Ramapo students visit Prague

This summer, 10 Ramapo College of New Jersey students spent 10 days in Prague with Dr. Jacob Ari Labendz, shown here second from left. He is the director of the college’s Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies.

The program, Holocaust and Human Rights in Prague, was a study of the region’s history of genocide and the echoes of that violence in contemporary approaches to human rights and multicultural belonging.

The trip included visits to sites of mass atrocity; reflections on the histories and cultures of minority groups before, during, and after World War II; meetings with non-governmental organizations active in the fields of human rights and representing marginalized communities; discussions with locals; and tours and museum visits. Most days began with a lecture from either Dr. Labendz, an expert in Czech and Jewish history, or local scholars. The program focused on the histories and contemporary experiences of Jews, Roma, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The trip was planned in coordination with the Dr. Erin Augis and the Honors Program.

The CHGS awarded a $1,400 scholarship to each participant, with donations from Beth Haverim Shir Shalom in Mahwah, Congregation Rodeph Sholom in Bridgeport, CT, Rosalyn Ross, and anonymous donors. The S. Rubenstein Family Foundation gave a $3,000 scholarship to one participant, and Paul Current and Kate Lamanna from the Roukema Center for International Education help fund the program. For information, email holgen@ramapo.edu.