Joshua Kavaloski, Director
Dr. Joshua Kavaloski, who earned a Ph.D. in modern German literature at the University of Virginia, is Professor of German at Drew University and the Chair of the Department of German and Chinese. His scholarship concentrates on literature of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and he is the author of the book, High Modernism: Aestheticism and Performativity in Literature of the 1920s. He has also published essays on authors such as Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, Jurek Becker, Philip Roth, Daniel Kehlmann, Jason Lutes, and others. His current book project explores the way that graphic novels re-imagine history and frame our understanding of the past. At Drew, Josh teaches courses both in English and in German on a wide range of topics including modern European literature, the German fairy-tale tradition, the history of the Weimar Republic, graphic novels, and contemporary German film. Courses relevant to his work at the Center include “Perspectives on the Holocaust,” “The Holocaust and Film,” and “German-Jewish Culture Before, During, and After the Holocaust.” Along with Ann Saltzman, he co-directed two study-tours to Germany for Drew students to study the way that the Holocaust is represented and politicized.
Ann Saltzman, Director Emerita
Dr. Ann Saltzman, Professor Emerita of Psychology at Drew University and Director Emerita of Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study, earned her doctorate in Social-Personality Psychology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She has pursued various venues for bridging the disciplines of Psychology and Holocaust Studies, presenting papers on the subject at both psychology and Holocaust conferences. Her Holocaust Studies publications include book chapters, articles and book reviews in publications at the intersection of Holocaust Studies, psychology, and history. Additional research and teaching interests include Psychology of Women and social issues psychology. Saltzman has received a variety of awards: a Grant-in-Aid from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues to study identity issues among the homeless; Drew’s Presidential Award for Distinguished Teaching; and both the Honey and Maurice Axelrod Public Education Recognition Award and the Sister Rose Thering Award from the New Jersey Commission for Holocaust Education for her work in educating for prejudice reduction, inter-faith understanding, and social justice
Jacqueline Berke, Director Emerita
It is with great sadness that we announce that Jacqueline Berke, founding Director and Director Emerita of the Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study, passed away on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Jackie, as we all knew her, was 94 years old. She was born and raised in New York, NY; and lived in Orange, and Millburn, before moving to Madison, NJ. A graduate of George Washington High School, NYC, she received her Bachelors degree from New York University, a Masters degree in Journalism from Columbia University, and a Masters degree in English from Rutgers University. She served as Professor of English at Drew University from 1960 to 1992, and as Professor Emerita for many years. She founded the Holocaust Center at Drew University in 1993, and served at various times as its Director, Co-Director and Director Emerita. She was the author of a popular rhetoric text book, Twenty Questions for the Writer and editor of the Center’s book, Moments in Time: A Collage of Holocaust Memories.
Angela West, Coordinator
Dr. Angela West holds a Ph.D. in History and Culture from Drew University’s Caspersen School of Graduate Studies. She is a distinguished scholar and researcher specializing in Holocaust and genocide studies, white nationalism, far-right extremism, and gender issues. In addition to her role at the Center, she serves as an adjunct professor at Drew University, where she teaches courses on Jewish women and the Holocaust, children and the Holocaust, and American extremism. Dr. West is also an educator, consulting historian, and museum curator. She is currently working on a forthcoming essay that explores the culture of girls and women in the German American Bund.