Boone, NC – July 16–17, 2025
The Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies at Appalachian State University, in partnership with Western Galilee College, hosted the international online conference “New Insights on the Holocaust” via Zoom on July 16–17, 2025. This year’s theme, “Rescue Inaction or Rescue in Action: Religion and Rescue during the Holocaust,” explored the complex role of religious leaders and communities in rescuing Jews during the Holocaust.
Exploring Faith-Driven Rescue Efforts
The conference opened on Wednesday, July 16, with a panel highlighting European Christians’ role in Holocaust rescue. Graduate student Esther Gonzales examined Protestant rescuers, including Corrie ten Boom in the Netherlands, the villagers of Le Chambon in France, and the Confessing Christians in Germany. Motivated by faith, these individuals and communities hid Jews, supported refugee resettlement, and actively resisted Nazism.
Following this, Paul J. Kutner explored how Catholic communities in Protestant regions of France joined forces with Protestant neighbors to protect Jews. His research revealed an unexpected partnership that challenged prior assumptions about interdenominational rescue efforts.
The evening concluded with Doris Bergen, Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Chair in Holocaust Studies at the University of Toronto, who delivered a keynote lecture on religious conversion during the Holocaust, prompting discussion about whether conversion should be viewed as rescue or part of genocidal pressures.
International Perspectives on Rescue
On Thursday, July 17, the conference featured a series of panels and lectures highlighting global examples of religious-led rescue.
- Yaron Pasher examined Vatican diplomacy and the Bulgarian rescue of Jews, emphasizing the efforts of Bishop Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (later Pope John XXIII) and internal resistance leaders like Dimitar Peshev.
- Julia Englander highlighted the Swedish Israel Mission and Göte Hedenquist’s rescue work in Austria, providing new insights into the motivations and methods of religious actors saving lives under Nazi rule.
- Christoph Wilker shared research on Jehovah’s Witnesses, showing how this persecuted religious group provided shelter and aid to Jewish neighbors despite facing severe repression.
Panels also examined complex and morally ambiguous situations:
- Rory Yeomans discussed the limits of Catholic rescue efforts in Croatia during WWII through the case of Mirko Klein.
- Madeline Vadkerty analyzed clerical actions in Slovakia, revealing varied responses from Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Greek Catholic leaders during antisemitic persecution.
- Ralph Lentz highlighted the work of Dietrich von Hildebrand, a Catholic philosopher whose early intellectual resistance sought to protect scholars and students from Nazi ideology.
Keynote Highlights
The conference concluded with Michael Hesemann presenting “Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust — What the Archives Reveal.” Drawing from over 16 years of archival research, Hesemann offered new perspectives on the Pope’s diplomatic efforts, revealing interventions that protected thousands of Jews across Nazi-occupied Europe.
A Platform for Scholarship and Reflection
The 2025 online conference brought together international scholars, educators, and students to examine recently uncovered evidence on Holocaust rescue efforts by religious communities. Through lectures, panels, and keynotes, participants gained a deeper understanding of the ethical, moral, and practical challenges faced by rescuers during one of history’s darkest periods.For more information, contact the Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies at Appalachian State University at holocaust@appstate.edu or 828-262-6118.