Author analyzes Holocaust denial

Author Ayal Rosenberg told members of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center Tuesday night remembering the Holocaust is important for today's young generations in spite of recent trends of Holocaust denial and fatigue. The author visited the IU campus as part of a lecture on his new book "Denial."\nRosenberg, a resident of South Africa and former Israeli soldier, said Jews have a far different view than ancient Greek Epicurians, who believed that history is meaningless and that the future is what matters.\n"In Judaism, the past is very important," he said. "God tells us every day to remember ... If you want to understand the future, you first have to look back."\nHis novel is a collaboration of his research and fictional scenarios regarding Holocaust denial and the First Amendment. A copy of his book is available in the Hillel library.\nHe said he is unsure of how to pass on history to further generations because today's generation is divided over its reaction to the Holocaust. He also believes people must create their own response to the events of more than 60 years ago.\n"We've been spoon-fed a reaction (to the Holocaust) from people who were around or experienced it, and we can't be expected to have the same reaction," he said. "We'll have to grapple with this and come up with our own honest answer of how to react."\nJessie Mallor, director of Jewish student life at Hillel, said Holocaust fatigue and anti-Semitism have posed a problem nationwide on college campuses.\n"IU is really lucky that we've escaped the recent strong resurgence of anti-Semitism, but unfortunately, a lot of college campuses have experienced this," Mallor said, referring specifically to an incident at Duke University last year when its student newspaper printed an editorial that was construed by many as anti-Semitic. "At Hillel, we think knowledge is power, and the more people are educated, the more people will think before giving a snap response to the Holocaust."\nThe 10 members of Hillel that attended the lecture were able to discuss Holocaust denial with Rosenberg after the informal lecture in the chapel at Hillel.\n"I don't think people realize that (the Holocaust) was so recent," said junior Rachel Vilensky. "It could still happen again, anytime, any place. When people ignore it, it just blows my mind."\nVilensky also recalled her disbelief as a child hearing about Holocaust fatigue.\n"My friends in Sunday school would say, 'Oh, I'm so tired of hearing about six million people dying (in the Holocaust),'" she said. "I was like, 'Are you serious?'"\nTrying to downplay the importance of the Holocaust is another trend that has concerned the Jewish community, Rosenberg said.\n"The denialists aren't the ones that really scare me -- it's the revisionists who say (the Holocaust) wasn't as bad as they say," said freshman Drew Kushnick during the discussion. "The revisionists will tell this to the more ignorant people and eventually create more of a denial."\nRosenberg will speak again at 7:30 p.m. today about Holocaust denial at the JCC Laikin Auditorium in Indianapolis.\n-- Contact staff writer Lori Snow at