Independent Scholar Holocaust and Its Genocide, Integrating Visual Art & Culture
NEW PRACTICES IN HOLOCAUST COMPARISON Holocaust comparison is a growing trend Many Holocaust museums and memorial centers are now engaging in educational activities about different mass atrocity crime events alongside the Holocaust, often in a comparative fashion. Furthermore, many academic courses and programs globally are teaching the Holocaust not only comparatively to other events in which genocide and crimes against humanity were committed, but also as a framework for understanding racism, xenophobia, and other current human rights issues. To “compare” does not mean “to equalize,” but to carefully explore differences and commonalities. Careless comparisons distort understandings of both the Holocaust and other mass atrocity crime events. Taking a cautious approach to comparison helps to reflect upon what we mean when we compare multiple historical and contemporary events