-week trip throughout Germany during which he is presenting a number of lectures on the Holocaust.\nRosenfeld's active term on the Memorials council, which will run until 2007, kicks off with a meeting in early June. As a committee member, his responsibilities include helping to maintain the Memorials mission of educating the public as to the Holocaust events in Nazi Germany, and preserving the memory of the people who suffered. \nLocated in Washington, D.C., the United States Holocaust Memorial has been visited by over 17 million people from all across the globe in just nine years of existence. Visitors get an up-close and personal account of events that shaped the Holocaust, and its profound impact on the entire world.\n"You're not quite the same after visiting the Memorial," senior Gina Ochs said. "It really takes your breath away." \nThe Memorial's permanent exhibition spans three floors of the actual museum building, showcasing over 900 artifacts. It also contains four theaters with historic film footage and eye witness testimonies.\nCurrently, it is bringing new traveling exhibitions to communities throughout the U.S. These exhibitions explore topics such as the Nazi Olympic Games and the Holocaust experience through a child's eyes. \nFurthermore, the Memorial generally strives to broaden the understanding of the Holocaust through research and distribution of educational materials.\n"The main goal of the Holocaust Memorial is to educate the public on what was a very terrible tragedy. It achieves this through museum exhibitions and general education, which the council oversees," Rosenfeld said. "I am deeply honored by this exciting appointment and look forward to serving"