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Lecture: "How the Bulgarian Jews Survived the Holocaust"

Joseph Benatov, a scholar and instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, presents a lecture on the fate of Bulgaria's Jewish population during WWII. Registration is requested, but not required.

This program is offered in observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah), which falls on April 13-14 this year, and the Holocaust Days of Remembrance, which in the United States runs from the Sunday before Yom Hashoah through the following Sunday.

About the Lecture:

In 1943, Bulgaria complied with German demands and deported nearly 11,400 Jews from occupied territories in northern Greece and Yugoslavia (Macedonia). At the same time, Bulgaria successfully resisted German pressures to deport the 50,000 Jews living in Bulgaria. Dr. Benatov offers an overview of the facts surrounding these historical events and will focus on the conflicting opinions about the role played by King Boris III, church officials, and politicians in the rescue of Bulgaria’s Jewish population. Dr. Benatov will also discuss the international debate over the way in which this historical moment should be interpreted, remembered and commemorated. You will also learn about present-day Jewish life in Bulgaria and the country's rich Jewish heritage.

Presenter Bio:

Joseph Benatov holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches Hebrew. He is originally from Bulgaria and a member of Sofia’s Jewish community. Dr. Benatov has over 25 years of experience leading travelers across the Balkans, including UNESCO representatives, 92nd Street Y visitors, JDC board members, and Anti-Defamation League officials. He lectures regularly on the history of Jewish life in Bulgaria and on Balkan Sephardic culture. Every summer Dr. Benatov leads Jewish heritage tours to the Sephardic Balkans. 

Presented in partnership with the Historical Society of Princeton. Public Humanities programs are presented with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this programming do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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