Lecture Series to Explore Holocaust

For Richard Prystowsky, the Holocaust is as timely a topic as ever.

“Let’s put it this way,” he said. “In the view of many who deal with this material, the Holocaust never ended.”

Prystowsky, an English and humanities professor at Irvine Valley College, will present a four-part lecture to explore issues raised by the Holocaust.

The Jewish Community Center of Orange County will offer the series on Monday and Wednesday and Feb. 1 and 3.

The speaker will provide a brief historical overview of the Holocaust and introduce several issues for discussion: the ordinariness of the perpetrators and the rescuers, the importance of survivor testimony, and the uniqueness of the Holocaust and Jewish-Christian relations prior to and during the Holocaust.

“The gates of Auschwitz no longer operate, but people are still killing each other in large numbers; hatred is still all over the globe,” Prystowsky said.

The classes, at 250 E. Baker St. in Costa Mesa, will run from 7 to 9:30 p.m. They are free for Holocaust survivors, $36 for center members and $48 for nonmembers. Information: (714) 755-0340.