Please join Temple Israel Portsmouth for a special Yom HaShoah Observance.

Dehumanization lies at the root of our capacity to commit atrocities against our human family, including genocide. When people dehumanize others, they think of them as vermin to be exterminated or monsters to be destroyed. There is a centuries-long history of the dehumanization of Jews in Europe, culminating in the Holocaust. Professor David Smith will discuss the experience of being dehumanized as a Jew during the Nazi era, drawing on the life of German émigré Hollywood screenwriter Curt Siodmak, known for his work in the horror and science fiction film genres, including "The Wolf Man."

About our speaker: Dr. Smith is professor of philosophy at the University of New England. He earned his M.A. from Antioch University and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of London, Kings College.

​Dr. Smith’s recent titles include: On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist It, published by Oxford University Press in June, 2020, followed by Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization, published by Harvard University Press.

Dessert and coffee will follow in the Social Hall, where an exhibit of Holocaust-era artifacts from the personal collection of Dr. Ira Schwartz will be on display. Registration via the temple website calendar.