Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of many of the Nazi death camps in the final months of the Second World War, we are partnering with OCDJ, Volos Academy for Theological Studies, and ACER-MJO to co-host an online conference:
THE ORTHODOX CHURCH AND THE SHOAH
Wednesday and Thursday, 23-24 April 2025
2 pm – 4 pm EDT / 20:00 – 22:00 CET
The conference will encompass four online sessions. The first three will feature three 20-minute talks and the final session will be an open discussion among all the panelists.
The Zoom link is: https://bit.ly/ocdj
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Wednesday 23 April, 2pm EDT
Contextualizing the Shoah (Holocaust)Why should we continue to remember the Shoah? — Rabbi Dr David Sandmel, International Council of Christians and Jews
The theological problem of the Shoah in Orthodox Christian tradition — Rev Geoffrey Ready, University of Toronto
Orthodox liturgical tradition and hymns seen through the lens of the Shoah — Olga Meerson, Georgetown University
Wednesday 23 April, 3pm EDT
Remembering the ‘Righteous Among the Nations’
The stories of Orthodox Christian saints and heroes whose courageous actions saved Jewish lives
How did the righteous become righteous? — Rev Hildo Bos, St. Nicholas Church, Amsterdam
The example of Mother Maria of Paris — Andreas Alexopoulos, Volos Academy
The example of Fr Cyril Argenti — Olga Lossky
Thursday 24 April, 2pm EDT
Reckoning with Orthodox Involvement in the Shoah
Antisemitism, fascism, and direct participation in the Holocaust within Orthodox Christian nations
The Serbian Church during the Shoah — Rastko Lompar, Institute for Balkan Studies
The case of the Church of Romania — Ionut Biliuta, Romanian Academy
Between the cross and the swastika: Orthodox bishops, Mount Athos, and the Nazi-occupied Greece — Nikos Kouremenos, Volos Academy
Thursday 24 April, 3pm EDT
Closing Panel
The Holocaust in the context of interreligious dialogue — Rev. Dr. Filotheos Maroudas, Volos Academy
Open roundtable — moderated by Inga Leonova, The Wheel
No registration is required. Simply join us online on our Zoom link: https://bit.ly/ocdj