Relics: Soap, Lampshades, and Myth in Holocaust Memory

Memory is an imperfect medium, and the presence of myths and mis-memory within survivor testimony creates an exploitable vulnerability for Holocaust denial and distortion. Scholars of the Holocaust do not believe that the Nazis produced soap or lampshades from human remains, but this has not stopped these myths from becoming integral aspect symbols of Nazi cruelty.

Why do these two myths endure? And how can educators and historians responsibly handle them? Join the Neuberger as journalist Mark Jacobson discusses the relevance of these myths today and shares some ideas about protecting Holocaust memory against denial and distortion into the future.

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From there, go to the Holocaust Education Week events and click Relics: Soap, Lampshades, and Myth in Holocaust Memory, which will take you to the livestream page.

This program is connected to the reading of The Soap Myth on November 10, 2021 at 7:30 PM.

Mark Jacobson is a journalist and contributing editor to New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Esquire. He is the author of The Lampshade: A Detective Story from Buchenwald to New Orleans.

Presented in partnership with Studio 180 Theatre and the Sarah & Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre.